Program Officer – Southeast Asia and Pacific

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 Officer (PO) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific is responsible for designing and implementing IRI’s programs in their countries of assignment. This person will closely monitor and analyze political and economic developments, develop program ideas, and draft proposals on a range of democracy and assistance programs. They will also identify program partners and develop and maintain close relationships with beneficiaries, partners and funders. The PO is also involved in new business development efforts.

Position Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations, or related field.
• Three to five years’ professional experience in democratic governance and politics, preferably working directly with civil society organizations/NGOs.
• Working knowledge of the politics, economics, history, and culture of the Southeast Asia region. Experience with the Philippines or the Pacific Islands is not required, but would be a plus.
• Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage competing demands across multiple activities, countries and programs.
• Demonstrated experience working with U.S.-Government funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.
• Experience with program management, implementation, and basic accounting necessary to draft and oversee a budget.
• Demonstrated management experience including ability to motivate and manage staff.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively direct or participate in complex negotiations with bilateral and/or multilateral government agencies, other funders, or relevant interlocutors.
• 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 to new and challenging environments.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Monitors, analyzes, and reports on political developments in specific countries to provide regional and country analysis and information.
• Maintains an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance, financial, and oversight requirements.
• Oversees implementation of specific grant(s) and associated activities.
  • Supports efforts to ensure that grants comply with grant agreements and completed on time.
  • Monitors and ensures proper tracking of budget estimates and program expenditures to ensure that IRI projects remain within budget allocations.
  • Ensures proper reporting of project achievements by designing, overseeing and participating in monitoring and evaluation efforts for grants assigned
  • Anticipates and troubleshoots project problems and actively takes part to resolve them with creative solutions.
  • Contributes as a facilitator on occasion for training activities for partners in the Philippines and the Pacific.
  • Leads activity planning and implementation for program(s) in the Philippines
  • Drafts, reviews, and/or edits information to ensure high quality quarterly, semi-annual, final, and other relevant reports for funders.
• Contributes to the substantive design of new programs and contributes to the development of new program ideas.
  • Assists with assessing new funding opportunities and serves as proposal manager (as assigned) for new bid opportunities.
  • Builds relationships with counterparts from funding agencies and partner organizations to promote collaborative and competitive program design.
  • Supervises program associates and is involved in hiring and evaluation process. Sets specific goals and provides ongoing performance feedback.
• Establishes, maintains, and develops strong working relationships with relevant stakeholders in DC and abroad.
  • Builds and manages relationships with stakeholders in the Philippines as a primary point of contact.
  • Builds relationships with contractors and subject matter experts within and outside of the Institute’s network to support the technical needs of current and future programs.
• Actively supports IRI’s communication strategy including IRI’s branding and outreach plans, including program summaries and other outreach materials, drafts web stories, tweets, etc.
• Represents IRI at external events
• Travels as needed for program oversight and implementation; if an immediate need arises deploys on short-to long-term service in the field to maintain continuity of the program.
• Participates in cross functional teams and initiatives (optional).
• Performs other duties as assigned.