Resident Senior Director

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is seeking a Resident Senior Director with strong political acumen and management skills to provide strategic direction and oversight to the implementation of its democracy support programs in Iraq. Specific programmatic areas include parliamentary assistance to two legislative bodies, strengthening women and youth political participation, election programming, and public opinion research. The ideal candidate has at least 20 years of experience as a political practitioner at the local and national levels, strong managerial and communications skills, and demonstrated capacity for astute political analysis and judgment. S/he would have previous experience in a conflict-affected and/or transitioning country working as an international development professional and/or practitioner. The resident senior director will provide leadership and oversight to a team of talented and experienced national and international staff. S/he will be NDI's principal liaison to and responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with the donor community, representatives from the Iraqi government, political parties, civil society organizations, and the international diplomatic community. The resident senior director will be responsible for overall office management, including financial and human resource management, as well as supervisory responsibility for the design, implementation, and evaluation of Iraq programs. The resident senior director in Iraq reports to NDI's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Close coordination will also be expected with NDI/Washington, including frequent communication with the Washington-based staff. This position is based in Erbil with extended periods in Baghdad and occasional travel to other areas. Primary Responsibilities:

Provide overall leadership and vision for the design and implementation of NDI's programs in Iraq with the support of resident national staff, expatriate staff, short-term consultants and trainers, and in coordination with NDI staff in Washington, DC
Establish and maintain strong working relations with the donor and diplomatic communities, international organizations, and in-country partners, including political and elected officials and local civic organizations
Manage frequent external and internal communication to produce high-quality program reports and effectively coordinate program activities
Manage the successful implementation of NDI program activities, including evaluation and reporting
Lead donor engagement and fundraising efforts for new programs
Oversee the proper accounting, management, and planning of budget funds in coordination with the field and headquarters accounting teams
Manage expatriate and national employees, including hiring, performance reviews, staff development, program implementation, and adherence to human resource policies
Coordinate, with NDI/Washington, timetables and staff assignments for developing proposals, budgets, work plans, and reports and ensure documents reflect NDI priorities, strategy, needs, and objectives
Coordinate regular informal and formal communication with NDI/Washington on program and political developments, including regular program and financial reports
Maintain overall responsibility for safety and security of staff and travellers operating in-country in coordination with NDI's in-country security provider and relevant headquarter's based support teams
Provide, as needed, skills-building training and informal consultations for political, elected and civic leaders

Required Skills and Experience:

Bachelor's degree, preferably in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Administration, or related subject
A minimum of twenty years substantive professional experience primarily in a political field, with experience working to expand women's political participation, enhance political party outreach capacity, and/or bolster civil society involvement in political processes or experience working in challenging political environments preferred
A strong record of managing large and complex projects in conflict-affected or transitioning countries, including experience implementing U.S. government-funded programs
Proven capacity to meet program goals while managing financial, administrative, and security responsibilities
Proven ability to effectively communicate skills and experiences to others as a trainer and/or adviser
Demonstrated ability to conduct and apply sophisticated political analysis to programmatic activities and adjust activities based on changing political and environmental circumstances and in response to programmatic needs
Demonstrated experience in proactively navigating and ensuring compliance with host country legal and reporting requirements
Exceptional interpersonal skills and cross-cultural awareness to effectively interact with all levels of staff and establish and maintain professional relationships with senior political and civic leaders, as well as members of the donor and diplomatic community
Demonstrated leadership capacity and ability to work as a member of a team
Demonstrated ability to work with and empower host-country national staff through professional development opportunities and one-on-one mentorship
Strong oral and written communication skills
Oral and written English skills required
Experience with Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, G+, etc.) strongly desired