Resident Director

The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) seeks a Resident Country Director with experience leading program support and technical assistance to civil society actors, particularly during electoral periods. The Resident Country Director will provide overall leadership for NDI programs, office operations, and staff in Malawi. They will coordinate capacity strengthening for civil society and government actors on open governance issues, citizen election observation and support to youth leadership development and youth-led advocacy campaigns.

Responsibilities include overall management, financial and human resource oversight, donor and partner relations, and strategic development of the program. Additionally, the Resident Country Director is charged with conducting regular political analysis, supervising overall security management and operations, managing multiple program budgets, and maintaining relationships with Malawian partners,non-governmental entities, the diplomatic community, donor agencies and other stakeholders. The Resident Country Director will closely coordinate with Washington, D.C.-based staff to manage the programmatic, administrative, financial, and logistical aspects of NDI’s operations. The Resident Country Director will be based in Lilongwe, Malawi, and reports to NDI’s Regional Director for Southern and East Africa.

This is a key personnel position and is subject to confirmation of funding and approval by the donor. The position is partially accompanied (adult dependents and minor children under 5 years of age).

Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership of all country programs and coordinate day-to-day activity implementation and operations;
• Monitor programs to determine that programmatic goals are achieved, and operational and reporting requirements are adhered to;
• Adjust programmatic activities based on changing political circumstances and in response to needs articulated by local partners and program stakeholders, and in consultation with donors;
• Ensure programmatic goals are achieved and adhere to operational and reporting requirements, including written reports to Washington DC that monitor and measure program results and political developments in Malawi;
• Present NDI analysis to donors, international organizations, the diplomatic community, and policymakers;
• Work with international organizations on the implementation of complementary programming and participate in donor coordination meetings;
• Represent NDI and its program at public events and functions;
• Serve as the principal liaison between NDI and program donors, regional government officials, legislators and staff, political party leaders, local nongovernmental organizations, and the media;
• Establish and maintain working relationships with political actors, civil society organizations, election monitoring groups, women’s groups, ethnic minority and other vulnerable population organizations and leaders, and other program partners;
• Assist in identifying and securing additional funding for NDI programs;
• Strengthen the capacity of NDI staff to play a substantive role in program development and implementation; and
• Keep NDI leadership informed of relevant and significant political developments and programmatic issues.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree, preferably in international development, political science, or management;
• Minimum of 14 years of relevant work experience in political and electoral processes, democracy and governance programming, particularly closed society, conflict environment programming, and civil society development;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with and build relationships with senior political and civic leaders, U.S. and foreign government personnel and policymakers, and members of donor organizations;
• Substantial work experience in multiple disciplines of democracy development, including technical assistance to high-level political leaders (required), civic engagement, and civil society development, preferably in Africa;
• Experience in managing election-related programs, including working with citizen election observation coalitions, facilitating coalition building processes and coalition management, and knowledge of advanced systematic election observation methodologies strongly preferred;
• Senior-level program management experience, including the development of proposals and workplans, strategic planning, office operations, and the management of fiscal and human resources;
• Knowledge of program design, monitoring, and evaluation tools and best practices;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political and civil society leaders and members of the donor and diplomatic community;
• Exceptional interpersonal and managerial skills and cultural sensitivity to effectively interact with all levels of staff, U.S. and foreign government personnel, members of donor organizations, funders, and policy-makers;
• Proven capacity to meet program goals while managing financial, administrative, and security responsibilities;
• Prior management and implementation of large international development programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Department of State, and other donor governments;
• Sound political and negotiation skills and extensive experience in working on complex programs and political issues;
• Experience living and working in a country other than the home of record;
• Exceptional analytical skills for interpreting complex programs and political issues;
• Ability to adjust programmatic activities based on changing political circumstances and in response to needs articulated by local partners and program stakeholders;
• Ability to motivate and inspire a diverse group of professionals, instilling a strong sense of mission and teamwork in program implementation;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English required to effectively present information, respond to questions, and negotiate outcomes;
• Experience working in low-income countries and an ability to work in a highly challenging and stressful environment.

KSAs

• Basic knowledge and competence in one or more of NDI’s international development disciplines, e.g. political campaigns, elections, community organizing, technology/innovation, etc.
• Knowledge of basic budget development/management and accounting processes along with math skills and the ability to perform accurate calculations and understand quantitative information.
• Strong analytical and judgment skills for identifying problems, drawing conclusions, determining options for resolution, and recommending next steps.
• Negotiation skills and the ability to be innovative and creative in finding ways to resolve issues and secure necessary support and resources for achieving programmatic goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to interact effectively and diplomatically with individuals at all levels of the organization, as well as externally both domestically and internationally with NDI partners, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and project a professional image when giving and taking information in writing, in person, and through various communication media. The ability to present to varying sized audiences in a manner that influences and drives understanding is highly desired.
• An attention-to-detail, with a propensity to complete work accurately and with a focus on quality.
• Action-oriented with a high level of initiative and an advanced level of proficiency in the ability to multitask and prioritize; manage time, perform project management, problem-solving, and organizational skills; and flexibility to adapt and respond to shifting priorities.
• Capacity to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to apply discretion and maintain confidential information.
• Ability to travel internationally.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office to include Word, Excel and PowerPoint; knowledge of/proficiency in Google Suite tools preferred. Basic database skills are desired.

ADA Notation:
The physical demands and work environment that have been described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Comments:
NDI is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). As such, NDI makes employment decisions and provides equal employment opportunity without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state and local laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please notify NDI’s Human Resources department.

NDI works in complex, sometimes hostile and unpredictable environments to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions and processes. There are risks associated with working for NDI in pursuit of this mission.