Country Representative

NDI Nepal: Country Representative

Founded in 1983, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to strengthen and expand democracy worldwide. NDI works with democratic institutions in every region of the world to build political and civic organizations, safeguard elections and promote citizen participation, openness, and accountability in government. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NDI maintains offices in over 70 countries on five continents. Its diverse workforce of employees from 75 countries are united in the belief that democracies promote economic growth and development more consistently and equitably than non-democratic political systems. NDI’s office in Nepal has been operational since 1997 and has since collaborated with the Parliament, political parties, government agencies and civil society.

NDI is seeking to hire a Country Representative to lead the implementation of a multi-year, multi-million dollar technical assistance program funded by USAID. A well-qualified candidate will possess excellent management skills with experience implementing democracy and governance programs. The Country Representative will oversee all aspects of programming, staff, and office management, including implementation of program activities, managing grants, providing leadership to a team in-country, and ensuring compliance with financial policies and procedures. This is a key personnel position and is contingent upon funding and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) approval.

This position is based in Kathmandu. Authorization to work in Nepal without requiring employer sponsorship is a prerequisite for a successful application.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide in-country leadership for NDI’s programs in Nepal and oversee day-to-day activity implementation and operations. Ensure collaborative leadership and oversight of a country team, ensuring accountability in the execution of program activities and management of field operations and local staff based on established institutional procedures, local laws, donor regulations, and best practice
• Manage staff based in-country, including hiring, performance reviews and staff development, and adherence to human resource policies
• Ensure program compliance with donor requirements with regards to work plans and performance monitoring plans, and respect of procedures to ensure the integrity of all financial transactions
• Serve as principal liaison between NDI and program donors, Nepali government officials, legislators and staff, local nongovernmental organizations, and the media
• Establish and maintain working relationships with Nepali government officials, civil society organizations, and other program partners
• Leads strategic planning within the office and proactively designs and proposes draft concept notes, statements of interest, proposals, and other new business-related tools in collaboration with  the Washington DC-based staff for use with possible US and non-USG funders.
• Monitor political events in assigned program areas and reports on political developments in Nepal that may affect program outcomes to Washington DC-based staff on a regular basis.
• Design and conduct training workshops and one-on-one consultations for civil society partners
• Consults regularly with Washington, DC-based staff on program progress and manages the development, review and timely submission of program-related materials, including regular reports that measure and evaluate program results to NDI/Washington.
• 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

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in international relations or a related subject with minimum of 12 years of experience; Master’s degree preferred with minimum 10 years of experience.
• Prior management and implementation experience of large international development programs funded by USAID, Department of State Bureau of Human Rights, Democracy and Labor (DRL) and other donors, preferably in the field of democracy and governance
• Prior experience designing and drafting proposals, program deliverables such as annual workplans, reports including proposal and work plan development.
• Sound political and negotiation skills, and extensive experience in working on complex programs and political issues.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior political and civil society leaders as well as members of the donor, diplomatic and civil society 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.
• Ability to adjust programmatic activities based on changing political circumstances and in response to needs articulated by local partners and program stakeholders.
• Experience with Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, G+, etc.).
• Ability to motivate and inspire a diverse group of professionals in a challenging environment, instilling a strong sense of mission and team work to program implementation.
• Fluency in English and Nepali required.

COMMENTS:

The application deadline is March 3, 2023.  To apply, please e-mail a CV and cover letter to nepaljobs@ndi.org. Short-listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls, please!

Applicants need to possess work authorization to work in Nepal.

NDI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.