Short- Term Program Development Officer

Program Development Officer (PDO)
(Short-Term, National)

Background:
The Iraq Community Resilience Initiative – Ta’afi (ICRI-Ta’afi) is a United States Agency for International Development Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) program implemented by Chemonics International in Iraq. ICRI-Ta’afi aims to increase stability in Iraq by supporting accelerated recovery in conflict-affected areas, improvement of the public’s perception of local leadership, and strengthened social fabric of Iraqi communities.

1. Purpose:

The purpose of project development officer is to participate and initiate in the program
development at Chemonics Iraq LLC.

2. Reporting:

PDO will report to the Program Manager

3. Work Location:

2 Positions: 1 in Erbil and 1 in Baghdad

4. Responsibilities:

• Closely monitors political, social, stability, economic development and other developments within area of responsibility to inform program strategy, partner selection, and activity development; shares information widely and rapidly to build shared situational awareness and program contextual Understanding
• Assess the Iraq media environment – including media partners, platforms, and tools – and start the process of establishing relationships with strategic media partners.
• In close partnership with FPCs, leads program development in a discrete geographic area
• In close partnership with FPCs, identifies potential partners through networking and outreach, and work with them to design and develop grant concepts
• Prepares, presents, analyzes, and evaluates grant concepts, applications, and grant agreement/award documents to ensure consistency with program priorities, goals, and objectives Communicates widely through the GMU to ensure robust shared situational awareness; actively engage peers and colleagues in development process and provide continuous feedback to team members. Consults with other program members in the development of activities to ensure sound design, based on lessons learned and that are aligned with programmatic objectives
• Coordinates and liaises with other USG implementing partners and donors in Ta’afi’s programming areas
• Provides technical input/oversight during activity implementation to ensure the activity adheres to the original design and objectives
• Supports partner capacity building as required, including during development, including supporting grantees to design outreach plans, ensuring realistic and feasible implementationplans, technical specifications for in-kind procurements; and developing a branding and communications strategy
• Uses the Activity Database to document and monitor activity updates, in close coordination with other team members
• Updates team members on the status of pending activities under development as well as developments under cleared activities in coordination with other members of the team
• Participates and provides input into the development of the program strategic framework,objectives, and proposes concepts for yellow light
• Undertakes other duties as assigned by supervisor

• Bachelor’s degree in development, social sciences, or related field required, master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• A minimum of three years of pertinent professional experience
• Strong organizational, management and administrative skills
• Demonstrated analytical ability and understanding of local and regional contexts, with the ability to think creatively in conceptualizing relevant grant activities
• Ability to obtain knowledge and assess capabilities of local and international NGOs, community- based organizations, interim governing structures, and media outlets implementing relevant activities and programs in Iraq
• An up-to-date understanding and knowledge of the political environment and social conditions in Iraq
• Experience and/or good understanding of donor organizations
• Ability/willingness to travel throughout Iraq
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, professional judgment that communicates the established message of the program
• Working proficiency in office computer applications, including MS Word, and Excel
• Fluency in written and oral Arabic and English is required; Written and oral fluency in other local languages is a plus, but not required

• Contract period: 6 Months without possibility of extension
• Salary: The salary of this position falls under band FSN-09
• The selected candidates will be vetted.