Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a full-time Program Management Officer to be a key member of its quickly expanding Program Management Team. As an essential member of the team, this role will be based in DI's home office in Bethesda, Maryland and will be primarily responsible for providing programmatic oversight and support to DI programs around the world. Experience supporting USAID-funded programs is required. We will only consider applicants who are based in the Washington, DC area.
 
 
Essential Job Duties:

• Provide oversight and support to DI programs overseas;
• Support and collaborate with the Program Manager and COP/Project Director in the field to effectively manage people and resources in the Home Office and the Field Offices for successful implementation of programs including democracy, human rights, and governance activities.
• Contribute to program development and strategy in collaboration with Program Manager and COPs.
• Work collaboratively as a member of a program management unit;
• Coordinate between field office personnel and Bethesda-based staff on issues including purchasing, grants, finance, personnel, field office management, and general operations.
• Manage procurement processes in the home office and act as the primary liaison with the field office to support procurement planning and execution. This includes: 1) writing and reviewing scopes of work (SOWs); 2) managing the selection of vendors; 3) reviewing deliverables to ensure quality and fit with program goals; 4) providing ongoing support to junior staff and field teams on procurement systems and rules to ensure quality and compliance DI and client policies.
• Assist in project startup, management, and close-out;
• Provide oversight of program budget tracking and spending projections, manage program budgets, and provide input on spending;
• Support oversight of project subawards, including ensuring activities are meeting the program’s goals and compliance with USAID regulations;
• Provide research support related to politics, governance and elections in foreign countries;
• Support the development and critical review of technical deliverables and reports, including political economy analyses, program evaluations, annual work plans, and quarterly, monthly and weekly reports;
• Champion the integration of the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) Framework into the program cycle.
• Support the Program Manager to develop, review, and implement Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plans with guidance and ad hoc support from Technical Specialists.
• Maintain sound relationships with counterparts in the field to ensure teams are adequately supported and programs are achieving their goals;
• Assist in recruiting, briefing, and deploying teams of DI staff members and consultants;
• Provide mentorship and direction for more junior staff and interns;
• Identify opportunities for programmatic growth and new business;
• International travel is required and expected to be 25% of time.

 
Secondary Responsibilities:

• Contribute to, and in some cases lead, development of DI internal trainings related to the above based on topic and need.
• Support proposal development and budget preparation, as requested;
• Provide surge support for Program Management Team on other projects as needed.

 
Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in international development, political science, public policy, social science, or a related field; (or a Bachelor’s degree and 4 years program management)
• Minimum of 4 years of project support and oversight;
• Experience supporting USAID-funded programs;
• Experience developing and managing budgets, and knowledge of basic budget and accounting procedures;
• Proven ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities;
• Demonstrated experience of successful teamwork and strong interpersonal skills;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Microsoft Office Suite and relevant computer software skills.

 
Desired Skills and Qualifications:

• Knowledge of USG rules and regulations, specifically related to contracts and grants;
• Familiarity with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plans and MEL systems for international development projects.

 
Reporting:

• This position reports to the Program Manager.

 
Environmental Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Moderate noise (i.e. business office with computers, phone, printers, and moderate traffic).
• Ability to work in a confined office space/area.
• Ability to sit and/or stand at a computer desk for an extended period of time.
• Ability to travel on long plane flights across several time zones and at irregular hours.

 
Physical Requirements Required to Perform Essential Responsibilities:

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to;

• Stand, sit; talk, hear, use of hands and fingers, and perform repetitive motions to operate a computer and telephone keyboard.
• Reach, stoop, or kneel, to adjust computer and/or telephone equipment.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Hearing abilities required due to telephone.
• Light to moderate lifting is possible.
• Travel will require moderate lifting, sitting for extended periods of time, overnight flights across multiple time zones;
• Regular, predictable attendance is required; as business demands dictate.

Democracy International is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its employment process for individuals with disabilities to meet any and all physical requirements of our jobs.
 
 
Application Process:
 
Interested applicants must submit a cover letter and CV. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The starting salary range for this position is $65,000 to $72,000, commensurate with experience. DI will only contact candidates of interest.  
 
All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application. DI will not sponsor applicants for work Visa.
 
 
About the Organization:
 
DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 80+ countries.
 
DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.