The International Republican Institute (IRI) is a Washington, D.C. based nonpartisan, non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing democracy worldwide by developing political parties, civic institutions, open elections, democratic governance, and the rule of law. IRI provides technical assistance in the areas of political party strengthening, developing civic institutions and open elections, promoting democratic governance and advancing the rule of law.

In Sudan, as a partner in the Improving Electoral and Political Process for Change in Sudan program, International Republican Institute works with partners to enhance the responsiveness and accountability of governance institutions, improve political party inclusiveness and capacity to conduct issue-based, citizen-responsive campaigns, and to enhance the participation of citizens, civil society, media and other stakeholders in electoral and political processes.

IRI needs a local Senior Program Assistant to perform programmatic duties on a full-time employment basis.

The Senior Program Assistant (SPA) will work to ensure that all program activities are implemented efficiently, timely and in line with the values of the organization. SPA will work as part of the IRI’s program team and assist in organizing and implementing program activities, drafting program activity proposals, reports and budgets, conducting research and analysis, assisting in program monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring that administrative tasks for program implementation are completed in a timely manner.

The Senior Program Assistant will provide a full range of administrative and programmatic support to senior program staff responsible for the implementation of IRI programs. Responsibilities include:

• Plans, organizes, implements and monitors programmatic activities individually or in cooperation with other staff members and partners; manages administrative and logistic tasks related to program activities and daily operations.
• Researches, writes and edits program documents, news summaries, and training materials.
• Identifies and cultivates relationships with local partners; represents IRI at meetings, events and other activities as needed.
• Work in concert with IRI’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and program personnel to monitor and evaluate the performance of IRI and partners’ activities, identifying successes and failures and recommending program adjustments accordingly; supports other program staff in fulfilling regular monitoring and evaluation reporting and data collection obligations.
• Drafts weekly, quarterly, semi-annual, final and other relevant reports for funders.
• Monitors regional political developments and provides political and programmatic analysis and recommendations as needed.
• Supports IRI’s communication strategy including IRI’s branding and outreach plans on projects assigned, including drafts and updates program summaries and other outreach materials, drafts web stories, tweets, etc.
• Provides efficient and timely action on administrative and accounting matters, written assignments and submission of reports.
• Tracks and follows-up on pending procurement requests, approvals and monitoring once approved. 
• Updates and maintains program resource files and contacts for purposes of monitoring and evaluation and internal reporting.
• Coordinates travel and other program-related logistics as needed.
• Travels from time-to-time, independently and/or as part of a team, to various locations outside of Khartoum to support IRI’s programmatic objectives.
• Performs any other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in Political Science, International Relations, Law or related field. Bachelor’s degree is a plus.
• 2-3 years of experience in international development or related field.

Requirements:

• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow to tight timeframes, handle multiple tasks, and be flexible with changing priorities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required.
• Excellent writing, research and communication skills.
• Demonstrated computer proficiency and advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite; strong familiarity with social media and online applications.
• Must be able to travel independently.
• Must have the legal right to work in Sudan. Visas, resident permits and work permits are the applicant’s and staff member’s responsibility.

A successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following attributes:

• An organized approached and ability to plan workload;
• Excellent writing skills, including an ability to communicate complex ideas and policies;
• Experience of event organization;
• Detailed oriented and organized;
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines;
• Strong communicator, both verbally and in writing; and
• Collaborative, team-oriented individual.

HOW TO APPLY:

All applications must include a one-page cover letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV). Professional references are an asset.

Applications must be submitted via email to sudanjobs@iri.org with the subject line “Application, Senior Program Assistant, Sudan” or through sudanjob.net.. The closing date for applying is December 12, 2020 (inclusive); no further applications will be accepted after this date. If the applicant does not hear from IRI within two weeks of the closing date, application should be considered unsuccessful. Any possible questions will only be answered during interview, upon invitation. Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted.

PLEASE APPLY FOR ONE POSITION ONLY