Program Manager - Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day-to-day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks include:   

Excellence - We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. 

Freedom - We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. 

Respect - We believe in trust, empathy and empowering people. 

Teamwork - We believe in diversity, inclusion and the power of global collaboration. 

Transparency - We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. 

Accountability - We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of success. 

The Program Manager (PM) is responsible for overseeing the headquarters (HQ) country teams involved in the implementation of democracy and governance projects in the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste. The PM will manage a multidisciplinary team and serve as a key liaison with relevant IRI resident program directors and country offices in Suva and Dili. The PM will oversee budgets, monitoring and evaluation strategies, progress relationships with funders, partners, stakeholders and vendors, contribute to the design and implementation of new programs as well as business development and communications strategies for the assigned portfolio. 

Position Requirements  

• Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations or related field. Graduate degree preferred.
• Five to seven years professional experience in democratic governance and politics, preferably working directly with political parties, civil society organizations/NGOs and/or legislative bodies and officials in the Asia-Pacific region. Experience working on elections and/or managing elections observation programs. 
• Working knowledge of the politics, economics, history and culture of the Asia-Pacific region. 
• Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills. 
• Extensive experience in stakeholder mapping and engagement including with stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds and professional experience.
• Demonstrated management experience including ability to motivate and manage a multidisciplinary team. Experience providing HQ support to overseas missions or field offices will be an advantage.  
• Experience working with USG funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes including procurement and compliance. Experience working on Australia funded projects an advantage.
• Demonstrated financial management experience in developing and administering program budgets. 
• Ability to prepare, present and negotiate complex and sensitive agreements and/or project proposals with government agencies and other funder communities. 
• Ability to communicate skills and experience to others as a trainer, advisor or technical consultant; sensitivity to working in advisory role with local organizations. 
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet program goals. 
• Willingness to undertake periodic travel to the Asia-Pacific region and other locations globally, as needed.
• Ability to analyze and report on quantitative and qualitative public opinion research. 

Primary Functions & Responsibilities: 

• Supervises staff assigned to the portfolio, including participating in the hiring, professional development and evaluation process for these staff. Sets specific goals and provides ongoing performance feedback.
• Establishes, maintains, and develops productive working relationship with relevant funders, stakeholders, consultants, field and HQ staff. 
• In conjunction with relevant field staff, ensures that grants are completed on time, within budget, and in full compliance with funder and IRI policies and requirements. 
• Anticipates potential problems; assesses program risks; offers mitigations and solutions; and actively take leads the resolution with creative and immediate solutions. 
• Monitors, analyzes and reports on political and related developments in the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste.
• Contributes to the development of comprehensive country strategies and program objectives. 
• Contributes to the substantive design of new programs, including identifying and pursuing new business development opportunities in collaboration with the relevant field teams.
• Maintains an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance and oversight and ensures compliance with all procurement policies in the implementation of the grant including relevant contract paperwork. 
• Supports IRI’s external relations efforts, including working with the program team to commission and edit blogs, op-eds and other pieces for publication. 
• Travels as needed for program oversight and implementation.
• Participates in cross-functional teams and initiatives. 
• Performs other duties as assigned.