NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization that works to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all. Such a world will be characterized by resilient democracies, based on inclusion, equality and justice, enabling the full and equitable participation of women and girls in public life. When women are empowered as political leaders, countries experience higher standards of living; positive developments in education, infrastructure and health; and longer-lasting peace settlements.  There is emerging evidence that women’s political participation can affect social norms, with positive effects on parents’ – both fathers and mothers’ – aspirations for their daughters. However, the World Economic Forum reports that the largest gender disparity is in the realm of political empowerment (including voting rights, quotas, women heads of state and in parliaments) at a gap of 77 percent.

The Senior Gender Advisor is a senior position within the Institute.  The incumbent will be based on the Gender, Women, Democracy (GWD) team at NDI’s headquarters in Washington DC, and offer senior level insight and strategic direction to staff and leadership from multiple regional and functional teams on gender, power and equity.  Integral to GWD’s work is the development of tools and approaches for gender-transformative democracy programming, informed by NDI’s theory of change, and its commitment to gender analysis and gender mainstreaming. The incumbent will be a source of advice to the Institute on its corporate agendas related to its vision, mission and values and diversity, equity and inclusion. 

The incumbent will also be expected to represent NDI on public platforms, with partners and donors (official and philanthropic), and in women’s rights and gender coalitions in Washington DC and elsewhere. When public health conditions allow, the incumbent may be required to travel to program countries and regions to support program implementation, convene meetings with partners and other external stakeholders, and organize, implement, and/or participate in other activities and events. 

The applicant should have demonstrated experience in gender, democracy, governance and human rights programs, as well as in the implementation of international development programs. A well-qualified candidate will have demonstrated thought and programmatic leadership in, and possess deep knowledge of the impacts of power and privilege on exclusion, discrimination and inequality at the individual, institutional and socio-cultural levels.  With clear attention to inclusion and do no harm principles, the candidate will have the ability to: conduct and coordinate action-learning research in a range of political contexts; plan and administer program activities – including large-scale and high-level international events or campaigns; oversee finances; and manage staff. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Strategy and Programming

• Serves as lead technical advisor on gender and democracy globally, working across the institute with regional and functional teams to provide strategic advice and counsel;
• Monitors trends to identify new and emerging areas of research on issues of inclusion, intersectionality, violence against women, democratic resilience and authoritarianism, and the dynamics of power, privilege, and masculinities to inform NDI and partner strategies; 
• Contributes to the development of NDI’s institution-wide gender-intentional strategic focus, including the preparation of GWD Board papers;
• Leads program design on global cross-cutting and/or multi-regional proposals that focus on gender and democracy, with a focus on individual capacity, institutional reform and the socio-cultural environment in close collaboration with relevant regional and functional teams; 
• Acting as a single point of contact for the program, coordinates planning, implementation, and evaluation ensuring NDI is meeting stated program goals; 
• Reports on program activities and political developments that may affect program outcomes on a regular basis; 
• Oversees the development, review and timely submission of program-related materials, including regular reports that measure and evaluate program results; 
• Monitors assigned program annual budget, and provides a full, accurate and timely accounting of all funds;
• Supports regional and/or country program teams in planning and implementing

gender-intentional democratic governance programming, including through providing support to the development of online program delivery and facilitation skills; 

• Supports civil society partner organizations in advocacy, planning and implementation of gender-intentional campaigns and events; and
• (COVID-19 contingent) Travels to regions to convene meetings with partners, conduct research, and organize, implement, and/or participate in other program activities and events.

Develop capacity of NDI staff and partner organizations

• Creates tools, materials and presentations for briefings, training sessions, advocacy and diagnostic exercises; 
• Organizes external and internal events aimed at sharing project experience, research findings and lessons learned, including facilitating internal trainings for NDI staff in country offices and DC;
• Assists NDI partners and field offices through consultations, strategic planning advice, training, and assessments, including recommendations on needed resources and capacities; and
• Develops guidance, tools and other materials aimed at capacity development for transnational advocacy. 
• Manages staff to meet the organization’s expectations for productivity, quality, continuous improvement, and goal accomplishment. 

External Engagement

• Identifies and engages with key international donor agencies, international policymakers, local partner organizations, research organizations, and think tanks on issues relevant to gender-intentional democratic governance;
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with and advises in-country partners and democracy “champions” working to build democratic unity and institutional resilience;
• Represents NDI at local and international conferences and meetings; and
• Manages the coordination of NDI panels and high-level external events, including conceptualizing themes, identifying guests and participants, developing the run-of-shows, developing the communications strategy, and leading the staff teams. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a field of study related to gender or women’s studies and international development required; and graduate degree in political science, gender or women’s studies, international relations, public policy, law, human rights or related field preferred; 
• A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in gender and women’s rights programs, in particular on strengthening inclusive and equitable democratic norms and institutions; and a total of at least fourteen (14 years) of professional experience in international development;
• Other experience may reflect a combination of: women, peace and security or women in politics and public leadership; gender, transparency and anti-corruption programming; gendered disinformation; advocacy and women’s social  movements; feminist foreing policy, and international development. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage, lead and develop staff members, provide coaching and development opportunities, and serve as a  knowledgeable resource.  
• Strong analytical approaches to problem solving combined with practical on-the-ground gender-informed program development and implementation; experience in inclusive results-oriented program design, strategic planning, and program evaluation; 
• Experience conducting inclusive and accountable research projects; 
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary organization, collaborating with colleagues across teams for joint program design, monitoring and implementation; 
• Proven capacity to meet program goals while managing financial, administrative, and security responsibilities; 
• Superior oral and written communications skills to effectively present information in a clear and persuasive manner in English; 
• Demonstrated inter-cultural capacity and awareness; experience having lived and worked in multiple countries;
• Working knowledge of PC-based word processing and spreadsheet applications; experience with Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, G+, etc.) strongly desired. 
• Foreign language skills in one or more of the following a plus: Arabic, French, Mandarin-Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili.  

Work Environment:

This position generally is performed in an office environment. 

Occasional evening and weekend work may be required, as well as attendance at external events. 

Some international travel is required in this role, approximately 10% to international meetings or forums and 20% NDI field locations. These locations often are in a remote location and may require significant time and varying modes of travel. Designated locations also may at times be considered less secure and with greater risk to NDI employees. 

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting/mobility – to work at a desk and move around work areas. 
• Speaking/hearing – to engage originally in conversation with others and conduct presentations. 
• Seeing – to effectively use a computer screen and for reading and interpreting printed materials, memos and other paperwork. 
• Reaching/handling – to input information into a computer system and retrieve and work with appropriate paperwork, equipment and supplies. 

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 accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Comments:

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 http://www.ndi.org/careers.