Job Vacancy @ Democracy International (DI) – Project Director (Sierra Leone)
Project Director
Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a Project Director for the three-year USAID Civic Engagement in Local Governance for Accountability opportunity in Sierra Leone. The overarching activity purpose is to foster the social contract between local governments and citizens in Sierra Leone through scaling up successful initiatives that support local governments and relevant national government institutions, civil society, and citizenry to 1) increase citizens’ participation in local government and political processes, and 2) bolster the provision of critical services by local governance institutions through processes that are transparent and accountable to citizens.
The Project Director will lead programmatic, operational, administrative, and technical activities and will report to DI’s Director of Program Management in the Home Office. They will be responsible for developing a strong vision and implementation of the program with an evidence-based approach, integrating innovative strategies and delivering on all objectives of the project. They will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management, mentorship, and training of all staff. The successful candidate must be a development professional with experience in Sierra Leone or a similar context and demonstrated expertise in civic engagement, local governance, civil society engagement, media, gender advocacy, and democratic systems development. They will serve as the primary point of contact between USAID and the DI HQ program team. This is a full time position based in Freetown, Sierra Leone and is contingent on award and funding. This position is open to both expatriates and citizens of Sierra Leone.
Essential Job Duties:
The position’s responsibilities will include:
Programmatic
- Provide overall technical and administrative leadership and expertise;
- Serve as the primary liaison with USAID on management and technical matters;
- Develop regular reports and ongoing activity monitoring consistent with the requirements of DI’s agreement with USAID and with internal reporting requirements;
- Ensure compliance with USAID, U.S. government, local laws, regulations, policies, and procedures;
- Manage the preparation and presentation of all work plans, MEL plans, and reports;
- Be responsible for all aspects of coordination and communication, including with the GOSL, other donors, universities, the civil society sector, and other potential implementing partners;
- Represent DI externally at meetings, workshops, and other events; and,
- Supervise the work of all sub-grantees and individuals engaged under the activity.
Administrative
- Continue to build and lead DI’s dynamic local team;
- Approve expenditures and other financial transactions in accordance with DI and USAID policies and practices;
Secondary Job Duties:
- Contribute to ongoing Democracy International business development efforts in Sierra Leone and around the world.
Qualifications:
- At least 10 years of progressive experience working in areas related to civic engagement, local governance, elections, democracy support, civil society, media, local revenue collection, public service delivery, and/or other topics relevant to democratic development;
- At least 8 years of progressive experience managing complex donor-funded assistance projects, with strong preference for experience managing USAID-funded projects;
- Strong understanding of, and ability to analyze and impact, political, economic, governance, and decentralization environments;
- Master’s degree in a relevant field required; or a bachelor’s degree with 15 or more years of experience managing similar projects;
- Ability to establish strong working relationships with senior government officials; media, civil society, and private sector leaders; international donors; and other stakeholders;
- In-depth familiarity with, understanding of, and ability to successfully navigate within the Sierra Leonean political context preferred
- Knowledge of local languages (ex. Krio, Mende, Themme, etc.) preferred;
- Professional fluency in English (both spoken and written) required; and,
- This position is open to both expatriates and Sierra Leonean citizens.
Reporting:
- This position reports to Home Office Director of Program Management
- Direct reports include members the DI Sierra Leone Field Office Team
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. DI will only contact candidates of interest.
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 70+ 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.
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