Civic Engagement Specialist

Job Description

Freedom House promotes the spread of freedom and democracy around the world through research, advocacy, and programs that support frontline activists.  We are a leader in identifying threats to freedom through our highly regarded analytic reports, including Freedom in the World, Freedom of the Press, Freedom on the Net, and Nations in Transit.  

Position Summary

Freedom House is seeking a Civic Engagement Specialist for USAID’s five-year Civic Engagement Activity in Ethiopia. The Civic Engagement Specialist will provide overall management guidance and technical direction to the elements of the program related to civic engagement. The activity will strengthen Ethiopia’s civic fabric in support of more inclusive, peaceful, and responsive governance through two objectives: 1) strengthen civic and community-based actors’ capacity to engage in policy analysis, advocacy, dialogue, and collective action for peaceful, democratic change and 2) foster multi-stakeholder civic partnerships in support of inclusive dialogue, respect for human rights, and more effective, citizen-responsive, and accountable governance in Addis Ababa and in select alternative growth poles.  This will be a full-time position based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will be contingent on the award and funding. This position is only open to Ethiopian citizens.

DEPARTMENT:  International Programs

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for the civic engagement piece of the program;
• Carry out activities to support civic engagement with sensitivity of the complex environment;
• Liaise with partners and grantees supporting community organization and mobilization;
• Provide technical guidance to ensure the sustainability and local leadership and ownership of public participation mechanisms and CSO initiatives;
• Monitor and evaluate implementation of project activities and draft program reports;
• Develop and design training materials/manuals on a variety of topics including research, policy analysis, and government engagement;
• Facilitate trainings, workshops, roundtables and other capacity building events supported by Freedom House;
• Coordinate staff to develop risk assessment and mitigation plan including staff and program risks;
• Supervise staff working on civic engagement activities;
• Monitor the civic engagement activity budget;
• Assist with program design and development as needed;
• Assist with data gathering and analysis during assessments;
• Coordinate with Freedom House’s partner organization, Democracy International (DI) on program activities; and
• Undertake other duties as assigned by the Director of Africa Programs. 

Primary Contacts:

• Internal: U.S. and Ethiopia-based employees at Freedom House
• External: Local partners, U.S. Embassy, Government of Ethiopia, consultants, other implementers and donors, media, vendors, members of the general public, etc.

Working Conditions:

• Salary range: $52,000 - $65,000, depending on experience;
• General working office environment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
• Some evening and weekend hours to complete tasks or attend events;
• Travel within Ethiopia outside of Addis Ababa;
• Exposed to outside weather conditions when required to complete assigned tasks outside the office; and
• May involve work in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure, and in regions under U.S. travel advisory due to threats of terrorist attacks, civil unrest, kidnappings, disease outbreaks, etc.

Job Requirement

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree: Master’s degree preferred - in human rights, political science, international relations, law or other social sciences;
• A minimum of 8 years of technical experience in democracy and governance initiatives, including experience providing technical assistance to civil society in Ethiopia related to civic engagement;
• Knowledge of civil society, civic engagement, governance, and human rights issues in Ethiopia is required;
• Experience assessing the development needs of a diverse range of civic actors/groups and developing innovative approaches to building their organizational, advocacy, and policy/budget analysis capacity, fostering diverse partnerships and networking opportunities, and supporting locally-led collective action;
• Experience working for USAID projects preferred;
• Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with local partners, government officials, media houses, as well as in-country and foreign experts;
• Experience facilitating workshops, trainings, or conferences;
• Experiences in facilitating gender, race, and literacy sensitive participatory dialogues and trainings;
• Demonstrated experience in managing M&E systems including target setting, data collection and reporting;
• Knowledge of USG rules and regulations, and other donor approaches to civil society development;
• Strong knowledge of human rights principles and mechanisms, and democracy promotion;
• Strong ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing preferred;
• Knowledge of local languages preferred;
• Ability to use productivity software such as MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint; and Microsoft Excel; and
• Experience in challenging environments and in modifying programming to fit evolving contexts.

Attributes and Characteristics:

• Exhibit strong and sustained commitment to the mission of Freedom House;
• Show good stewardship in the use of Freedom House resources;
• Respond promptly to stakeholder needs, and solicit stakeholder feedback to improve service quality;
• Exhibit excellent phone etiquette, pleasant demeanor, and ethical conduct;
• Consistently use good judgment when dealing with all contacts and constituents;
• Exhibit high work standards, adherence to procedures, and responsibility for assigned tasks;
• Demonstrate strong desire for excellence, and desire to inspire others to attain professional excellence;
• Assess own strengths and weaknesses, pursue training and development opportunities, and strive to continuously build knowledge and skills;
• Work as an effective team member, successfully balance individual and team responsibilities; and
• Comply with all policies and procedures.