Job: Democracy International - Senior Program Officer (Civil Society) - South Sudan

Democracy International (DI) seeks a Senior Program Officer for its USAID supported USAID-funded program in South Sudan, Systems to Uphold the Credibility and Constitutionality of Elections in South Sudan (SUCCESS). Through SUCCESS, DI and its consortium partners are working to promote effective, inclusive, and accountable governance to inform an increasingly stable South Sudan. The civil society component of SUCCESS seeks to develop the capacity of civil society. In order to achieve this, SUCCESS will undertake a variety of programs including hosting of study tours, training opportunities, grant opportunities, and mentoring programs.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Programs Officer’s major responsibilities are as follows:

• Responsible for the development of educational and training opportunities for civil society to include:

  • Organization and management of study tours and out-of-country training opportunities for civil society leaders

  • Delivery of training seminar and educational events for civil society throughout the states

  • Enabling mentorship opportunities of civil society organizations and leaders to enhance their skills

• Collaborate with the Civil Society Grants Team in the development of:

  • Sub-grant and small grants opportunities including the design of mechanisms for awards and the fair selection of recipients.

  • Development of training on grant procedures and policy guidance and interpretation for program staff and sub-grantees to ensure adherence to grant management procedures;

  • Organization of capacity building opportunities for grantee partners;

• Support, operationalize, and equip Civil Society Resource Centers (including state offices) to provide support and tools for civil society organizations and activists through-out the states that enable their access to tools and resources both nationally and internationally;

• Serve as a focal point for civil society inputs and requests to the project and remain continuously engaged with a broad range of civil society actors to remain informed on civil society’s role in achieving good governance goals;

• Manage reporting responsibilities on civil society activities, to include inputs to USAID reports, updates and support to civil society assessments, training databases and program learning mechanisms, and similar reporting assignments;

• Lead the achievement of performance targets for the team under the project’s monitoring and evaluation framework;

• Supervise and effectively manage two or more persons in a Civil Society Team;

• As requested, assist in managing and organizing VIP visits

Qualifications:

Candidates should possess the following minimum qualifications:

• 5+ years of support to civil society program experience, specifically in organizing and delivering capacity building opportunities;

• 3+ years as an leader, officer, or activist of a local civil society organization;

• Experience and technical expertise working with community-based organizations and NGOs;

• Prior USAID project management experience required;

• Superior English writing capabilities (ability to write technical papers;

• Relevant university degree required; and

• Professional fluency in English required.

Interested candidates should submit their CV, along with contact information (job title, email address and telephone number) for three professional supervisory references to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The writing sample should be an unedited professional document less than five pages that may be a memorandum, briefing paper, research, or similar document that will permit a professional assessment of the candidate’s analytical and technical writing skills. The writing sample is only for internal assessment and will not be shared outside of the selection committee.

Please submit complete application by August 25, 2014. The position is expected to begin as soon as a qualified candidate is identified.