Technical Advisor – Democracy & Governance 120 views0 applications

Freedom House promotes the spread of freedom and democracy around the world through research, advocacy, and programs that support frontline activists. We are a leader in identifying threats to freedom through our highly regarded analytic reports, including Freedom in the World, Freedom of the Press, Freedom on the Net, and Nations in Transit.

Position Summary

Freedom House is seeking a Technical Advisor – Democracy & Governance for its Strengthening Sudan’s Democratic Transition project. The project seeks to sustain the energy of emerging elements of Sudanese civil society and strengthen civic capabilities to influence existing and future political processes. The Program Officer will work in close coordination with the Project Director and Program Officer – Civil Society Engagement to provide technical support for this 18-month project funded by the U.S. Department of State. This position will be based in Khartoum, Sudan and will report to the Project Director.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as technical advisor on democracy and governance, transitional justice, and electoral policies
• Provide technical skills trainings to the project partners to lead a successful democratic transition;
• Monitor and evaluate implementation of project activities and draft program reports in conjunction with Project Director;
• Develop and design training materials/manuals on a variety of topics including political participation, advocacy, and civic engagement for CSOs and government;
• Facilitate trainings, workshops, roundtables and other capacity building events supported by Freedom House;
• Provide necessary guidance, as well as technical and editorial support to project partners to improve the quality of their policy and legislative drafts and reports.
• Coordinate with Project Director and staff to develop risk assessment and mitigation plan including staff and program risks;
• Recruit and supervise interns as needed;
• Assist the Project Director with program design and development as needed;
• Provide weekly updates on project activities to team members, and bi-weekly updates to FH headquarters staff in consultation with the Project Director; and
• Undertake other duties as assigned by the Project Director.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree preferred – in human rights, political science, law or other social sciences;
• A minimum of 4 years of technical experience in democracy and governance initiatives;
• Knowledge of governance, transitional justice, and human rights issues in Sudan is required;
• Two years of experience providing technical assistance to civil society in Sudan related to human rights, youth engagement and advocacy;
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with local partners, government officials, media houses, as well as in-country and foreign experts;
• Experience facilitating workshops, trainings, or conferences;
• Experiences in facilitating gender, race, and literacy sensitive participatory dialogues and trainings
• Demonstrated experience in managing M&E systems including target setting, data collection and reporting;
• Knowledge of USG rules and regulations, and other donor approaches to civil society development;
• Strong knowledge of human rights principles and mechanisms, and democracy promotion;
• Strong ability to communicate effectively in English and Arabic, both orally and in writing preferred;
• Ability to use productivity software such as MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint; and Microsoft Excel; and
• Experience in challenging environments and in modifying programming to fit evolving contexts.

Attributes and Characteristics:

• Exhibit strong and sustained commitment to the mission of Freedom House
• Show good stewardship in the use of Freedom House resources
• Respond promptly to stakeholder needs, and solicit stakeholder feedback to improve service quality
• Exhibit excellent phone etiquette, pleasant demeanor, and ethical conduct
• Consistently use good judgment when dealing with all contacts and constituents
• Exhibit high work standards, adherence to procedures, and responsibility for assigned tasks
• Demonstrate strong desire for excellence, and desire to inspire others to attain professional excellence
• Assess own strengths and weaknesses; pursue training and development opportunities; strive to continuously build knowledge and skills
• Work as an effective team member, successfully balance individual and team responsibilities
• Comply with all policies and procedures

Primary Contacts:

• Internal: U.S. and Sudan-based employees at Freedom House
• External: Local partners, U.S. Embassy, Government of Sudan, consultants, other implementers and donors, media, vendors, members of the general public, etc.

Working Conditions:

• General working office environment in Khartoum, Sudan;
• Some evening and weekend hours to complete tasks or attend events;
• Travel within Sudan outside of Khartoum;
• Exposed to outside weather conditions when required to complete assigned tasks outside the office;
• May involve work in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure, and in regions under U.S. travel advisory due to threats of terrorist attacks, civil unrest, kidnappings, disease outbreaks, etc.

Disclaimer: This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in the job description and that other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job. Freedom House may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.

Qualified and Interested Applicants

We invite qualified candidates to complete an online application and submit a resume, and cover letter, with salary history and desired salary.

Candidate cover letters should specifically address how their previous experience relates to the duties and qualifications listed above.

Only candidates who respond to these as well as the salary requirements will be considered for the position. Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted.

This vacancy is open to those candidates with relevant permits to work in Sudan.