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Program Officer, Middle East and North Africa Programs

4:19:00 PM

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support democracy around the world, seeks a Program Officer for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team’s regional portfolio. This position is based in Washington, DC and reports to the MENA Senior Director.

Position Summary:

The Program Officer will coordinate and administer organization-wide monitoring and evaluation of democracy promotion programs. These programs will fall into the MENA regional portfolio, requiring active coordination with the team’s country specialists.

Responsibilities:

  • Provide strategic and programmatic guidance to NED grantees in the MENA regional 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 to engage on regional trends.
  • 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 MENA regional grants 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 the region to monitor existing grantees, identify new funding opportunities for NED, and gain an on‑the-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 on how to improve team effectiveness, either by setting up new in-team processes, improving grantee reporting guidelines, communicating with other teams inside NED, etc.
  • Liaise with other NED teams, participate in various working groups, and other efforts to improve NED’s overall functioning and effectiveness.

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in International Affairs, Political Science, International Development or related discipline;
  • At least 5 years of extensive experience in democracy-related projects and programs from the civil society perspective;
  • In-depth understanding of political issues and trends in MENA region;
  • Full professional fluency in English and Arabic languages are essential, French is preferred;
  • Demonstrated ability to work as a team player, with evidenced coordination and facilitation skills;
  • Minimum of 2 years living or working in 3 or more MENA countries;
  • High degree of organization and initiative;
  • Solid analytical skills;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills in multi-ethnic, multi-national environment;

Contact Details

Email:
jobs@ned.org

Application Instructions

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, salary history and requirements, and contact information for three references. Please send to jobs@ned.org, with your name and Program Officer, MENA – Job #1205 in the subject line. The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org. Please no phone calls.

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