Program Officer - Syria

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 will assist in the design and implementation of a strategy for IRI's programs in her/his country of assignment. S/he closely monitors and analyzes political and economic developments in a country of responsibility, develops program ideas, and drafts proposals on a range of democracy and assistance programs. S/he also supports the identification and oversight of program partners and ensures effective communications with funders.

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC.

Position Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations, or related field.
• Three to five years’ professional experience in democracy promotion, politics, international affairs, public administration or other relevant fields.
• Working knowledge of politics, economics, history and culture of MENA region.
• Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with United States Government funded projects and familiarity with United States Government regulations and processes.
• Program management experience, including basic accounting necessary to draft and oversee a budget.
• Ability to work independently and as a manager of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet program goals.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new program concepts, including country specific contextual analysis, operational approaches and evaluative methods to measure implementation progress.
• Demonstrated ownership and initiative over work.
• Flexibility and adaptability; knowledge/experience working in closed/closing contexts.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Arabic language (speaking and writing) strongly preferred.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Oversees the implementation of specific grant(s) and associated grant activities.
• Assesses the feasibility of new funding opportunities and contributes to the substantive design of new programs.
• Anticipates, troubleshoots, offers solutions and actively resolves project challenges.
• Maintains an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance and oversight.
• Develops and supports efforts to ensure that grants are completed on time.
• Monitors and ensures proper tracking of program expenditures to ensure projects remain within budget allocations and are implemented timely against a project work-plan.
• Oversees and participates in monitoring and evaluation efforts.
• Monitors, analyzes and reports on political and related developments in the MENA region to provide regional and country analysis and information.
• Writes and reviews high quality quarterly, semi-annual, final and other relevant reports for funders.
• Establishes, maintains, and develops strong working relationships with relevant stakeholders in Washington D.C. and abroad.
• Represents IRI at external events and actively supports IRI’s communication strategy, including branding and outreach plans.
• Supervises personnel, is involved in hiring and evaluation processes, including goal setting and ongoing performance feedback.
• Travels as needed for program oversight and implementation.

Required

Required