Job Summary

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 Senior Advisor for Governance and Anti-corruption will provide technical expertise for IRI’s democratic governance programs, with a focus on fighting corruption and kleptocracy. The Senior Advisor will lead the Center’s involvement in developing innovative and responsive program approaches and tools that combat corrupt practices and foster transparent, participatory, and accountable governance across all branches and levels of government to increase the resilience of democratic environments and help prevent conflict. In this capacity, they will manage the Center’s governance team, identify and analyze key trends, build external relationships and partnerships, and share expertise, resources, and skills Institute-wide. The Senior Advisor will be part of the Center’s Technical Advancement Practice, reporting to the Director for Democracy, Rights and Governance Technical Leadership. In collaboration with other senior leadership, the Senior Advisor will play a key role in developing strategic partnerships as well as representing and increasing awareness of IRI on assigned topics within the government, think tank, non-profit, and private sector communities.

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC.

Position Requirements

• Graduate degree in political science, international relations or related field.
• Twelve or more years of relevant professional experience related to democratic governance in government, academia, journalism, or civil society.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing international democratic governance programs, with a focus on anti-corruption and anti-kleptocracy work.
• Deep understanding of anti-corruption strategies, governance frameworks, and democratic institutions.
• Strong written and oral communications and presentation skills in English, as demonstrated by prior publications and participation in relevant panels and conferences.
• Excellent management skills and proven ability to supervise and motivate individuals and teams.
• Ability to successfully recruit, develop, supervise and motivate staff, and provide effective leadership.
• Strong ability to initiate, foster, interact, and maintain relationships with contacts and stakeholders in a diverse and multicultural environment, with sensitivity respect, discretion, tact, and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet Institutional needs.
• Ability to effectively direct or participate in complex negotiations with bilateral and/or multilateral government agencies, other funders or relevant audiences.
• Proven knowledge of USG funding regulations, and familiarity with international NGO interlocutors.
• Experience identifying complex problems and developing creative solutions.
• Willingness to travel internationally to remote and sometimes challenging environments.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

External Outreach & Thought Leadership

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to IRI staff, partners, and donors on a broad range of democratic governance areas, including on corruption and kleptocracy, open government, subnational governance, environmental governance, legislative strengthening, and conflict prevention and stabilization.
• Stay informed on global trends and developments on anti-corruption and democratic governance to guide institutional approaches and resources.
• Analyze funder trends related to democratic governance with a focus on anti-corruption and open government, legislative strengthening and conflict prevention and stabilization, and lead and support the Institute’s efforts to identify and win new funding from traditional and non-traditional donors and foundations.
• Proactively engage in outreach and branding opportunities to increase IRI as a thought leader in the democracy, rights, and governance community.
• Publish and/or co-author Op-Ed, academic journal chapters, blogs, and other written articles to demonstrate IRI’s thought leadership and technical areas of expertise.
• Develop and cultivate strong contacts with key stakeholders in the DRG and international development/foreign policy/think tank community particularly on technical or global areas of IRI’s work assigned.
• Identify and seek opportunities for him/herself and other IRI staff to participate in global and thematic events and initiatives related to governance and anti-corruption, including speaking events and global conferences.
• Contribute to the Center’s involvement in business development efforts for the Institute and for Regional Division-managed grants.

Internal Engagement & Technical Advice

• Manage and execute a vision for the Center’s Governance team. Supervise the senior technical specialists in IRI’s governance areas: the Sr. Governance Manager, Sr. Program Manager for Legislative Strengthening and Sr. Manager for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization.
• Provide IRI with technical expertise and assistance in developing program ideas and activities for emerging projects on anti-corruption and countering kleptocracy, open government, subnational governance, environmental governance, legislative strengthening, and conflict prevention and stabilization.
• Lead the collection and development of anti-corruption and anti-kleptocracy tools and provide trainings on related programming components for IRI staff and partners.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with colleagues across the Institute, particularly Regional Division leadership, and reinforce the Center’s inclusive, collaborative approach, and provide technical support and training to Regional Division staff.
• Serve as a technical lead and support the design and development of proposals for programs managed by the Center directly and those managed by IRI regional divisions.
• Provide oversight for the management and implementation of any grants/projects assigned and assume fiduciary responsibility for assigned program finances including analysis, budget monitoring and projections in full compliance with IRI and funder requirements.

IRI Total Compensation

The anticipated compensation range for this position is $117,554 to $199,842.

The salary for this position is determined based on a wide variety of factors including but not limited to an individual’s professional experience, qualifications, education and other business needs along with internal equity considerations. Employees are not typically hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are made based on the aforementioned considerations.

IRI offers a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, sick and personal) medical/dental/vision insurance, 403(b), and other benefits to eligible US based employees. Please visit our website to learn more about our benefits offerings.