Program Officer – Civic and Inclusion At 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 Officer – Civic and Inclusion (PO-CI) works with the Program Manager – Civic and Inclusion in the design and implementation of on-going programs in Sri Lanka. S/he closely monitors and analyzes political and economic developments in the Sri Lanka, develops program ideas, identifies program partners, and develops and maintains close relationships with them and with funders. This position will be based with the program team in Colombo.

Position Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in law, political science, social science, international relations, or related field.
• Five years’ professional experience in democratic governance and rights, preferably working directly with civil society organizations, NGOs, and/or legislative bodies. Experience working with political stakeholders preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively direct and/or participate in complex negotiations with bilateral and/or multilateral government agencies, other donors, or relevant audiences.
• Strong research, writing, research, communication, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience working with U.S. Government (USG) funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.
• Experience with program management, implementation, and basic accounting necessary to draft and oversee a budget.
• 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.
• Fluency in English and Sinhala/Tamil.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Monitor, analyze, and report on civil, political, and related developments in Sri Lanka to provide regional and country analysis and information.
• Understand assigned grant’s substantive, financial, and compliance requirements.
• Oversee implementation of specific grant(s) and associated grant activities.
• Maintain an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance and oversight.
• Ensure that grants are in compliance with grant agreements and completed on time.
• Draft funder reports to ensure high quality quarterly, semi-annual, final, and other program related reports.
• Directly work with the MEL focal point in Sri Lanka in the development and drafting of M&E components for program activities, M&E plans, and data collection tools.
• Provide staff with guidance on tools, methods, and technologies to support programmatic data collection needs and reporting.
• Develop and coordinate new program intervention strategies including the communication and outreach.
• Anticipate potential problems, troubleshoots, and offers solutions, actively taking part to lead resolution of them with creative and immediate solutions.
• Establish, maintain, and develop strong working relationships with relevant stakeholders.
• Actively support 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.
• Organize meetings and briefings with national and local government officials, civil society leaders, political activists, and other stakeholders.
• Represent IRI at external events and in various civil society networks to promote information sharing among IRI’s stakeholders.
• Assist IRI’s capacity building and research activities, including workshops, briefings, stakeholder mapping exercises, exchanges, and dialogue forums.
• Travel as needed for program oversight and implementation.
• Performs other duties as assigned.