Country: United States of America
Closing date: 29 May 2019
“All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment/promotions and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
IFES takes affirmative action with respect to the employment and promotion of women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. IFES will also take affirmative action on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
IFES is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor”
Project Description: PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE:
The Research Associate is an entry level position at IFES providing both technical research and program administration support to the Center for Applied Research and Learning. The Center manages IFES research and technical leadership activities to enrich electoral administration and democracy development assistance and ensure the consistent application of international standards and best practices. The Research Associate conducts research and supports and/or coordinates technical assessments, meetings/briefings and public events. The Research Associate also supports IFES inputs to the ACE Electoral Leadership Network partnership and leads updates to the IFES online ElectionGuide website under the direction of senior Center staff.
Job Responsibilities:
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the supervision of senior Center staff, provide research and writing support for IFES technical leadership research projects and assessments. Research (for technical leadership projects and publications) may be country-specific, regional, or global, and may focus on a range of sources: international, regional, and domestic laws and jurisprudence; international obligations and best practices; rule of law and elections indices and barometers; media analysis of elections; election observer mission reports; and other sources for information. Assessments will be country-specific and may focus on electoral integrity; electoral dispute resolution; and the abuse of state resources in elections.
The Research Associate will support IFES to fulfill its responsibilities as a partner in the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network by serving as a co-coordinator of the ACE Coordination Unit. Under the guidance of the Research Officer (Senior ACE Coordinator) and Senior Director, the Research Associate’s specific responsibilities include: coordinating and monitoring the progress of the Coordination Unit across seven institutional partners; reporting on progress to the ACE Steering Board; coordinating the content produced by the ACE Network and providing quality control; and guiding an ACE strategic planning process and overseeing its implementation.
Administrative support on technical leadership projects and general Center initiatives/management may include: supporting work-planning and report writing; liaising with technical experts, drafting consultant contracts and managing payments; budget development and revision; and developing outreach pieces or planning events and training. The Research Associate will also assist other Center staff to administer sub-grants to local civil society organizations.
Research and post updates to the IFES website Election Guide. Specific responsibilities may include: managing the maintenance of the website and ensuring that the site is responsive to user needs and is providing up-to-date information on electoral events and developments on electoral issues worldwide; monitoring and verifying the dates of national elections and referenda and selected sub-national elections and information on related political developments, through newswires and daily web searches; maintaining contacts to verify E-Guide content; and working with web developers and IFES staff to update and improve Election Guide.
Support Center and organizational business development, including updating the organization-wide business development tracker with Center initiatives. The Research Associate will support the Center Director and Senior Director to research and respond to new business development opportunities.
POSITION SCOPE: Provides the support necessary for the team to achieve its goals. Job duties are fairly straight-forward and require following common procedures and guidelines. Manages own workload, time and priorities, with guidance from supervisor.
DECISION MAKING/PROBLEM SOLVING: Has the knowledge and skills to identify solutions to routine problems. Produces useful ideas or explanations for circumstances, but may need guidance on execution for results. Understands and applies policies and proactively suggests solutions and improvements on issues.
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FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: **Prepares routine financial reports in compliance with IFES policies and procedures. Processes routine transaction in compliance with IFES procedures.
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RELATIONSHIPS:** Maintains collaborative working relationship with team members and other staff within the Center. Initiates contact with staff in other departments to exchange information and coordinates activities necessary to achieve work goals.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: None. Qualifications: POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Education: Bachelor’s degree required.
Experience: Experience managing or coordinating projects with multiple stakeholders is a plus. Experience performing administrative functions and planning events a plus. Excellent research and communication skills required. Proficiency with Word and Excel. Foreign language skills an asset.
0 - 2 years’ relevant experience in international development or related field. Internship(s) experience with an international NGO a plus. Academic and/or professional experience with detailed research, writing, and editing required.
Related Skills or Knowledge: Professional, intellectually curious, and adaptable, with strong written and verbal communication skills. Successful candidates will be detail-oriented and organized and have the ability to collaborate when needed and also work independently, prioritizing and handling varied tasks within deadlines. Experience managing or coordinating projects with multiple stakeholders is helpful. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Excel is required.
LANGUAGE SKILLS: English required. Knowledge of other languages a plus.
TRAVEL: Travel up to 10% of time
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT: Standard office work environment, with occasional field travel. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
How to apply: