Program Officer – Sri Lanka (Based in North-East)

The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) seeks a Program Officer (PO) to support the implementation of projects funded by the U.S. Department of State and other international donors in Sri Lanka. Working closely with ABA ROLI colleagues and local implementing partners, the PO will support the implementation of projects focused on promoting human rights and social cohesion and contribute to new business development and regional activities as required. The PO’s will contribute to successful implementation of program activities, including occasionally leading the implementation of activities in the North-East, by coordinating operational and logistical aspects of activities with support from Program Associate and oversight from the Program Director. A typical day for the PO may include participating in a daily virtual check-in meeting with the Program Director; confirming participant travel bookings for an upcoming workshop led by an international expert; and attending a workshop planning meeting with community leaders in the Northern province.

The PO will be hired on a consultant contract with an estimated workload of 40 hours per week. This is a telework position with occasional in-person meetings and travel within Sri Lanka. The candidate must possess work authorization in Sri Lanka and preferably be based within, or in close proximity to, the Northern or Eastern Provinces of the country. Travel to different provinces may be required frequently to support and monitor project activities, and candidates should be comfortable and available to travel alone and independently to any part of Sri Lanka as required. The position is expected to begin by 14 October 2024. Preference will be given to candidates with a successful track record in project management in the areas of human rights, social cohesion and/or civil society engagement, who also demonstrate experience working with multi-faith/multi-ethnic diverse communities in a conflict sensitive and inclusive manner. Candidates must be fluent in English and Tamil. Candidates of all genders are encouraged to apply.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Working closely with the Program Director and Program Associate in Sri Lanka and with program and financial management staff based in the region and in Washington, DC, the Program Officer’s responsibilities will include:

Program management:

Ensure the smooth and timely operations of program activities, including by arranging logistics and operations for events and workshops, coordinating activity participation among all program stakeholders and partners, tracking work plan benchmarks and deadlines, and continually and proactively communicating with colleagues, stakeholders, and partners.

Provide advanced administrative support functions for projects including drafting contracts and terms of reference, drafting agendas and talking points/meeting minutes, arranging complex travel logistics, or similar.

Collaborate with monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) team and partners to collect, check/clean program data, enters data in DevResults or other required MEL tracking system, develops data visualization charts and graphs for reporting. May lead data collection for assigned activities.

Proactively provide timely and accurate updates on program activities, achievements, and shortcomings.

Draft activity and performance progress reports for internal and external audiences.

Travel alone and independently throughout Sri Lanka as required to organize/participate in project activities.

Partnerships and relationships:

Maintain strong networks with relevant local stakeholders on the ground, including local authorities, program beneficiaries, and implementation partners.

Establish collaborative working relationships and maintain continual coordination and proactive communication with local implementation partners during implementation.

Support preparation of subaward agreements and subcontracts, review programmatic and financial reports from subawardees, ensure timely completion of subaward/subcontract deliverables, and coordinate activity implementation with subaward and subcontract partners.

Compliance and Financial Management Support:

Prepare activity budgets and track spending against workplans to ensure cost-effective, timely, and high-quality completion of all program deliverables and activities

Ensure compliance with all applicable procurement and contracting requirements

Support and review partners’ financial reporting and works with financial managers to ensure partners’ full compliance with financial requirements.

Ensure personal and program compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws.

In coordination with Program Director and local or general counsel, collaborate with local authorities to ensure activities are compliant with local laws and regulations.

Other duties:

As ABA ROLI’s sole staff member based in the North-East, the PO must be able to work independently and be self-motivated. Most interaction with ABA ROLI colleagues will be virtual, and the PO may regularly attend in person meetings and activities with local partners without the in-person attendance of ABA ROLI colleagues.

Complete required training (remotely and in-person as applicable) and refers to all relevant guidelines. Proactively reach out to ABA ROLI colleagues to be fully conversant with ABA ROLI and donor compliance requirements.

Provide continuous local context analysis and proactively communicate to the PD regarding any challenges/opportunities and risks.

Monitors and updates on local socio-economic political developments.

Supports proposal development and other new business development opportunities.

Participate in internal and external meetings as required, on a flexible schedule, virtually or in-person. Night or early morning meetings may be required due to time differences.

Must have a professional workspace for telework, with high-speed internet suitable for video conferencing. Internet and communications costs may be reimbursable.

Performs other duties as required.

SKILL AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Required

University degree in a relevant subject (e.g. international relations, international development, law, public policy, or a related field).

A minimum of 3 years’ experience in project management, human rights, international development, or a related field.

Effective time management and a strong ability to multitask, adapt, and manage competing priorities.

Fluent written and verbal communication skills in English and Tamil.

Strong Microsoft Office Skills (especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and familiarity with social media.

Experience working with diverse stakeholders, multi-faith/multi-ethnic communities, and civil society in Sri Lanka.

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with diverse groups of stakeholders.

Commitment to ABA ROLI’s mission and to human rights, good governance, vibrant civil society, and diversity, equity, and social inclusion.

Preferred

Based in the Northern or Eastern provinces; candidates based in North-Central or Uva provinces will also be considered.

Proficient written and verbal communications skills in Sinhala.

Experience using a conflict-sensitive approach to program implementation.

Experience working with international or US-based organizations.

Experience with monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded programs.

Experience with compliance and regulatory requirements for donor-funded programs.

Experience working remotely, including using videoconferencing and online collaboration programs such as Teams, Zoom, or SharePoint.