Program Officer, Applied Research

Position Title: Program Officer, Applied Research

Grade Level: 5/ FLSA Exempt

Reports to: Senior Director, Applied Research

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) seeks to advance democracy and freedom. NED seeks to empower its partners to inform, organize, and mobilize constituencies for political reforms as a means to build and sustain democracy.

At NED, you will join a team of committed individuals who are mission- and values-driven. We are looking for individuals who will deliver their talents in support of our work.

Our values include:

• Respect
• Empathy
• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Excellence

NED's Impact Lab seeks a Program Officer to help coordinate and support applied research, grantee learning, and thought leadership. Situated in the Programs and Impact Department, the Impact Lab drives innovation through rigorous learning, evaluation, research, and data analytics.

As a part of the Impact Lab, the PO will help to inform and guide NED's grantmaking, identify what strategies and approaches are most effective at promoting democratic outcomes, and shape NED's global thought leadership. The PO will provide coordination and other forms of logistical support for projects that may involve grantees, NED staff, and external experts. The PO will make contributions to research analysis, write-up, and knowledge translation, and will help to organize workshops, events, and other internal and external engagements in service of NED's mission.

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC.

Applied Research

• Contribute substantively to applied research and grantee learning activities and coordinate the work of agile teams across multiple and overlapping workstreams to ensure the best outcomes from these efforts.
• Contribute to the development of an agile, adaptive learning architecture within the NED that ensures timely delivery of materials to an exceptional standard and design methods for achieving continuous and documented improvements to the operations and outcomes of the work.
• In collaboration with NED staff and outside researchers, conduct literature reviews, collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, write, and edit.

Thought Leadership and Public Engagement

• Develop and maintain communications with cross-sectoral networks of academic and other research-focused institutions to foster a community of learning and practice around democracy support.
• Contribute to the design and organization of innovative workshops, public events and other events that support grantee learning and thought leadership in the field of democracy support.

• Graduate degree or equivalent record of experience and publications relevant to democratic development. BA required, Masters preferred.
• 4-7 years of applicable work and applied research experience in international development, with experience in international democracy promotion preferred.
• Sound understanding of the NED's mission and knowledge of international democracy promotion programs.
• Excellent analytic, research, writing, and editing skills, as demonstrated through a track record of writing in a related field.
• Knowledge of applied research methodologies and peer-to-peer and action-based learning methods.
• Experience in providing support to interdisciplinary and international workshops.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with complex projects.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate in a team environment.
• Self-directed with an ability to work efficiently and creatively in a dynamic environment, take initiative, and juggle competing priorities.
• Proficiency in one or more languages, other than English, preferred.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer. NED does not provide visa sponsorship and will not consider candidates who now or in the future require employment visa sponsorship.

Consistent with NED's talent statement, and grounded in our values, the successful individual in this role will demonstrate the following competencies in the delivery of their work while supporting NED's efforts to advance democratic change:

• Purpose-Driven
• Reliable
• Expertise
• Respectful Collaboration
• Curiosity
• Results-Oriented
• An Optimistic Mindset

The anticipated compensation range for this position is $64,500 to $116,000.

The salary for this position is determined based on a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to an individual's professional experience, qualifications, education, and other business needs along with internal equity considerations. Employees are not typically hired at the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are based on the aforementioned circumstances.

NED also offers a generous benefits package that demonstrates its commitment to employee health and well-being.