Senior Program Associate – INSPIRES

Internews Network

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The INSPIRES Senior Program Associate manages key aspects of a project that is focused on protecting civic space around the world and applying innovative machine learning techniques to potentially predict civic shifts. This is a unique, multi-faceted, role that will offer the SPA the opportunity to drive a high-level organizational initiative for a leading international NGO, coordinate project outreach strategies, apply expertise in the direct implementation of a publicly-funded foreign assistance project, and be a thought leader around the understanding of what activities are most effective for protecting civic space. Under the supervision of the INSPIRES Chief of Party, the Senior Program Associate (SPA) will: manage subgrant and contract administration; lead on the writing of regular project reports; liaise with project partners and donor contacts; and support project events and the development of programmatic outputs.

The ideal candidate for this position has extraordinary written and oral communication skills; great attention to detail and organizational capacity; a love for keeping things moving and on track; a voracious desire to learn; and the desire to help protect human rights defenders, journalists, and marginalized people around the world. We dress casually, laugh easily, and cheer each other on.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

With funding from USAID, Internews is leading a consortium to implement the Illuminating New Solutions and Programmatic Innovations for Resilient Spaces (INSPIRES) project. INSPIRES will increase knowledge and capacity to respond to growing restrictions on democratic freedoms of association, assembly, and expression. With civic space shifting rapidly around the globe, faster and more potent interventions are critical for bolstering local civil societies. INSPIRES addresses this through 3 objectives: 1) testing the proposition that machine learning can help identify early flags that civic space may open or close, 2) building the resiliency of civil society partners, and 3) providing flexible response interventions when civic space shifts.

LOGISTICS

Internews has US offices in Arcata, CA and Washington, DC which support a hybrid workforce with staff working remotely, fully in-office or partially remote. Ultimately this position may work remotely from the US, partially remote from our Washington, DC office, or fully in-office for candidates based in the DC area. Preference will be given to candidates based on in the Eastern time zone of the US (UTC -5).

This is a limited duration position with an expected end date in or around September 2023. The position may be extended, depending upon budget availability and need. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates should apply soon.

OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE OF BELONGING

We are an organization of dynamic, mission-driven individuals who are passionate about our core values and about supporting positive change in the world. We pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and flexibility. We believe that diverse teams are strong teams and work to support an ethic of belonging, dignity, and justice for all people. Our current team includes a mix of genders, parents and non-parents, and people of multiple races, nationalities, ages, sexual orientations and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are an EEO employer and encourage candidates of all races, genders, ages, orientations, ethnicities, and national origins to apply, and welcome those with alternative backgrounds and experiences.

DAY-TO-DAY TASKS will include:

Project Management and Administration

  • Drafting, managing and sharing INSPIRES project documents, including: internal memos, project communications materials, presentations, meeting notes, etc.
  • Serving as the primary drafter and editor of the quarterly report and workplan
  • Providing project oversight for key work orders and activities under the project, including financial tracking, monitoring progress towards program deliverables and ensuring program implementation complies with funder requirements and Internews’ policies and procedures
  • Providing direct oversight for short-term and/or smaller scale components of the project
  • Developing and maintaining project tracking tools that help keep a multitude of projects in numerous countries on track
  • Lead day-to-day communication with international and local partner organizations on implementation and reporting
  • Communicating and coordinating with other project management units to support INSPIRES implementation
  • Overseeing programmatic logistics, including: travel arrangements, visa applications, internal meetings, and external event preparation
  • Supporting the tracking of metrics for monitoring and evaluation and coordinating closely with MERL leads
  • Lead the negotiation and implementation of personal service contracts and service contracts, including initial drafts of scopes of work, payments, and consultant reporting (as required)
  • Lead the onboarding of new team members, particularly staff requiring training in basic administrative tasks

Subgrants Management

In concert with the Headquarters Grants & Contracts team and INSPIRES Senior Business Associate:

  • Drafting RFAs and templates
  • Distributing solicitations through all relevant channels
  • Creating documents for subgrant competition (scoring and review)
  • Facilitating selection of subgrantees
  • Conducting budget review and negotiations
  • Overseeing payments and partner reporting
  • Maintaining communications and oversight of subgrantee activities
  • Reviewing and consolidating all appropriate documentation for subgrants and modification requests

Financial Management

Coordinating closely with the Global Technology Program (GTP) Business Manager and INSPIRES Senior Business Associate:

  • Reviewing and requesting payments based on quarterly financial reports from subgrantees
  • Compiling budget/spending documentation as needed
  • Tracking spending for key workorders and activities under the project
  • Ensuring proper coding of expenses to the various pots of funds
  • Preparing invoices, wire transfer requests, expense reimbursements, and completing credit card reconciliation on a monthly basis.
  • Communicating regularly and building internal networks with headquarters’ Accounting and Administration teams to ensure the smooth processing of contracting requests and financial compliance.

Communications

  • Managing online communications software (Zoom, Teams, Slack, GSuite)
  • Drafting & editing project documents and presentations to promote INSPIRES’ work (e.g. newsletters, one-pagers)
  • Coordinating information sharing and scheduling amongst consortium members and local partners
  • Developing and implementing the INSPIRES communications strategy in consultation with consortium members, partners and the donor
  • Providing updates to the project website and social media
  • Drafting updates/materials for the Hive Intranet site
  • Support events and partner meetings, including developing agendas, travel logistics, and co-facilitation.
  • Coordinating engagement with donor stakeholders (e.g. missions and bureaus)
  • Represent INSPIRES and Internews at external events and conferences on request
  • In all duties, an understanding of and demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews’ Core Values.

QUALIFICATIONS WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Required

  • 2-4 years prior experience in development or non-profit sector, including field experience, OR a relevant degree;
  • Exceptional written and oral communication skills – including the ability to consolidate multiple sources of information
  • Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Experience preparing expense reports and budgets.
  • Proven ability to:
    • manage basic website and social media content (simple platforms such as SharePoint and Square Space), or to learn this skill quickly
    • write reports and develop communications content using software such as Word
    • coordinate activities and events
    • balance multiple on-going assignments and deadlines
    • boss around your boss
  • Bachelor’s degree in related field (e.g., international affairs, political science, information technology, etc.)
  • Optimism, a sense of humor, and excitement at joining a supportive, skilled, multi-cultural team

Preferred

Note: Candidates who do not have these preferred qualifications, but are interested and willing to learn, are encouraged to apply.

  • 2-4 years program implementation experience (USAID-funded projects preferred)
  • Non-profit experience
  • Experience with work in an international context
  • French, Spanish, Arabic Kiswahili, Russian or other language skills relevant in the development context
  • Familiarity with machine leaning and related concepts such as big data and artificial intelligence, or willingness to learn quickly
  • Experience with financial management and familiarity with US Government rules and regulations
  • Experience using secure channels for communication
  • Experience preparing expense reports and budgets
  • Experience with project management or implementation

How to apply

To apply, please submit CV and optionally a cover letter via our Careers page.


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