Context

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance – International IDEA – is an Inter-Governmental Organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide. Its objective is to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. The Institute acts as a catalyst for democracy building by providing global comparative knowledge resources and tools, policy proposals and supporting democratic reforms in response to specific national requests, specifically in electoral processes, constitution building processes, political participation and representation, democracy and climate change, and democracy and digitalization.

On February 1, 2021 the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in Panamá. From there we work with democratic institutions throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region to increase the effectiveness and legitimacy of democracy, its institutions and to support gender equality in politics. Based on a geographic approach, our LAC programme responds to requests of regional, sub-regional and national actors, builds capacity through technical assistance, comparative applied knowledge resources and provides spaces for dialogue. The LAC programme is a significant partner and an agenda setter in many countries where it provides expert technical assistance.

The Programme Officer, under the supervision of the Director, Latin America and the Caribbean Region will coordinate the development and management of Regional Office programme activities and projects, at both regional and national level. The Programme Officer will also ensure that International IDEA´s Strategy, workstreams and cross-cutting issues are properly reflected in all projects and activities. The Programme Officer will coordinate with the Finance and Operations Manager to promote a holistic approach in the development of all projects and activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Contributes to the design and implementation of programme activities and projects at both the national and regional level;
• Supports the Regional Programmes’ work on gender equality and inclusion, and political participation and representation; 
• Assesses and analyzes political developments in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region, and advises the LAC programme on substantive areas of work to ensure International IDEA continues to be at the forefront of democracy and electoral issues;
• Creates mechanisms and opportunities to enable exchange of information and experiences within the LAC Programme;
• Establishes alliances and identifies synergies with key stakeholders and strategic partners; maintains relationships and leads the implementation of activities of common interest;
• Supports the Director, Latin America and the Caribbean in their representative function; supports the preparation of missions, drafts briefing notes and presentations;
• Promotes dialogue and consensus building among political actors in LAC;
• Coordinates the planning and organization of events including conferences, seminars and roundtables;
• Supports the design and facilitation of workshops and training in accordance with the project’s workplan;
• Supports the Director LAC Region in all fundraising efforts, including, but not limited to
• monitoring of call for proposals and/or new opportunities, communication with possible donors
• and development and negotiation of concept notes and project proposals;
• Conducts substantive research and coordinates the development of knowledge products, resources and publications.

General Profile

• Requires in-depth knowledge, excellent skills and relevant experience in the field of democracy and governance with gender perspective.
• Will contribute significantly to assigned projects all along the project life cycle, i.e. from project design and funding to project assessment; Will lead meetings and discussions, supervise publications and review input from external providers.
• Has contributed to publications on the relevant subject; Is recognized as a knowledge resource in their broad professional community.
• Can work with minimal guidance and supervision.
• Adds value to team-based activities in their unit; collaborates with other entities of the Institute.
• Acts as a model or mentor for less experienced colleagues.
• Can be expected to travel globally to any geographical area involved in their projects.
• Follows internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines.
• Integrates a gender and inclusion perspective in all activities.
• Acts in accordance with International IDEA’ s core values: Respect, Integrity and Professionalism.

Reporting line

• Director, Latin America and the Caribbean Region (RLAC)

Education and Experience

• University degree in public policy, law, political science, sociology, public administration, international relations, Latin American Studies or other related discipline. A qualification in gender studies will be an asset;
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience working on issues of democracy and governance, including: participation, representation, political parties, rule of law, integrity, anti-corruption practices, gender quality and women empowerment, preferably in different types of organizations (national and international);
• In-depth knowledge and experience in Latin America and the Caribbean is essential;
• Experience with resource mobilization, project design and management and grant compliance procedures is essential;
• Experience in conducting research and producing knowledge products;
• Fluency in written and oral English and Spanish is required; Any other widely spoken language in an International IDEA priority region would be an asset.

Terms of Contract:

• International Post
• Fixed term appointment until 31 December 2026
• Remuneration - EUR 4 728 NET per month + benefits

Applying for this position:

• Applications should be submitted no later than 23:59 (CET) 21 February 2025.
• Please note that all applications must be made in English.

Selection Process:

• Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.
• Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.
• All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized

International IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality