Program Officer

Job Description

Project Description:

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) seeks a Program Officer to support program implementation under the USAID-funded project: “Enhanced Leadership in Elections for Citizen Confidence & Trust (ELECCT).” This position will be based in Tegucigalpa.

Primary Function/Purpose:

IFES seeks a Program Officer to support the Honduras office with the implementation of activities under the USAID-funded project: “Enhanced Democratic Leadership for Citizen Confidence & Trust.” The position will be based in Tegucigalpa.

Job Responsibilities:

• Under the guidance of the Country Director and the direct supervision of the Program Manager, the Program Officer will:
• Participate in strategic discussions and contribute technical inputs for proposals, workplans and budgets.
• Draft the workplan implementation strategy as required by the Program Manager and/or Country Director and in accordance with the assigned budget.
• Draft biweekly reports, quarterly reports, and other donor technical documents as required by the Program Manager and/or Country Director
• Lead the implementation of assigned workplan activities, ensuring the effectiveness, quality and timeliness of IFES’ work in Honduras.
• Develop and maintain relationships with IFES HQ staff to coordinate procurement packages, consultant packages, programmatic reports, etc.
• Support the technical design of assigned program activities, including the development of concept notes, terms of reference and other technical documents.
• Provide direct technical assistance to and maintain relationships with project partners, including international and national consultants and local partners
• Support consultants and technical advisors hired to support the project under assigned workplan activities, including the review of consultancy products before Program Manager approval.
• Organize the logistics of meetings, workshops and events related to assigned workplan activities, in accordance with IFES and USAID policies and procedures.
• Anticipate and prepare for programmatic and administrative needs required for the implementation of work plan activities.
• Collect and register data required to report progress under the project’s indicators, in coordination with IFES Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) HQ staff.
• Support M&E staff with data quality assessment processes.
• Assist IFES financial staff to verify project expenses and monitor the project’s budgetary execution.
• Monitor political affairs related to IFES and its work and prepare updates for the field team and HQ staff.
• Maintain a database of project contacts.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in social sciences, political sciences or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in international program management, especially in the area of democratic development, electoral technical assistance and civic participation.

Related Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated project administration and management skills.
• Experience working in programs financed by USAID preferred.
• Microsoft Office and Windows proficiency required; strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and consistently meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to develop and manage effective local relationships by applying cultural awareness.
• Strong communicator, both verbally and in writing.
• Collaborative, team-oriented individual.
• Proven capacity to work well with minimal supervision.

Language Skills: Strong working knowledge of written and verbal English is highly desirable.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment:

This job entails a hybrid work format between remote work and work in a standard office work environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

About the Organization

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is the world’s premiere election assistance organization, providing countries with technical advice and tools to run democratic elections. IFES is an international, nonpartisan democracy development organization that works to give people a voice in the way they are governed. Every IFES project is staffed by local personnel and partnered with local organizations. With this homegrown approach, IFES ensures the expertise it offers fits the needs of the country or client and the benefit of assistance outlasts the life of the project. Since its founding in 1987, IFES has worked in more than 100 countries - from developing democracies such as Liberia, to mature democracies such as the United States. IFES currently operates in new and developing democracies in over 20 countries. Our staff is truly global, with 150 professionals from 25 countries leading technical assistance projects for international and bilateral donor organizations such as USAID, the UN, DFID, the OSCE and others. IFES international professionals ensure that democracy solutions are home grown. Every IFES project team partners with local organizations, and every project is staffed by local personnel. Whether establishing a civic education project in Bishkek or a new independent election authority in Iraq, IFES professionals work closely with local networks to deliver expertise that fits the needs of the country or client, thus ensuring that the benefit of assistance lasts far beyond the life of the project. From Haiti to Liberia to Afghanistan, IFES professionals provide technical assistance across many areas of democracy development. We have developed service lines and regional representation around the world that allow our professionals to deliver democracy solutions rapidly?with the innovation, experience and results that only an organization with almost 20 years of dedicated democracy work can do.