Program Assistant: Government Communication and Parliamentary Programs

Program Assistant:

Government Communication and Parliamentary Programs

Founded in 1983, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide. NDI works with democratic institutions in every region of the world to build political and civic organizations, safeguard elections and promote citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. NDI’s office in Nepal has been operational since 1994 and has since collaborated with the Parliament, political parties, government and civil society. NDI is currently implementing a five year (2017-2022) program Niti Sambad aimed at improving governance systems, including to increase transparency, inclusivity and accountability within Political Parties, the Legislature-Parliament (LP) and the Government of Nepal.

NDI-Nepal is seeking a candidate for the position of Program Assistant to support the Institute’s Legislative Strengthening and Government Communication programs. The Program Assistant supports the Senior Program Officers of both programs in their efforts to build the skills, capacity and knowledge of the legislature parliament and government to be more inclusive, representative, transparent, accountable and better performing public institutions.

S/he provides administrative, logistical and organizational support, contribute to drafting and translating various type of documents and should have demonstrated interest in Nepali politics, state and society. The position is based in Kathmandu, but requires frequent travel to different parts of the country.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Under direct supervision of the Senior Program Officer, provides administrative and logistical support to organize activities and manage sub-grants;
• Contributes to writing and reporting of various documents specific to the program; Prepares initial drafts of budgets;
• Travels to districts to support and program activities; undertakes financial reconciliation responsibilities for each field trip;
• Assists in program support and conducts background research for the program;
• Provides administrative support for work plan formulation; takes part in strategic and work plan discussions;
• Attends regular staff and partner meetings to stay up to date about the latest developments in the Legislative Strengthening and Government Communication programs, the political situation in the country and within NDI’s partners;
• Provides logistical administrative support to visiting international and national experts; Assists and supports in program design, implementation and evaluation;
• Assists in translation, editing and writing of program documents in Nepali and English; Assists in correspondence with program partners; and
• Additional responsibilities based on demonstrated ability and/or program needs.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in International Relations, Political Science or a related field;
• Minimum of two (2) years of relevant work experience, coursework and/or internships of working with political stakeholders or international organizations or working on democracy building, elections, political activism and/or community organizing
• Experience handling sub-grants and financial management preferred

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to engage a range of interpersonal skills to effectively interact with staff, international experts, high level political figures and members of parliament, government officials and civil servants
• Good oral and written communication skills to effectively present information, respond to questions and prepare draft written reports in a professional manner;
• Capacity to work both independently and as a member of a team; Knowledge of sub-grants management
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions; Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs, particularly MS Excel
• Tech-savvy; Experience with Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, G+, etc.)
• Working knowledge of basic budget and accounting procedures; knowledge of financial reconciliation;
• Ability and willingness to travel to remote and difficult to reach locations;
• Interest in and knowledge of national political environment, parliamentary procedures and government functioning
• Able to perform basic political analysis
• Proficient English and Nepali writing and speaking with the ability to translate when needed
• Ability to effectively articulate and represent the organization’s mission and initiatives in various daily activities
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines; and
• Ability to apply discretion and maintain confidential information

COMMENTS:

The application deadline is September 30, 2018. To apply, please e-mail a CV and cover letter to nepaljobs@ndi.org.

Please write "Program Assistant: Government Communication & Parliamentary Programs" in the subject line while applying for this position.

Short listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please!

Applicants need to possess work authorization to work in Nepal.

NDI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.