Deputy Regional Director-Southern & East Africa

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 Deputy Regional Director plays a critical role on NDI’s Southern and East Africa/SEA team. In collaboration with the Regional Director, the role will include developing and overseeing NDI programs in the region and day-to-day management of the DC-based team, as well as engagement with the donor and policy community. This person should be well organized, detail-oriented, imaginative and highly motivated, and should possess excellent written and oral communication, supervisory and financial management skills. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of the SEA region’s politics and cultures - ideally from prior experience working on the region. 

Your Purpose and Impact: 

• Under the direction of the Southern and East Africa Regional Director, contributes to the strategic vision for the design, management and evaluation of NDI’s democratic development projects in the region, also in collaboration with  senior program staff.
• Plans, assigns and directs work of regional staff in consultation with the SEA Regional Director, including  oversight, training and mentoring to members of the SEA Headquarters team and encourages staff  cross-training and ongoing growth and development. 
• Assumes responsibility for recruiting, managing, evaluating and contributing to the professional development of staff on the regional team, both in Washington, DC, and in the country offices, in consultation with the Regional Director.
• Oversees the regional annual budget and conducts fundraising activities with NDI funders and partners; identifies new funding opportunities and cultivates relationships.
• Serves as one of the team’s key points of contact for functional and administrative staff to ensure institutional integrity of programming and compliance with grant regulations.
• Oversees the production of proposals, reports, memoranda and other publications in a timely fashion, including providing accurate and clear editing and contributing to  team products, including prepared remarks.
• Represents NDI in an informed and persuasive manner at appropriate professional meetings with partners, political and civic leaders, donors, supporters and the foreign policy community, and assists in expanding NDI’s public outreach.
• Assumes responsibility for all aspects of NDI’s work in the region, and serves as the point of contact for senior NDI staff, funders and other high-level contacts in the absence of the Regional Director.  
• Keeps abreast of political events in the region and their relevance to current and future programming.
• Travels to the region on an as-needed basis to assess new program opportunities, participate in and evaluate current projects, and meet with key program partners, political leaders, donors and others.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in International Relations, political science, public policy or related field, graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of  fourteen (14) year’s experience working in international political development.
• Significant practical experience in at least one of NDI’s core functional areas (civic organizing, governance, political party strengthening and elections processes) with the capacity to analyze multiple issues and develop project-specific recommendations, or extensive experience at NDI.
• Strong leadership skills with demonstrated knowledge and understanding of staff management practices and processes and the ability to establish accountabilities and expectations and manage performance to achieve results. 
• Prior work experience outside of the United States, preferably in the sub Saharan Africa region.
• Proven program management and project development experience.
• Proven ability to motivate and communicate skills and techniques to others as a manager, trainer, advisor or consultant.
• Action-oriented with a high level of initiative and an advanced level of proficiency in the ability to multitask and prioritize; manage time, perform project management, problem-solving and organizational skills; flexibility to adapt and respond to shifting priorities. 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to interact effectively and diplomatically with individuals at all levels of the organization, as well as externally both domestically and internationally with NDI partners, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Exceptional analytical skills for interpreting complex program and political issues.
• Ability