Job Summary:

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IR 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 I 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.

IRI is currently recruiting a Program Associate for its office in Suva, Fiji.

The Program Associate (PA) is responsible for general program support including administrative assistance and logistical implementation of activities. Their primary focus will be to support the Pacific Island team with programmatic support, including, but not limited to coordinating with program participants and local partners, as well researching and identifying relevant program vendors, consultants and local partners. They will play a key and substantive contribute to the capture, documentation, analysis, and reporting of program activity information and data in a results-based and timely manner, focusing on the achievement of established program indicators and outcomes. Additionally, the PA will closely monitor the political and economic developments in the Pacific Island region, with oversight from the Resident Program Director (RPD).

This position reports to the RPD and regularly coordinates with relevant counterparts in the Washington D.C. headquarters office.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations, journalism (or related field).
• 1-3 years of previous experience in international development or related field with preferred experience in democratic governance and international cooperation, preferably working directly with civil society organizations, government authorities, journalists, or equivalent.
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills in English, including Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint competency;
• Willingness to participate in internal procurement, MEL or other training deemed essential by the RPD;
• Organizational and communications skills;
• Ability to handle competing priorities and meeting deadlines; and
• Ability to travel to new and challenging environments.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with an international non-profit organization;
• Experience working on USG grants and understand USG rules and regulations; and
• Fluency in language(s) spoken in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Program Logistics/Administration

• General administrative assistance, including logistical coordination, agenda preparation and phone calls, and other administrative tasks: clerical support such as scanning, faxing, and copying, preparing and modifying documents including correspondence, reports, memos, and emails, and maintaining a physical and electronic filing system;
• Manage logistical and event arrangements to include researching and identifying relevant program vendors, consultants and local partners in accordance with IRI procurement rules and regulations;
• Liaise with local subawardees and/or consultants to monitor the progress of the agreed upon scope of work and conduct a programmatic review on the deliverables;
• Assists with program monitoring and evaluation (M&E), including participating in regular M&E calls, data collection and entry, tracking compliance with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans, and identifying where adjustments need to be made during project implementation.
• Arranges travel and meetings and files reconciliations through IRI’s travel system;
• When requested, travel to IRI activities within Fiji and, if needed, the Pacific Island region;

Program Outreach and Communication

• Research and provide information to IRI on local customs and norms that may affect programming activities;
• Coordinate and monitor social media communications for IRI Pacific, including networks with local partners, on Facebook, Viber, and other platforms relevant to IRI Pacific Islands, with the oversight of the RPD.
• Draft and edit program and project documents including activity summaries, external program reports, public presentations/briefings, regional briefing books, and create ad-hoc evidence-based, analytic reports upon requested;
• Closely monitor political and economic developments in the Pacific Islands and proactively report on current events to the RPD;
• Assist with written or oral translation when necessary; oversee written or oral translation conducted by other IRI staff or contractors;
• Contribute to the weekly report and newsletter with activity and political updates; and
• Liaise with IRI-DC program and support staff and is available for recurring check-in meetings;
• Any other duties assigned by the RPD in support of IRI’s work in the Pacific Islands.