2454 - Program Officer, Middle East North Africa, (MENA) Apply
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a 501(c)3 grantmaking foundation that receives an annual Congressional appropriation in excess of $310 million and is governed by a private, bipartisan Board of Directors. This unusual arrangement positions NED to play a unique role as Americas leading foundation for freedom, empowering the institution to be nimble, innovative, and risk-taking in support of democratic activists, civil society organizations, independent media, and the NED family core institutes (the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Center for International Private Enterprise, and the Solidarity Center).
Position Summary:
Reporting to the senior director, the Program Officer will work with other program staff to manage the Endowments grants program for MENA Region, including monitoring and assessment of projects.
Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic and programmatic guidance to NED grantees in the portfolio, including assisting them with program development and design, offering creative solutions to political and technical challenges, providing administrative advice, and facilitating contact with like-minded organizations throughout the region.
- Work closely and flexibly with a diverse range of activists in media, human rights, rule of law, conflict resolution, civic education, and other areas.
- Monitor political developments in the MENA region to inform NED strategies and programming, including reading various US- and regional-based publications, meeting with regional political analysts and other partners, keeping abreast of the changing political environment, and actively coordinating with other MENA team members on their country portfolios.
- Oversee the implementation of NED-approved projects, including analysis of quarterly reports, providing feedback on implemented activities, maintaining continuous communication over the grant cycle, and conducting regular field visits.
- Evaluate the effectiveness and the institutional growth of NED grantees and the portfolio, and recommend renewed and new funding.
- Build and maintain relationships with like-minded organizations, including other donors, NED partners and regional organizations.
- Travel to countries as required to monitor existing grantees, identify new funding opportunities for NED, and gain an onthe-ground perspective on the political situation. The visits include on-site meetings with all or most NED grantees, meetings with core institutes, potential civil society partners, other donors active in the country, and political analysts and opinion-makers.
- Think creatively about how to improve team effectiveness, including suggestions for new team processes, improving grantee-reporting guidelines, communicating with other teams at NED, etc.
- Liaise with other NED teams; participate in various working groups, and other efforts to improve NEDs overall functioning and effectiveness.
- Mentor junior staff, where applicable.
- Other duties as assigned.
- The level of responsibility and independence in assigned tasks will increase with experience.
Qualifications:
- Bachelors degree in International Affairs, Political Science, International Development, or a related discipline; Masters degree preferred.
- 4-7 years of experience in democracy-related projects and programs from the civil society perspective; significant experience in nonprofit work.
- 2+ years living or working in the MENA region.
- In-depth understanding of political issues and trends in the MENA region generally.
- Full professional fluency in Arabic languages is essential; other regional languages are preferred.
- Ability to travel to countries within the region, as needed, estimated to be less than 25% of the time.
- Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, both verbally and in writing.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Solid analytical skills.
- Ability to maintain professionalism under pressure.
- High degree of organization and initiative.
- Demonstrated ability to work as a team player, including coordination and facilitation skills.
- Authorized to work in the United States.
This position is part of the NED Bargaining Unit.
To Apply:
Applications must include a cover letter, resume, desired salary, and contact information for three professional references, of which one should be a supervisor.
Located in Washington, D.C., the salary range for this role is $64,500 - $ 102,750 USD, plus benefits. The final offer for a successful candidate will be determined by a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, skill set, level of experience, education, and market considerations.
At NED, we recognize that our most important asset is our people. We value the diversity of skills and perspectives our team brings to our work. We believe an inclusive and supportive work environment fosters a culture of respect and appreciation for all individuals. NED is committed to creating a workplace that allows everyone to be their authentic selves and make meaningful contributions to our organization, our grantees, and our world.
NED strives to create a work experience that supports the well-being and healthy work-life balance of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package offers health insurance (includes no copay for mental health services), a generous retirement savings plan, paid parental, vacation, and sick leave, a hybrid workplace model, flexible work schedules, and wellness initiatives to ensure a positive work-life balance.
NED is dedicated to creating an environment of respect and collaboration where everyone is encouraged to participate and take ownership of their work. We offer flexible work schedules and, for most positions, the opportunity for weekly telework days. This hybrid approach allows our employees to balance their work and personal lives while still participating in the collaborative process at the heart of our mission.
The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics covered by applicable law. The NED is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for all qualified individuals and bases all employment decisions on qualifications, merit, and business need. The NED believes that diversity and inclusion among our team members are critical to our success as an organization operating globally and seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
Please, no phone call inquiries. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org or careers@ned.org.
