Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day-to-day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks include:

Excellence- We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. Freedom- We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. Respect- We believe in trust, empathy and empowering people. Teamwork- We believe in diversity, inclusion, and the power of global collaboration. Transparency- We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. Accountability- We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of success.

The Program Manager will oversee a range of programmatic, management, and administrative matters at IRI’s Kazakhstan office. S/he will work alongside the DC program staff and field staff to ensure achievement of program objectives, strong funder relationships, and expansion of local partner networks. S/he will report directly to the Program Director or Resident Program Director.

Position Requirements

Bachelor’s Required, Master’s Preferred in Political Science, International Relations, Project Management, or other relevant fields.
Minimum five years of program management experience in democratic governance and politics, preferably working in a political environment and directly with political parties, civil society organizations/NGOs, and/or legislative bodies and officials.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (writing and speaking) in English, Kazakh, and Russian.
Strong leadership and management skills.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet program goals.
Highly organized and with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
General knowledge and understanding of the Kazakhstan political context and sensitivities of working on development issues in Kazakhstan.
Demonstrated ability to work in complex, politically charged, environments.
Knowledge and practice in monitoring, evaluation, and learning process, preferred.
Knowledge of United States government funder regulations, preferred.
Program design and proposal development experience, especially for USG sources, preferred.
Previous experience working to brief and develop materials for high-level executives, thought leaders, politicians, etc., preferred.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as needed.
Innovative, creative, enthusiastic approach to problem-solving.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

Under the supervision of IRI’s Resident Program Director (RPD), identify and establish working relationships with local partners and contacts inside of Kazakhstan.
Collaborate closely with the RPD to make sure that the scope and direction of each area of the program, component, and activity is on schedule.
Oversee the performance management of supervised staff assigned.
Liaise, engage, and maintain contact with civil society organizations, government agencies, local and national government focal points, regional organizations focal points, community leaders, civic and political activists, etc. to facilitate the implementation of IRI’s Kazakhstan program, to ensure buy-in and continuous engagement of these stakeholders.
The Employee will take a significant role in Kazakhstan program implementation, providing logistical arrangements, identifying local service providers, foreseeing potential problems and designing solutions to prevent activity delays, ensuring necessary and relevant follow-up including for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) purposes with local partners, activity participants and beneficiaries, monitoring local partners’ activity progress and compliance with contract terms.
Ensure the timely, accurate, and complete submission of deliverables from local partners, liaise with IRI regional and DC staff, including the Resident Program Director, Program Officer, and MEL Specialist, to approve such deliverables.
Contribute observations and political analysis to program reports, external communication materials, and program proposals, as necessary, to ensure robust programming in Kazakhstan.
Attend and lead, as needed, program activities and non-program-related events or discussions that may take place in Kazakhstan or the region which may be relevant to IRI’s overall country strategy.
Report weekly at IRI’s Eurasia Division staff meeting, as needed, as well as submit semi-monthly, quarterly program reports to IRI DC team that include updates on programmatic progress, thorough analysis of the political, economic, and security-related issues in country.
Other duties as assigned.

Apply online. Please include a resume and cover letter along with your application.