About Us

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness, and accountability in government. Help support democracy worldwide by joining our team!

About the Role

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) seeks a Senior Agreement Administrator to join the Program Coordination (PC) team. As an institutional support team, PC serves as the primary point of contact with donors on compliance and award management issues; negotiates award terms and conditions with NDI’s donors; manages the administration and coordination of the Institute’s global funding mechanisms; reviews and edits proposals, reports and deliverables; develops and provides training, tools and resources to staff on award management, donor compliance and NDI policies and procedures; and supports knowledge management by maintaining agreement documents and donor information accessible to staff in central files. Institutionally, PC works to support a common understanding of donor strategies, policies and compliance areas to ensure efficient, responsive and adaptive program design and award management, and institutional efficiencies, as well as a system for continual learning, adapting and communicating internally and externally. Additionally, PC ensures consultations are taking place between/among appropriate regional, functional and institutional support teams on donor issues and programmatic developments, and that NDI is meeting donor requirements and expectations.

The Senior Agreement Administrator provides the day-to-day award management support to assigned program team(s). For USAID-direct and non-USG awards, this position will serve as NDI’s primary point of contact on grants administration and compliance matters for assigned program team(s). In addition, the Senior Agreement Administrator will contribute to maintaining and strengthening NDI’s donor compliance systems and data analysis.

• Provides guidance to assigned program team(s) on daily award management requirements, including prior approval requests, award deliverables, waivers, reprogramming, extensions and donor regulations.
• Reviews and edits proposals, reports and requests for assigned program team(s) and ensures NDI and donor standards and their timely submission to the appropriate donor.
• In conjunction with other institutional support teams, monitors financial, logistical and legal developments that affect projects and that require prior approval, donor notification or award modification to maintain donor compliance.
• Coordinates and interacts regularly with PC team members with other donor responsibilities on assigned team’s agreement administration-related issues.
• Negotiates award terms for agreements from USAID (direct awards) and from non-US government donors (e.g., foreign government embassies and aid agencies, such as FCDO and Sida, and multilateral institutions, such as the UNDP and the World Bank).
• Coordinates and drafts communications to donors on grant-related matters.
• Represents NDI in discussions with USAID and non-US government donors on grants administration and compliance issues.
• Assists in developing, maintaining and coordinating compliance workflow and tracking systems to streamline processes and ensure donor accountability and institutional efficiency.
• Assists in identifying compliance trends to inform institute-wide improvements, including additional resources, training, and processes that may be needed.
• Maintains, in coordination with Program Development and other PC staff, the institutional shared opportunities tracker to support institutional information sharing to inform strategic and resource planning.
• Acts as a back-up to other team members as needed.
• Participates on cross-teams and institutional initiatives as needed.
• Actively seeks and engages in professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge in award management and compliance, and maintain a general working knowledge of relevant donor compliance trends and issues occurring external to NDI.
• Performs other duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Grants Management, Non-profit Management or related Liberal Arts, or equivalent experience.
• Six (6) years of relevant experience such as grants and/or program management support experience.
• Knowledge of USG and other donor regulations
• Knowledge of grants management processes and requirements
• Strong attention to detail, with a propensity to complete work accurately and with a focus on quality
• Action-oriented with a high level of initiative and an advanced level of proficiency in the ability to multitask and prioritize
• Strong analytical and judgment skills for identifying problems, determining options for resolution, and recommending next steps
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office to include Word, Excel and PowerPoint; knowledge of/proficiency in Google Suite tools preferred. Basic database skills are desired.
• Ability to take initiative and anticipate needs, and willingness to take on new responsibilities
• High degree of professionalism and strong work ethic
• Ability to prioritize work and multi-task in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities
• Capacity to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team; maintain collaborative spirit and approach to work; provide guidance and coordination with and among staff
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to practice discretion and maintain the confidentiality of grant and institutional information
• Effectively interact with all levels of staff, as well as external contacts, including members of donor organizations

What We Offer:

We offer an environment committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as a core part of our culture. We strive to foster empowerment and belonging as these values are central to our mission and to our impact. We believe that diversity in thought helps us solve the complex problems we face around the globe.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes health, dental, vision, a generous PTO policy, flexible schedules, and a 10% employer contribution to the retirement pension.

This position offers an anticipated salary range of approximately $70,300 – $87,900.

Additional Information:

While there may be flexibility for remote/hybrid work environment and to comply with tax and legal obligations, successful candidates must be residents of MD, DC, or VA, or relocate prior to the start of employment at NDI.

This is a union position to be represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2.

Candidates must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. NDI does not provide sponsorship.

NDI is an equal opportunity employer (EEO). As such, NDI makes employment decisions and provides equal employment opportunity without regard to an applicant’s or employee’s race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state and local laws. As an equal opportunity employer, NDI encourages individuals with disabilities, including disabled veterans or veterans with service-connected disabilities, to apply.

If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process, please notify NDI’s Human Resources department at Human_Resources_team@ndi.org. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.