Jobs and Internships

Unless otherwise noted, all positions listed below are with the National Endowment for Democracy. Please read the descriptions and follow the instructions when applying.

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world. Read more about the NED.

Administrative Assistant - CIMA
Posted February 9, 2010

Summary:
The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a NED initiative that focuses on strengthening the support for free and independent media worldwide. Among other activities, CIMA provides information, builds networks, conducts research, and hosts discussions to highlight the indispensable role independent media play in developing sustainable democracies around the world.  

The Administrative Assistant reports to CIMA’s Senior Director and the Manager/Editor and is responsible for the following:

Responsibilities:

  • Assist the senior director of the Center for International Media Assistance with the day-to-day operations of the center
  • Keep records, databases, calendar, and contact information updated
  • Organize and respond to outside inquiries and correspondence
  • Maintain a working knowledge of key groups and people in the field
  • Take notes at meetings and events as assigned
  • Assist with travel arrangements
  • Assist with preparations for CIMA events, conferences, meetings, and other events
  • Maintain media development bibliography
  • Fact check documents and reports and assist with writing
  • Manage contracts and payments
  • Research issues and organizations in media assistance as assigned
  • Maintain a working knowledge of key groups and people in the field

Knowledge and Skill Level Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • 1-3 years of work experience preferred
  • Strong administrative  and organizational skills, including a high attention to detail
  • Computer skills mandatory, including a high proficiency in MS Office; some design experience preferred
  • Excellent verbal and written English language skills
  • Preferred: background in journalism, knowledge of international relations, media issues, current events

NED offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits, and is an equal opportunity employer.   For more information please see http://www.ned.org/about/jobs or for more information on CIMA see http://cima.ned.org. 

To Apply: please e-mail a cover letter, resume, salary history and requirements, and contact information for three references to jobs@ned.org. Please place your name and "Job #1004" as the subject line of your email. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Program Assistant - Asia
Posted February 24, 2010

Summary:
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world, seeks a Program Assistant for Asia.  This non-exempt position is based in Washington, D.C.

Specific duties of the Program Assistant will include:

  • Assisting the regional Director and staff with general administrative duties;
  • Providing support for considering and awarding grants to nongovernmental organizations working on democracy-building programs in Asia;
  • Maintaining the Asia program team calendar;
  • Updating Asia contacts and maintaining files;
  • Organizing events for visiting grantees; and
  • Attending and reporting on relevant conferences, meetings, and other events.

Applicants should have the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; 
  • Knowledge of major political and social issues in Asia;
  • Strong written and oral communication skills in English;
  • Administrative support experience; and
  • Attention to detail and the ability to multi-task.

To apply, please send an application to jobs@ned.org, with Program Assistant –Asia and Position #1005 in the subject line. Applications must include a cover letter with salary requirements, resume, writing sample, and contact information for three references.

NED offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits and is an equal opportunity employer.   For more information please see http://www.ned.org.

No phone calls please.
 

Program Assistant - Europe
Posted February 24, 2010

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant-making organization that works to support freedom around the world, seeks a Program Assistant to provide administrative and programmatic support to the Vice President, Programs, Europe and Eurasia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. This position will also provide support to the Europe and Eurasia section.  This non-exempt position is based in Washington, D.C.

Specific duties of the Program Assistant will include:

  • Assisting the Vice President with general administrative duties;
  • Coordinating administration and information exchange between regional grant-making staff and other units of the NED;
  • Helping to organizing meetings, roundtables and other events;
  • Researching information as requested by the Vice President about potential grantees and current political and third sector developments in the regions;
  • Providing support for considering and awarding grants to nongovernmental organizations working on democracy-building programs in the regions, especially Europe and Eurasia
     

Applicants should have the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant field; 
  • Strong written and oral communications skills in English and another language, Russian preferred (knowledge of Spanish or French is desirable but not required);
  • Knowledge of the political and social issues in the relevant regions;
  • Administrative support experience;
  • Attention to detail and the ability to multi-task;
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office;
  • Authorization to work in the US (non-US citizens must possess work authorization that does not require employer sponsorship for a visa).

To apply, please send an application to jobs@ned.org, with Program Assistant – Europe and Position #1006 in the subject line. Applications must include a cover letter with salary requirements, resume, writing sample, and contact information for three references.

NED offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits and is an equal opportunity employer.   For more information please see http://www.ned.org.

No phone calls please.

Program Officer for Asia
Posted February 9, 2010

Summary:
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support freedom around the world, seeks a Program Officer with its Asia team, specializing in China.  The position is based in Washington, D.C.

The Program Officer will work with the regional director and program staff to manage and direct the Endowment’s China grants program, including monitoring and assessment of projects in the region.

Specific duties of the Program Officer will include:

  • Assessing proposals to present at quarterly Board meetings
  • Traveling to the region on a regular basis
  • Monitoring and providing compliance assistance to existing grantees
  • Attending internal and external meetings
  • Tracking political developments in the region
  • Maintaining contacts with organizations and individuals in Washington and Asia working on China.

Applicants should have the following qualifications:

  • A Master’s level education or equivalent knowledge in International Affairs, Political Science, History, or a related discipline
  • At least 4 years of relevant experience
  • In-depth knowledge of political issues and trends in China, including Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang
  • Fluency in Chinese
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
  • High degree of organization and initiative
  • Knowledge of program assessment techniques
  • Significant experience in democracy and nonprofit work
  • Excellent staff, office management and interpersonal skills

NED offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits.

To Apply:

Please send to jobs@ned.org, with your name and Program Officer, Asia #1003 in the subject line. Applications must include a cover letter and salary requirements, resume, writing sample, and contact information for three references.

Program Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean
Posted February 26, 2010

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded, private, nonprofit grant making organization that works to support democracy around the world, seeks a Program Officer for the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) team. This position is based in Washington, DC.

The Program Officer will work with LAC staff to provide programmatic and administrative support to NED’s Latin America and Caribbean grants program, develop the Endowment’s strategy for the region, set programmatic priorities, monitor and evaluate projects, and track program budgets.

Specific Duties of the Program Officer include:

  • Evaluating project proposals and progress reports in specific countries;
  • Drafting summaries of proposals to present at quarterly Board of Directors’ meetings;
  • Maintaining regular communication with potential and existing grantees;
  • Monitoring the work of grantees, including regular field visits;
  • Tracking political developments in the region and informing NED’s strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean;
  • Attending relevant internal and external meetings;
  • Building and maintaining relationships with like-minded organizations, including other donors, NED partners and regional organizations.
  • Organizing and participating in events to highlight specific democracy-related issues.

Applicants should have the following qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in International Affairs, Political Science, International Development or related discipline;
  • At least 5 years of extensive experience in democracy-related work; 
  • In-depth understanding of political issues and trends in Latin America and the Caribbean;
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish; fluency in Spanish is required;
  • Time living, working or traveling in Latin America;
  • MS Office skills;
  • High degree of organization and initiative;
  • Experience with financial management and reporting;
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.

To apply, please send an application to jobs@ned.org, with “Program Officer –LAC #1007” in the subject line. Applications must include a cover letter with salary requirements, resume, and contact information for three references.

NED offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits and is an equal opportunity employer.   For more information please see http://www.ned.org.

Database/Web Developer
Posted December 18, 2009

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) seeks a Database/ Web Developer to add new technologies and capabilities to our repertoire, and to serve as an internal resource for training and development of our user base.

Job Function:
Working with end users, to design and deploy solutions which utilize web technologies in the most efficient and effective way, using the technology that is most appropriate to the situation.  This will include working with currently deployed applications as well as creating new applications “from the ground up”, including basic requirements analysis and implementation.

Serve as a resource for database-driven applications, leading in the troubleshooting of issues where appropriate.

Stay abreast of new technologies and changes in the web and internet environment to best serve the objectives of the organization.

Requirements:
The successful candidate will hold a Bachelor’s degree, with a minimum of 4 years of progressive work experience in using web programming technologies, database design and usage, and page design.

As a strictly Microsoft environment, we expect proficiency with .NET (ASP/ VB/ etc.), JavaScript, CSS, database-driven pages, DHTML, Ajax controls, C Sharp, Moss 2007 and above average understanding of MS-SQL. Experience with Sharepoint is a must. It is assumed that security and data validation is an integral part of any appropriate web page design.

We also expect at least passing familiarity with SQL query tools such as Crystal Reports. It is understood that the successful candidate will have background in basic internet functionality as well with ODBC.

The successful candidate will have effective written and oral communications skills, and must be able to interact with a variety of both technical and non-technical staff members.  This position will also serve as an integral part of the Information Technology team.

To Apply:
Applicants should send a cover letter, resume and salary requirements with three references to jobs@ned.org. Please include Database/Web Developer #9032 in the subject line.

Unpaid Intern - Latin America and the Caribbean
Posted December 9, 2009

The National Endowment for Democracy is hiring an unpaid intern for Latin America and the Caribbean for the spring 2010. The position requires 15 to 20 hours per week, and offers a daily transportation stipend. The intern will work with NED’s Latin American staff in a combination of administrative and substantive issues. Some of the tasks will include but not be limited to:

  • assist program staff in project management duties including: attend relevant meetings on key democracy issues affecting the region; review and summarize proposals for NED program staff review; help map out NGOs and donors working in key countries; and attend meetings with visiting grantees.
  • assist the team in administrative duties including: develop team’s contact database; prepare relevant news clips for distribution; file reports and news items; help with translations; assist with planning and organizing special meetings; and respond to requests for information.

Qualifications:

  • Spanish fluency required; French a plus.
  • Recent grad or current graduate student with a focus on Latin America and democracy issues;
  • strong writing and research skills, detail-oriented, multi-tasking, open to learning and sharing;
  • U.S. work permit required;  
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office.

To Apply:
Applicants should send a resume and cover letter to jobs@ned.org by January 4, 2010.  Please include your name and Intern LA #9031 in the subject line.

Senior Director of Finance
Posted October 6, 2009

Statement of General Purpose
The Senior Director of Finance (SDF) is a member of the senior management team and is responsible for the protection of the NED’s financial assets and reputation as a responsible steward of those resources.  The SDF works cooperatively with all departments to effectively budget, monitor and track finances to achieve NED’s programmatic, operational and financial goals in a manner consistent with NED’s mission, vision and values.

The SDF maintains a strategic approach to financial management and leads financial planning, development and maintenance of an effective and service oriented financial management infrastructure including budgeting, financial monitoring and reporting.   In addition, this position is responsible for leading the development and maintenance of efficient and cost-effective financial services, for leading and managing the finance department in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and best practices and for optimizing relationships with banks and other external service providers.

Principal Duties (major areas of responsibility)

  1. Leads and manages the Finance Department to ensure efficient, cost-effective, accurate and service oriented operations to achieve NED’s mission of effectively strengthening democratic institutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts.
  2. Creates an appropriate and sustainable Finance Department infrastructure and develops, supervises and mentors Finance Department staff.  
  3. Maintains oversight of general accounting, treasury, payroll and accounts payable areas.  Reviews workflow of financial operations areas for efficiencies and improvements to administrative and accounting functions. 
  4. Ensures that NED has effective internal controls and that it complies with all government, state, GAAP, and other regulatory requirements.  Acts as liaison between NED and its auditors, banks, investment managers, insurance broker, vendors, etc.
  5. Budgets, monitors, analyzes, and reports on financial performance to COO, the President and the Board of Directors. Ensures that the President, the COO and the Board of Directors are informed about NED’s overall financial situation and have the necessary information to make informed decisions.
  6. Leads internal communication effort to ensure staff managers are aware and knowledgeable about budgeting process, fiscal responsibilities and overall context behind NED’s financial management efforts. 
  7. In addition to internal activities, plans, monitors and reports to regulatory agencies, funders and other external audiences, required and appropriate financial information on NED’s programs and operations.
  8. Participates in strategic business planning for projects and provides risk assessments.

Position Requirements

  • CPA, MBA, or equivalent advanced degree in accounting, finance, or business; relevant experience may be considered as an acceptable qualification.
  • A minimum twelve years experience as a senior financial manager and team leader.  Nonprofit financial and grant management experience is required as well as accounting, strategic financial analysis and planning skills.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills capable of reaching across organizational hierarchies and structures.
  • Strong management and strategic planning skills.
  • Excellent analytical and problem solving skills.
  • Proficient personal computer skills
  • High ethical standards and ability to maintain confidentiality. 

To Apply:
Applicants should send a resume, salary requirements and cover letter with three references to jobs@ned.org. Please include Senior Director of Finance #9022 in the subject line.