Latest Vacancies at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Position Number: 21:331
Division: Program Management 

Primary Function / Purpose

• The Electoral Technology and Integrity Advisor will work closely with the IFES Chief of Party to design and deliver technical support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria, with the objective of enhancing the credibility and transparency of Nigerian elections.
• This individual will oversee technological activities, provides technical direction and support, and contribute to the accurate reporting of program activities and results to IFES HQ and the donor.
• This full-time position will be based in the IFES/Nigeria office located in Abuja.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as IFES’ election technology and integrity advisor in Nigeria, providing technical support and advice to INEC and the SIECs, especially in the area of election technology.
• Build EMB’s understanding of election technology options by describing technologies that are currently being used for electoral processes; presenting guidelines for the evaluation, choice and implementation of new technologies; providing examples of best practices in the use of technology as well as examples where technology has not lived up to expectations; and examining emerging technologies and trends to identify those that may apply to elections in the near future.
• Lead efforts in planning and organizing cybersecurity activities in accordance with IFES Holistic Exposure and Testing (HEAT) methodology.
• Assess INEC’s cybersecurity strength and monitor for weakness within their system.
• Advise INEC on public messaging to instill confidence in the cybersecurity of key electoral systems.
• Provide long-term assistance to help streamline cybersecurity management.
• Build and foster capacity and leadership of INEC and SIECs.
• Contribute to program workplan design and implementation, as well as to evaluation of program strategies and activities.
• Establish and maintain close working relationships with the INEC and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate closely with consultants and field experts on program components.
• Contribute to development of subcontractor and/or subgrantee SOWs and to the oversight of their programmatic work and deliverables where relevant.
• Contribute to the drafting and timely submission of detailed, combined quarterly reports to HQ.
• Contribute to weekly reports submitted to IFES HQ, providing updates on relevant program activities, progress, and challenges; outreach activities; relevant events in Nigeria, particularly those related to election technology and the electoral timeframe; support required from IFES/HQ; and activities planned for the coming period.
• Lead and/or contribute to written technical reports, briefing papers, and IFES thought pieces, both program-specific and non-program specific.
• Represent IFES in global, regional, national and sub-national events and in international meetings, at donor meetings and other fundraising activities, as speaker and/or spokesperson for IFES.

Position Requirements
Education:

• M.A. in International Politics, Development, or related field preferred.

Experience & Skills:

• Minimum of 8 years' experience with election administration;
• Proven track record with democracy and governance programming in developing countries;
• Solid experience working with civil society and in designing and implementing civic programs;
• Solid experience working with elections management bodies in election administration capacity development, training, drafting of elections procedures, logistics and planning, outreach and engagement of electoral stakeholders is required;
• Familiarity with the international donor community and experience as an action-oriented interlocutor with democracy-development actors at all levels.
• Demonstrated knowledge of critical IT and cyber knowledge.
• Knowledge of and background in use of electoral technologies in the U.S., and Africa.
• Proven track record in democratic and governance programming.
• Demonstrated knowledge in proposal and report writing and management of budgets;
• Excellent interpersonal/representational skills;
• Ability and skills to promote and inspire effective collaboration between individuals, organizations and networks;
• Strong consultative, collaborative and participatory way of working;
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, and communications skills to meet the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the program and to effectively coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders;
• Experience living and working overseas, preferably in Africa and/or other transition environments;
• Knowledge of Africa politics and development preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in written and spoken English required. 
• Proficiency in at least one other language in use within assigned project location is strongly preferred

Travel:

• In-country travel may be required to state capitals, nearby districts, and remote locations, subject to transport, health safety, and security protocols.
• Some activities may be implemented remotely as required.

Physical Requirements / Work Environment:

• Standard office work environment.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job

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Position Number: 21:327
Division: Program Management
Status: International Full Time

Primary Function / Purpose

• The Electoral Technology and Integrity Advisor will work closely with the IFES Chief of Party to design and deliver technical support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria, with the objective of enhancing the credibility and transparency of Nigerian elections.
• The Electoral Technology and Integrity Advisor will also work with Nigeria’s State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to enhance the credibility of elections at the local government level. This full-time position will be based in the IFES/Nigeria office located in Abuja.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as IFES’ election technology and integrity advisor in Nigeria, providing technical support and advice to INEC and the SIECs, especially in the area of election technology.
• Build EMB’s understanding of election technology options by describing technologies that are currently being used for electoral processes; presenting guidelines for the evaluation, choice and implementation of new technologies; providing examples of best practices in the use of technology as well as examples where technology has not lived up to expectations; and examining emerging technologies and trends to identify those that may apply to elections in the near future.
• Lead efforts in planning and organizing cybersecurity activities in accordance with IFES Holistic Exposure and Testing (HEAT) methodology.
• Assess INEC’s cybersecurity strength and monitor for weakness within their system.
• Advise INEC on public messaging to instill confidence in the cybersecurity of key electoral systems.
• Provide long-term assistance to help streamline cybersecurity management.
• Build and foster capacity and leadership of INEC and SIECs.
• Contribute to program workplan design and implementation, as well as to evaluation of program strategies and activities.
• Establish and maintain close working relationships with the INEC and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate closely with consultants and field experts on program components.
• Contribute to development of subcontractor and/or subgrantee SOWs and to the oversight of their programmatic work and deliverables where relevant.
• Contribute to the drafting and timely submission of detailed, combined quarterly reports to HQ.
• Contribute to weekly reports submitted to IFES HQ, providing updates on relevant program activities, progress, and challenges; outreach activities; relevant events in Nigeria, particularly those related to election technology and the electoral timeframe; support required from IFES/HQ; and activities planned for the coming period.
• Lead and/or contribute to written technical reports, briefing papers, and IFES thought pieces, both program-specific and non-program specific.
• Represent IFES in global, regional, national and sub-national events and in international meetings, at donor meetings and other fundraising activities, as speaker and/or spokesperson for IFES.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.

Experience & Skills:

• 8-15 years functionally related professional experience.
• Comparative experience in advising electoral management bodies in the use of software systems and technology, especially in the areas of cybersecurity, biometrics, online voter registration, etc.
• Knowledge of electoral operations, such as voter enrollment, candidate nomination, election results management, and election dispute resolution.
• Experience designing ICT electoral tools and processes and delivering training events required.
• Strong experience in cybersecurity and elections, experience with cybersecurity frameworks a plus (ISO27, NIST, CIS).
• Familiarity with implementing biometric voter registration systems preferred.
• Strong project management and coordination experience.
• Strong leadership, problem solving, communication, and consensus building skills.
• Experience working in Nigeria and/or knowledge and understanding of the Nigerian electoral system and context preferred.
• Experience living and working overseas, preferably in Africa.
• Ability to work effectively individually and as part of a national and international advisory team.
• Ability to develop relationships in culturally diverse setting while advising national counterparts.
• Strong oral and written communications skills in English.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in written and spoken English required.

Travel:

• In-country travel may be required to state capitals, nearby districts, and remote locations, subject to transport, health safety, and security protocols.
• Some activities may be implemented remotely as required.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment:

• Standard office work environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.