Program Officer, Afghanistan Programs

Democracy International (DI) seeks a Program Officer to support its USAID funded electoral reform program in Afghanistan. DI is working to support Afghan-led electoral reform efforts and serves as a resource to Afghan stakeholders engaged in debate on and advocating for electoral reform. The Program Officer will be based in DI’s office in Bethesda and will be primarily responsible for providing backstop support to DI’s Afghanistan based team.

The specific responsibilities of the position are as follows:      

• Provide administrative and programmatic backstop support for DI’s Afghanistan based personnel;
• Coordinate between field office personnel and Bethesda based staff on administrative issues, including accounting and contracting. Produce bi-weekly financial reports, monthly and quarterly accruals reports, and process consultant and subcontract invoices;
• Work with field personnel to ensure program compliance with relevant USAID regulations and mission orders;
• Ensure all reporting is done in a timely manner and payments are processed according to DI’s established procedures;
• Assist the field with ongoing programmatic activities, which may include conducting research, assisting with report writing, and formatting and editing; 
• Coordinate the development of internal reports, annual work plans, quarterly, monthly and weekly reports;
• Coordinate with travel agent to book travel for field staff and consultants; and
• Maintain sound relationships with counterparts in the field to ensure the team is adequately supported. 

Qualified candidates will possess a degree in international relations, public policy, political science, or a related field. The successful candidate will have a minimum of two years professional experience in project support and oversight with at least one year of experience supporting USAID funded programs abroad. Applicants should be highly organized and able to prioritize multiple tasks and meet dynamic client deadlines. Knowledge and experience in elections, governance, and/or development in Afghanistan is desired. Fluency in English required.

Interested candidates should submit their CV and three references at jobs.democracyinternational.com. Please submit applications no later than January 18, 2013. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified.