National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Job Vacancies and Internships

Jobs and Internships
Unless otherwise noted, all positions listed below are with the National Endowment for Democracy. Please read the descriptions and follow the instructions when applying.

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world.

Intern (Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program, International Forum for Democratic Studies
Grants Administrator – Africa
Assistant Program Officer – SE Asia
Intern (Office of Government Relations & Public Affairs)
Intern (World Movement for Democracy)
Program Officer for Middle East and North Africa

Intern – Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program, International Forum for Democratic Studies

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world. Its aims are to promote democratic reform and foster civil society worldwide. The Endowment is also the home of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, the Journal of Democracy, and serves as the secretariat for the World Movement for Democracy. The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program is an international exchange program that offers practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world the opportunity to conduct independent research on democracy in a particular country or region. The position is based in Washington, D.C.

Position Summary:

The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is seeking a motivated individual to serve as an Intern for Summer 2011. This unpaid internship provides professional development opportunities in the area of international exchange, with a focus on “democrats at risk,” including identifying donor support and legal aid for human rights defenders and civil society activists at risk in their home countries. The Intern will interact with the current cohort of Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows in residence at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, the research and publications arm of the NED, and participate in the collegial environment of the Forum, including fellows’ presentations and other NED events.

Responsibilities:

Building a new Democrats at Risk Information Center database
Expanding the Regional Contacts database in support of promotional activities
Contributing to 10th Anniversary publications and website development
Assisting with Forum events, lectures and roundtable discussions

Qualifications:

We are seeking a student with strong research, writing, communication, and organizational skills. Interest in international exchange and experience with database management a plus.

Travel Reimbursement:

This position is unpaid; however, a travel reimbursement of $10 per day is available to offset expenses.

Time Commitment:

M-F/30 to 40 hours a week. Flexible dates: Early June—August 2011.

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references. Please send to jobs@ned.org, with your name and RF Intern – Job #1110 in the subject line. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 20, 2011. The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org. Please no phone calls.

Grants Administrator – Africa

Position Summary:

Perform the tasks of a Grants Administrator for Africa. This position reports to the Manager, Grants Administration for Africa & the Middle East.

Responsibilities:

Under the general supervision of the Manager, Grants Administration, provide cradle-to-grave management of assigned grants portfolio, including review of proposals, grant negotiation, award, compliance monitoring, administration and closeout.
Participate in review of proposals to identify potential technical issues in new awards, evaluate grantees’ financial and internal control systems to assess and strengthen organizational capacity to meet program and compliance requirements.
Negotiate, draft and issue new grant awards and amendments as required over the life of assigned grants; prepare other correspondence as required.
Ensure that grants awarded are in compliance with the Endowment’s and US Government regulations and/or other special requirements, if any.
Review grantee financial and narrative reports to identify and resolve budget, compliance and/or other problems, in cooperation with NED’s Compliance and/or appropriate program staff, investigate and resolve invoice reviews, audit and/or other issues as required.
Promptly review and process grantee requests for payment.
Obtain required closeout information from grantees and otherwise facilitate grant closeout process.
Ensure that assigned fields of grants database are timely updated.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (business, international studies, or area studies relevant to assigned portfolio, etc.);
At least three years of experience in non-profit grants/contracts operations;
Familiarity with Federal grant regulations, international activities/issues relevant to NED’s operation environment;
Professional competency in language relevant to assigned grants portfolio is useful; French language preferred
Familiarity with or interest in Africa;
Attention to detail and ability to multi-task;
Ability to work with minimal supervision;
Flexibility to be a team player and self starter, comfortable in a supporting role and in working independent, preferably in a multicultural environment;
Strong oral and written communication skills;
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel; knowledge of MicroEdge Gifts or other relational database helpful; and
Qualified to work in the US.

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, salary history and requirements, and contact information for three references. Please send to jobs@ned.org, with your name and Position Title – Job # 1109 in the subject line by May 20, 2011. The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org. Please no phone calls.

Assistant Program Officer – SE Asia

Position Summary:

The Assistant Program Officer (APO) will provide significant programmatic support to the Endowment’s grants activities in mainland Southeast Asia and administrative support to other country programs as required. The APO will travel to the region approximately two times per year.

Responsibilities:

Draft summaries of proposals to present at quarterly Board meetings;
Assist in the evaluation of project proposals;
Communicate regularly with grantees;
Assist in monitoring the work of grantees;
Track political developments in the region;
Provide administrative support for the regional team;
Organize events to highlight specific democracy-related issues.
Travel to the region on a regular basis.

Qualifications:
A Master’s level education or equivalent knowledge in international affairs, politics, regional studies, or a related discipline;
At least 2 years of experience in democracy related work;
At least a year of experience studying or working in the region;
In-depth knowledge of political issues and trends in Southeast Asia, with in-country experience in at least one of the following countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, or Burma;
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and a relevant regional language (see above);
Excellent interpersonal skills;
Demonstrated high degree of organization, initiative, and commitment;
Legal authorization to work in the United States is required.

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, salary history and requirements, and contact information for three references. Please send tojobs@ned.org, with your name and Position Title – Job # 1108 in the subject line. The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org. Please no phone calls.

Intern (Office of Government Relations & Public Affairs)

Position Summary:

The Office of Government Relations & Public Affairs at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as an Intern for summer 2011. The unpaid internship provides excellent opportunities for research, writing and administration in the areas of communications (press, publications and public events), Congressional relations and the Freedom of Information Act. The Intern will also interact with a stream of international visitors, speakers and activists who are working in support of democratic development and human rights.

Qualifications:

Must be enrolled in an undergraduate program at an accredited 4-year college or university, with a strong interest in democracy development and/or international affairs

Possess excellent written and verbal communications skills
Maintain a strong work ethic and a sharp attention to detail.

Foreign language skills are a plus, though not required.

This position is unpaid; however, a travel reimbursement of $10 per day is available to offset expenses.

To apply:

Applicants should send proof of enrollment for undergraduate studies, resume, and cover letter with three references to jobs@ned.org. Please include your name andGRPA Intern – Job # 1042 in the subject line.

Intern (World Movement for Democracy)

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world. The position is based in Washington, D.C.

Position Summary:
The World Movement for Democracy (www.wmd.org) is seeking interns for summer 2011. The World Movement for Democracy is a global network that brings together democrats, including activists, practitioners, academics, policy makers, and funders, to bolster democracy. The goal of the World Movement is to strengthen democracy promotion efforts through uniting these leaders to share and exchange lessons learned and best practices.

The World Movement is led by an International Steering Committee, chaired by the Honorable Kim Campbell, former prime minister of Canada. Its secretariat is housed at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Washington, DC. The intern will be working closely with the World Movement’s secretariat staff.

Responsibilities:

Conducting research to track democracy promotion efforts;
Conduct research for the Defending Civil Society project;
Assisting with workshop and event preparations;
Assist with online communication for the World Youth Movement for Democracy (Web site, newsletter, listserv, etc.).
Distributing World Movement materials to NGOs and institutes overseas;
Updating the World Movement Web site, including conducting research for DemocracyVoices and drafting alerts as needed; and
Attending lectures and roundtable discussions on democracy.

Qualifications:

We are seeking a student with strong research, writing, communication, and organizational skills. Energetic, flexible team players who take initiative and who have fluency in a foreign language and overseas experience are encouraged to apply. The internship is unpaid with possible renewal.

Time commitment: M-F/30 to 40 hours a week

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. Please send to jobs@ned.org, with your name and Intern, WMD – Job #1106 in the subject line. Apply by April 1, for consideration. The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please no phone calls. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org.

Program Officer for Middle East and North Africa
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world, and is seeking a Program Officer with special focus on the Maghreb: Morocco, Algeria and Tunis. The position is based in Washington, D.C.

Position Summary:
The program officer will work with other senior program staff to develop and manage the Endowment’s grants program, develop strategies, set funding priorities and monitor and evaluate projects.

Responsibilities:

Assessing proposals
Drafting executive summaries
Monitoring groups and projects
Maintaining contacts with organizations and individuals in the Maghreb and vetting proposals
Liaising with other institutes
Representing NED at coordinating meetings and public fora
Providing consultations; and making field visits
Assist in the overall administration of the MENA program team and work with them to develop program support projects

Qualifications:

Bachelors’ degree
A minimum of 6 years applicable experience in and knowledge of political and social issues in the Maghreb with NGOs and civic projects
Strong writing skills in English; additional necessary language skills are Arabic and French.
A master’s degree in political development or other relevant field is preferred.

To Apply:

Applications must include a cover letter, resume, salary history and requirements, and contact information for three references. Please send to jobs@ned.org, with your name and Program Officer, MENA – Job #1102 in the subject line. The NED is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information, please visit our website at www.ned.org. Please no phone calls.