Program Officer, Tax Equity at International Budget Partnership

ESSENTIAL DUTIES 

• Reporting directly to the Head of Africa Tax Equity Initiative (IBP Country Manager for Nigeria), the PO will work with IBP Country Managers, the IBP global tax team, as well as other IBP colleagues to further develop and refine IBP’s tax work strategy across all the focus countries in Nigeria, in line with IBP’s overall mission and strategy
• Support research, training, and advocacy projects that make up the tax equity initiative, in liaison with the IBP global tax team and other IBP staff
• Support outreach and communications with partner NGOs and other groups working on tax
• In close collaboration with global, country-level, and PMEL Senior Program Officers (SPOs), the PO will support the monitoring of progress and effectively address challenges encountered during implementation of the tax initiative
• Work with the Head of Africa Tax Equity, Country Managers, IBP global tax team, and Development team in securing further resources needed for IBP to expand and consolidate its tax work
• Partner with the country-level Planning Monitoring and Learning (PMEL) teams, as well as the Strategy and Learning Teams (SALT) in Washington DC to establish an appropriate framework to monitor progress and learn from the initiative.
• Liaise with all other IBP teams as may be required to advance the impact of the tax initiative across the organization
• Contribute to the development of terms of reference (TOR) for independent contractors required in the implementation of the tax equity initiative, negotiate and secure approval for these terms of reference, and recruit and manage consultants
• Support the oversight for the implementation of all grants and awards to IBP country offices for work falling within the priorities of the tax equity initiative, and support the Head of Africa Tax Equity with reports to funding partners

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, public policy and management, business administration, or related fields is required. Evidence of extensive practical work experience in civil society tax advocacy will be an added advantage

EXPERIENCE:

• 2 – 6 years of experience working in the tax field, including substantial time working in civil society
• Experience in implementing and managing programs that support civil society organizations to engage and advocate for greater transparency, accountability, and participation in policy decisions.
• At least 3 years’ experience in policy research, training, or network building, preferably in the tax field
• Exposure to country-based, regional, and/or international tax actors and networks
• Understanding of the political economy nuances of public financial management in Africa broadly, and in at lease, one of the focus countries.

SKILLS:

• Strategic thinker, focused on identifying and addressing problems
• Strong, tested managerial skills, with capability to manage multiple projects and teams simultaneously, efficiently, and on time.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; high-level ability to communicate effectively with partners, colleagues, consultants, and representatives of government, multilateral organizations, and other donors
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to thrive in and contribute to a culture of collaboration and teamwork in a diverse work environment
• A high level of organization; a strong ability to prioritize tasks to meet multiple deadlines and to develop a new area of work
• Ability to establish, maintain and grow networks
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office package required; proficiency with other specialist software applications desirable

ATTRIBUTES:

• Passion and deep commitment to build civil society capacity for tax policy and advocacy
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and passion for IBP’s mission
• Commitment to high quality work, efficiency, and timeliness
• Flexible and able to adapt to shifting environments and works well under pressure
• Motivated to learn and willing to contribute to learning initiatives

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Duties are generally carried out in a normal business office environment – i.e., working while sitting at a desk, at a computer, for extended periods of time
• Significant local and regional travel required