Project Specialist

The International Republican Institute (IRI) advances democracy and freedom. We link people with their governments, support politicians to be responsive to citizens, and motivate those citizens to engage in the political process.

At IRI, every employee plays a crucial role in advancing our mission across the globe. We’re looking for passionate individuals who embody our Core Values and are eager to contribute to our dynamic team. Our values include:

• Respect: We lead with trust, empathy, and dignity; empowering colleagues and partners.
• Teamwork: We collaborate across teams; solve problems together; are humble and ready to learn.
• Ownership: We take initiative; champion solutions; deliver results for IRI’s mission.
• Excellence through Execution: We balance thoughtfulness with timeliness; learn from results; prioritize progress over perfection.
• Transparency: We share information openly; give direct feedback; build trust through honest communication.
• Freedom: We are empowered to make decisions, try new approaches, and adapt as needed.

• →Supports, and in select cases oversees, implementation of specific projects and associated activities under the supervision of the Project Delivery Team lead and in close collaboration with the relevant Regional teams.  

• →Under direction of the PDT and Program Managers, leads project kick-off and set up processes.  

• →Maintains an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant compliance and oversight.  

• →Understands and ensures alignment with and adherence to grants’ substantive, financial, and compliance requirements. 

• →In coordination with regional teams, advances the logistical and administrative aspects of project delivery and implementation, including but not limited to travel, logistics, venue selection, participant communication, material preparation and similar.  

• →In coordination with relevant staff, monitors budget and project expenditures to ensure that IRI projects remain within budget allocations, that expenses are properly projected and proactively flags potential concerns or issues. 

• →Supports monitoring and evaluation efforts for grants assigned. 

• →Works with regional teams to support the development of high quality quarterly, semi-annual, final, and other relevant reports for funders. 

• →Supports proposal package development including drafting or reviewing sections and compiling related documentation, as assigned.  

• →Helps oversee workloads and tasks of Project Associate, as assigned 

• →Anticipates potential problems and offers solutions. 

• →Travels as needed for program oversight and implementation. 

• →Performs other duties as assigned. 

We seek a passionate and experienced individual with:

• →Undergraduate degree in public policy, political science, international relations, or related field. 

• →Minimum three years of professional experience in project implementation or administrative coordination. Experience working on democracy and governance programs is a plus.  

• →Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, including ability to track timelines, deliverables and documentation across multiple projects. 

• →Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.  

• →Experience working with U.S. Government-funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.  

• →Experience with program management, program implementation, and basic accounting necessary to draft and oversee a budget.  

• →Ability to liaise effectively with internal teams and external partners.  

• →Ability to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a team across departments or with external partners.  

• →Comfortable in fast-paced environments and able to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines. 

• →Ability to travel occasionally, including new and challenging environments.