PROGRAM OFFICER AND/OR PROGRAM ASSISTANT – International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES)

Job Description & Skills/Qualifications Required

Organizational Description:

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, nonprofit organization that supports the building of democratic societies. IFES promotes democratic stability by providing technical assistance and applying field-based research to the electoral cycle in countries around the world to enhance citizen participation and strengthen civil societies, governance and transparency. Founded in 1987 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, IFES has developed and implemented comprehensive, collaborative democracy solutions in more than 145 countries.

 Primary Function/Purpose: 

The Program Officer and/or Program Assistant will provide program implementation and management support to the IFES Fiji & Pacific Islands office. They will be responsible for leading program implementation and providing technical support to all relevant IFES Fiji & Pacific Islands activities and deliverables.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the IFES Fiji & Pacific Islands Country Director, the Program Officer’s responsibilities will include:

• Coordinate programming for IFES Fiji & Pacific Islands, with a focus on inclusion, women’s leadership and gender equality, youth engagement, and civic and voter education.
• Provide substantive inputs to concept notes, work plans, agendas, curricula and other programmatic documents and materials.
• Provide technical and operational support for trainings, workshops and seminars (e.g., facilitation, logistics, identification of participants).
• Contribute to project reports, including monthly, quarterly and annual reports to donors.
• Establish, maintain, and develop productive working relationships with national stakeholders, partners, consultants, and vendors.
• Work closely with IFES HQ to develop and maintain monitoring and evaluation frameworks for project activities, including identifying baseline targets and performance indicators and collecting program data.
• Monitor developments related to, and conduct research and analysis on, political and electoral environment, and other relevant topics in the region.

Skills and Specifications:

• The ability to remain highly organized while handling multiple tasks under tight deadlines 
• Ability to complete tasks with limited supervision 
• Must possess solid communication and presentation skills 
• Must value operating in a collaborative and cooperative environment 
• Ability to show initiative, good judgment, and resourcefulness 
• Conduct themself with integrity and function ethically 
• Ability to manage staff and work with senior management 

 Education and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, human rights or a related field required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years for the Program Assistant and minimum of 4 years for the Program Officer of relevant work experience or a combination of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated professional experience and knowledge on issues of democracy, elections, governance and/or civil society in Fiji and/or other Pacific Islands strongly preferred. 
• Prior experience with international organizations strongly preferred.
• Prior experience related to gender equality and social inclusion strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Word, Power point, Outlook and Excel.
• Language Skills: Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Travel: Travel is required.

 Physical Requirements/Work Environment: Standard office work environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. 

IFES is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.  All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment/promotions and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.