Program Manager

Background 

The International Republican Institute (IRI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan INGO that supports and shares best practices with democratic institutions worldwide. Since 1983, IRI has worked to advance democracy and freedom in more than 100 countries and currently has offices in over 30. In September 2018, IRI opened its first office in Nepal with a new staff based in Kathmandu. IRI seeks a Program Manager for IRI’s five-year NitiSambad(Policy Dialogue) program. 

The Program Manager will be responsible for coordinating, implementing, and managing all IRI operations and logistics in the field, providing information for and contributing to program reports, and liaising between field operations and headquarters on program matters. The Program Manager will also work closely with the Resident Program Director (RPD) to assure the effective and timely implementation of program activities. The successful candidate will be a flexible, culturally sensitive and possess strong management and interpersonal skills. 

Position Requirements 

• College degree in political science, international relations or related field; 
• 3–5 years’ relevant experience, working with political stakeholders/international organizations, or working on democracy-building; elections; political activism and/or community organizing; 
• Experience with management, development and implementation cycles of programming;
• Background in policy research; 
• Prior experience in project management for development projects, ideally those funded by international aid agencies;
• Demonstrated experience working with international donors and in-depth understanding of donor regulations and processes; 
• Have a network of political contacts with stakeholders (without being politically affiliated to any); women’s organizations; media and/or civil society organizations;
• Proven ability to interact with members of political parties, the bureaucracy and civil society; 
• High level of interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to effectively interact with government staff members and political party representatives;
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead efforts that will effectively meet program objectives; 
• Experience with organizing events; addressing logistic and administrative challenges; working in a structured and organized manner; 
• Managerial skills;
• Familiarity with Gender Equity policies; Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning techniques and Report Writing strongly preferred;
• Ability and willingness to travel in-country as needed, for up to several days at a time;
• Fluency in English and Nepali with strong written and oral communication in English; 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Work closely with IRI-Nepal’s Resident Program Director to manage the overall program and program deliverables, including the fulfillment of annual workplans and compliance with donor regulations; 
• Contribute to the preparation and presentation of proposed implementation plans, reporting requirements, and templates as required by the funder;  
• Build a functional network of significant contacts with federal and provincial parliamentarians and respective senior secretariat officials; 
• Oversee staff in the implementation of strategic programs that support the development of improved policy research capabilities for national and subnational representatives administration staff;
• Conduct/facilitate trainings, workshops, and conferences and assist in developing materials and manuals for conferences, training seminars and other program activities;
• Identify and develop key partnerships, particularly in the private sector, in cooperation with IRI/Washington staff;
• Prepare program budgets and keep track of expense spending with Kathmandu and IRI/Washington staff, to ensure that field expenditures remain within budget; 
• Assign and monitor program tasks and outputs by other program team members and make sure program outputs are completed effectively, and on time by team members; 
• Prepare, review, edit and coordinate submission of internal and external program reports (weekly, quarterly reports, and success stories);
• Ensure compliance with local laws as applicable to employing staff and operating IRI’s Kathmandu field office; 
• Have flexibility in working hours, including occasional weekends;  
• Assist or perform office errands and other tasks as required.  

Work Status 

Full Time with work required on some weekends.

Applying Procedure

The application deadline is Monday 9 December 2019.  To apply, please e-mail a CV and cover letter to irinepalvacancy@gmail.com

Note: Applications must include salary expectations or they will not be considered.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview.No phone calls please!

Applicants need to possess appropriate work authorization to work in Nepal at the time of application. 

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