Deputy Country Director

The Deputy Country Director (DCD) supports and collaborates with the Country Director (CD) to coordinate field office activities and managing the office. The DCD will also oversee select program objectives, which will be determined in consultation with the Country Director and the Division Director. In addition, the DCD will be responsible for ensuring compliance with USAID and non-US donor rules and regulations and will manage the program in the absence of the CD. This position would be based in Yangon, Myanmar with frequent travel to Naypyitaw. Job Responsibilities:

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist the CD in ensuring timely execution of project activities within the allocated budget, and strategic development and implementation.
• Oversee specific project activities as directed by the CD and provide technical input as needed.
• Serve as the IFES representative or provide briefings to Heads of Missions, Embassy staff and donors on a variety of issues when the CD is not available.
• Supervise in-country local support staff and consultants providing feedback on performance.
• Oversee program management, administration, finances, budgeting, and reporting
• Oversee any necessary procurement in accordance with IFES policies and USAID as well as non-USG rules and regulations.
• Ensure that donor-specified reporting requirements are met.
• Prepare papers, reports, briefings on election related topics, programmatic work and represent IFES at election-related panels.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, donors and partners particularly Myanmar’s Union Election Commission (UEC) and IFES’ civil society partners.
• Manage the project's monitoring and evaluation plan and oversee data collection and reporting.
• Guide election stakeholders on international standards and best practices for electoral issues.
• Design and conduct participatory workshops on specific electoral topics as needed for different stakeholders.
• Manage a varied portfolio of projects related to the UEC’s Five-Year Strategic Plan including (but not limited to) legal and regulatory reform, electoral dispute resolution, operations and field coordination and results management.
• Other duties as assigned.

POSITION SCOPE: Manage and perform highly technical work requiring ingenuity and capacity to evaluate and respond to new and changing issues. Oversee varied activities and processes to support effective project management and implementation. Collaborate with CD in monitoring all aspects of project operations, reporting and compliance.

DECISION MAKING/PROBLEM SOLVING: Identify risk factors with potential to disrupt achievement of program/project goals. Analyze issues, problems or opportunities and propose appropriate courses of action, based on knowledge of professional principles and best practices. Participate in the development and implementation of strategies to track and mitigate risk and its potential impact.

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: Oversee project budgeting, financial management and reporting. Oversee and approve local and international procurement in accordance with IFES policies, USAID and non-USG rules and regulations. Authority to regularly make purchases and incur expenses, subject to established controls and procedures.

RELATIONSHIPS: Maintain collaborative working relationship with senior-level stakeholders within and outside IFES to ensure timely and successful achievement of project goals and objectives. Represent IFES with external contacts at professional and government levels in the absence of the CD.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Oversee in-country project staff and participate in project monitoring and evaluation

Education: Master’s degree in science, public policy, international development, or related field strongly preferred.

Experience: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in international development, preferably in the area of democracy and governance with preference given to those with experience in the field of elections, governance, conflict mitigation and/or development. Minimum of 5 years of experience with USAID and non-US-funded activities in related program area, with at least 3 years of overseas living experience. Familiarity with political, economic and social context within assigned region. Knowledge of election administration and operations and experience working with elections management bodies

Related Skills or Knowledge: Technical knowledge and experience in area(s) of project focus. Broad knowledge of election administration and operations, and experience working with election management bodies in a senior advisory capacity at the national level. Solid experience in the field of democracy, governance or civil society program implementation in developing countries, post-conflict, and/or conflict zones. Experience with financial tracking, forecasting and Microsoft Excel-based spreadsheets. Demonstrated leadership, national staff management, project administration and financial management skills. Thorough knowledge of USAID and non-US financial regulations and contract compliance requirements. Detailed oriented and organized. Demonstrated ability to manage staff, 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, in both English and other language(s). Collaborative, team oriented individual. Proven capacity to work well with minimal supervision. Experience in managing relationships with international donor community.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluency in spoken and written English required.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT:** Standard office work environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job

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