Position Summary 

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) seeks a Program Director to join its Democratic Governance team. This full-time role is responsible for leading and overseeing NDI’s subnational, open government and trust building portfolios. The Program Director will manage team members, contribute to strategic planning, oversee aspects of program implementation, and ensure quality control of programs and written products. In addition, the Program Director will initiate and lead program development and fundraising efforts for programs in the stated portfolio, develop and manage partnerships within the Institute and beyond it, to support NDI’s program implementation, as well as advocacy on norms or thought leadership initiatives.  

• Transparency and Political Trust: NDI supports the implementation of effective strategies for two-way transparent communication and feedback loops between citizens and elected officials for more inclusive, citizen-centered governance. Openness contributes to political trust as well as to integrity and effectiveness. For nearly ten years, NDI has worked closely with partners, including the Open Government Partnership (OGP), to advance transparency initiatives and reforms around the world at the parliamentary, executive, and local levels. 

• Subnational/local governments is the form of government that is closest and often the most visible to citizens, providing vital services that affect the quality of life for individuals within that constituency.   The Democratic Governance team contributes to the planning, designing and implementation of regional, country and global programs related to assisting subnational governments for improved inclusion, responsiveness, integrity, and transparency/openness.

Essential Accountabilities/Responsibilities 

• Serve as principal point of contact for partnerships with Open Government Partnership and other openness/transparency organizations
• Leads day-to-day internal management of the portfolio and acts as management focal point in absence of functional director.
• Leads and oversees team members in the planning, design and evaluation of NDI’s projects in collaboration with local partners, in-house experts and external experts and advisors.
• Develops and maintains collaborative external relationships with international democratic development organizations, civic organizations in the U.S. and globally.
• Responsible for oversight of the annual budget; working with staff to provide a full, accurate and timely accounting of all funds. 
• Provides support and guidance to NDI regional teams on NDI and donor policies and procedures.
• Serves as senior-level NDI representative at local and international conferences and meetings and assists with NDI’s public outreach.
• Leads and supervises staff in documenting program progress and achievements, ensuring quality control of written quarterly and semi-annual reports; provides final edits on generated documents.
• Collaborates with the functional director and NDI’s regional teams on fundraising initiatives.
• Manages subordinates including conducting yearly performance reviews, coaching on performance, recruiting and filling staff vacancies

Peripheral Accountabilities/Responsibilities (Non-essential) 

• Manage, as well as support onboarding and training of Project Assistants, Program Associates, Program Officers and Program Managers, and participate in the recruitment process for those positions by reviewing resumes and recommending candidates for consideration/interviews  
• Act as a back-up for other team members as needed  
• Participate in cross-functional initiatives as needed  
• Actively seek and engage in professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge in project/program management
• Maintain a general working knowledge of relevant program trends and issues occurring external to NDI
• Perform other duties as required

Required Qualifications 

Supervisory Responsibility 

• This position manages direct reports in the Washington, DC office

Education 

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in International Relations or related subject; graduate degree desired.

Experience 

• A minimum of 10 years relevant work experience in international development, community organizing, political campaigns, organizational development, legislative affairs, or impressive experience at NDI. Additional years of relevant work experience may be substituted for educational requirement on a one-for-one basis 
• Extensive program design and strategic planning experience as it relates to executing program activities; this including managing staff, completing budget management activities with large grants or handling multiple programs or countries
• Thought leadership experience and networks in core portfolio themes.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to effectively interact with all levels of staff, U.S. and foreign government personnel, members of donor organizations, funders, and policy makers 
• Superior oral and written communications skills to effectively present information, respond to questions and negotiate details 
• Fluency in English required; Additional linguistic abilities preferred
• Exceptional skills for analyzing complex program and political issues and to think innovatively and introduce new concepts 
• Superior writing skills, clear and persuasive and experienced in editing of written materials 
• Ability to establish network of significant contacts and political leaders 
• Prior demonstrated management and leadership experience with the capability of leading, inspiring and motivating staff to carry out NDI’s objectives 
• Ability to lead team-wide capacity building sessions for junior staff 
• Working knowledge of PC-based word processing and spreadsheet applications 
• Experience managing budget planning and overseeing budget related tasks 
• Ability and willingness to travel to regional locations, which are often remote and difficult to reach 

Technical knowledge 

• Experience in writing technical documentation 
• Knowledge of basic networking 
• Knowledge of project management applications
• Knowledge of server operations, data communications and systems analysis and networks. 
• Knowledge of networking, client server architecture, cloud computing and enterprise system architecture 
• Knowledge of network security standards, policies and implementation techniques 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 
1. Job Knowledge 
2. Problem-Solving/Decision Making 
3. Communication 
4. Collaborating with Others 
5. Financial Stewardship 
6. Management 

Certification/Licenses (desired) 

None Required 

Work Environment 

This job operates in an office setting in an open plan environment and may require sitting for long periods of time. The open plan environment consists of larger open spaces with less walls, offices or rooms. There can be periods of activity and talking amongst other employees that can be seen or heard more frequently in an open plan environment. 

Physical Requirements 

This role has daily, regular uses of office equipment such as computers, smartphones, copiers, and scanners which involves close visual activity, fingering, grasping, and reaching. This role has regular sedentary work with heavy use of cognitive skills. Frequently this position requires moving computers or other equipment and crawling into tight spaces to resolve technical issues. This would require the ability to lift or carry up to 25 lbs and frequently bend, twisting, or squatting. 

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work 

This is a full-time position. Core hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m however there may be flexibility depending on department needs. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. 

Travel 

There is international travel associated with this role. There may be occasional local travel but rare. 

ADA Notation

The physical demands and work environment that have been described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Comments

To comply with tax and legal obligations, all candidates for DC-based positions must reside in Maryland, DC or Virginia. While there may be flexibility for remote/hybrid work environments, candidates must be residents of MD, DC or VA or relocate prior to the start of employment at NDI.

Candidates must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. NDI does not provide sponsorship.

NDI is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). As such, NDI makes employment decisions and provides equal employment opportunity without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state and local laws. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please notify NDI’s Human Resources department.

To apply please visit our website at www.ndi.org/careers.