Program Director – Eurasia

International Republican Institute

Job Summary:

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day to day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks include:

Excellence– We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. Freedom– We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. Respect- We believe in trust, empathy and empowering people. Teamwork- We believe in diversity, inclusion and the power of global collaboration. Transparency– We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. Accountability- We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of success.

The Program Director (PD) is responsible for the management and implementation of IRI’s large, closed society program focused on countering authoritarianism. The PD designs and implements a long-range strategy for IRI programs in the portfolio. The PD leads a team and contributes to the substantive design of new programs. The PD is responsible for compliance with local laws and /regulations governing current funding.

Position Requirements

  • Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations or related field.
  • Minimum 8-10 years professional experience in democratic governance and politics, preferably working directly with political parties, civil society organizations/NGOs and/or legislative bodies and officials. Experience working on elections, independent media support and/or anti-corruption programming.
  • Working knowledge of the politics, economics, history and culture of the Eurasia region.
  • Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills.
  • Demonstrated management experience including ability to motivate and manage staff.
  • Demonstrated experience working with USG funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.
  • Demonstrated financial management experience in developing and administering program budgets.
  • Ability to prepare, present and negotiate complex and sensitive agreements and/or project proposals with bilateral/multi-lateral agencies and other donor communities.
  • Ability to communicate skills and experience to others as a trainer, advisor or technical consultant; sensitivity to working in advisory role with local organizations.
  • Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet program goals.
  • Willingness to travel within Europe and Eurasia a significant amount throughout the year.
  • Willingness to live and work in a challenging environment.
  • Russian or other Eurasian language abilities preferred but not required.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

  • Monitors, analyzes and reports on political and related developments in target country to provide regional and country analysis.
  • Develops credibility with and maintain good relationships with all relevant stakeholders, including U.S. and foreign diplomats and donor agencies, host-country government representatives, and program partners.
  • Leads and contributes to the substantive design of new programs and contributes to the development of new program ideas.
  • Oversees and is responsible for implementation of a program portfolio (which can consist of large/several grants), from fulfillment of substantive programmatic objectives to financial and compliance requirements for the life of the grant(s).
  • Oversees the team’s implementation of all program activities oversees ensuring consistency with grant work plans and objectives.
  • Ensures that grants are completed on time, within budget, and in full compliance with Funder and IRI policies and requirements, including approving field expenses.
  • Maintains an understanding of donor and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance and oversight.
  • Understands a grant’s substantive, financial and compliance requirements.
  • Oversees and ensures that assigned project(s) are implemented within budget and on time.
  • Monitors and ensures proper tracking of budget estimates and program expenditures to ensure that IRI projects remain within budget allocations.
  • Oversees updates to budget tracker and leads regular team budget analysis discussions.
  • Oversees monitoring and evaluation of programs and participates in both.
  • Lead efforts to evaluate and use information related to the approved grant work plan.
  • Reviews and edits/adds information to ensure high quality quarterly, semi-annual, final and other relevant reports for funders.
  • Supervises staff (e.g., Program Officer) assigned to the portfolio, including participating in the hiring, professional development and evaluation process for these staff. Sets specific goals and provides ongoing performance feedback.
  • Establishes, maintains, and develops productive working relationship with relevant stakeholders, consultants, field and DC staff.
  • Anticipates potential problems and trouble shoots project problems and offers solutions and actively takes part to lead resolution of them with creative and immediate solutions.
  • Assists with assessing new funding opportunities and serve as proposal manager (as assigned) for new bid opportunities.
  • Actively supports IRI’s communication strategy including IRI’s branding and outreach plans, including drafts and updates program summaries and other outreach materials, drafts web stories, tweets, etc.
  • Participates in cross functional teams and initiatives.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

How to apply

Please submit both resume and cover letter to the company website: Program Director – Eurasia | Job Opportunities (ultipro.com)


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