Regional Director: EURASIA
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is seeking a Regional Director to oversee the design, development, implementation and evaluation of its democracy strengthening programs in the Eurasia region. The Regional Director will lead the Institute’s efforts in addressing key challenges to democratic development in the region, including malign external authoritarian influence; domestic corruption and illiberalism; the exclusion and marginalization of women, youth and other communities; the growing role of digital technology in political, economic and social affairs; and global shocks, such as pandemics, climate change and food insecurity. The Regional Director will also play a leadership role at the Institute and work closely with the Executive Office and others in providing guidance on the Institute’s global policies and overall strategic direction, including promoting a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects NDI’s values. The position reports to the NDI President and is based in the Institute’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Regular travel throughout the Eurasia region is required.
Responsibilities:
Strategy
- Leads team in representing NDI’s core values — accountability, transparency, equity, inclusion, pluralism, civic participation and rule of law — in its work with colleagues and partners.
- Creates and leads high-level design of NDI’s regional strategy for a portfolio composed of multiple large-scale, multi-year single country projects and several regional projects addressing government transparency and accountability; effective and responsive political representation; electoral reform and integrity; inclusive and equitable citizen engagement in politics; countering disinformation; and defending fundamental freedoms in closed and closing societies.
- Anticipates and analyzes trends and events in political, social and economic developments and gauges their impact on current and future programs.
Outreach
- Cultivates and maintains relationships with NDI partners working in and on Eurasia, including donor and diplomatic communities, senior civic and political leaders from across the political spectrum, government leaders, democracy activists, and representatives of the media, think tanks, and academia.
- Represents NDI’s institutional interests with partners, donors, supporters and members of the foreign policy community, as well as at professional conferences, thematic events and other gatherings.
- Maintains an understanding of changing donor and NDI policies and procedures and provides oversight to ensure compliance with NDI and donor regulations and relevant laws.
- Contributes to the communication of NDI’s mission, technical expertise, innovations and programmatic impact.
Leadership/Management
- Leads a multicultural team located in Washington, DC and across the Eurasia region in strategic planning, creative program design, and effective project implementation and assessment.
- Recruits and manages a diverse team in DC and country offices, including oversight of performance appraisals and support for staff professional development.
- Provides leadership and oversight to in-country field teams, ensuring accountability in the execution of program activities and management of operations based on established institutional procedures, local laws, donor regulations and best practice.
- Establishes and implements communication systems (staff meetings, reporting protocols, knowledge management systems, etc) to ensure effective workflow and productivity, as well as team cohesion.
- Promotes and ensures a professional and respectful workplace environment, reflective of NDI’s values, in DC and country offices.
Financial Stewardship
- Leads overall regional fundraising strategy and supervises complex relations and negotiations with donors.
- Monitors and oversees the department’s overall annual budget and spending strategy to ensure proper stewardship, including review of financial status reports and ensuring compliance with budget management tasks and processes for appropriate fiscal management.
Qualifications:
- Twenty plus years of relevant experience in a progressive leadership role, in international affairs organization or related environment.
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in international relations or a related subject, or equivalent experience. Master’s degree preferred.
- Experience leading large multi-country donor-funded programs.
- Deep knowledge of the Eurasia region and understanding of comparative political and governance systems.
- Excellent managerial skills, including experience in leading and inspiring multicultural teams.
- Exceptional diplomatic and interpersonal skills, and integrity.
- Competence in substantive areas of NDI programming, such as political party strengthening, civic engagement, legislative strengthening, electoral integrity, public consultation, countering disinformation, public opinion research, gender equity and inclusion of marginalized groups.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to translate complex information into meaningful and understandable language.
- Exceptional analytical skills for interpreting complex programmatic and political issues.
- Demonstrated ability to manage uncertainty and conflict, as well as maintain composure and demonstrate control in difficult or complex situations.
- Ability to adapt to changing political circumstances and respond to needs articulated by local partners and program stakeholders.
- Proven capacity to meet goals while managing diverse representational, programmatic, administrative, supervisory and other responsibilities.
- Budgeting and accounting skills and knowledge of grant funding procedures.
- Working knowledge of USG and European funding policies and regulations.
- Proficiency with Google Suite tools.
- Ability to travel to international locations.
- Fluency in English; proficiency in one or more languages spoken in Eurasia desirable.
Comments:
Candidates must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. NDI does not provide sponsorship.
NDI welcomes and supports a diverse, inclusive work environment. As such, our commitment is to promote equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and NDI employees. NDI 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 NDI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities and qualified individuals who have limitations due to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or a medical condition.