PROGRAM ASSOCIATE (MYANMAR NATIONAL) Namati: Innovations in Legal Empowerment Yangon, Myanmar Office July 2013
Looking for an exceptionally organized and motivated team player to support a range of legal empowerment initiatives. About Namati Our Vision: Empowered citizens, responsive governments. Our Mission: Namati is dedicated to putting the law in people’s hands. We strive to build a just world, in which every one of us can take part in the decisions – and demand accountability from the institutions – that affect our lives. Our Strategy: Namati works in three ways: 1. Grassroots Innovation: Namati partners with civil society organizations and governments to develop, implement, and evaluate legal empowerment strategies that address five urgent global challenges: Delivering quality legal aid at scale; Protecting community land rights; Closing the enforcement gap in environmental law; Fulfilling the right to citizenship; and Ensuring that essential services like healthcare and education are accountable to local communities. 2. A Global Network: Namati convenes an international community of practitioners committed to advancing justice. Members learn from each other and collaborate across borders. Together, we are building a stronger global movement for legal empowerment. 3. Research and Advocacy: Drawing on our own experience and that of the wider network, we advocate for and advise on reforms to policies and institutions.
About the Burma Program In Burma Namati is focused on legal empowerment efforts in two thematic areas: legal aid and land and natural resource rights. Namati is partnering with Burmese civil society groups and law firms to implement programs and to draw lessons from people’s experience with the law at the grassroots level into policy debates. We are also strengthening existing legal empowerment efforts through sharing methods, data collection options, and other practical tools gleaned from our legal empowerment experience around the globe.
About the Position We are seeking an organized, self-starting Program Associate to support Namati’s Burma-based Program Manager. Responsibilities include translation support, research, writing and editing in Burmese and English, administrative support, correspondence and outreach, organizing travel and event logistics, and special projects. The Program Associate will be expected to take initiative, pay careful attention to detail, and establish systems where needed to meet the needs of a growing organization and country program. Namati is a close-knit yet decentralized organization. While staff are based all over the world, we are committed to maintaining a strong team culture. Candidates should therefore be technologically savvy and capable of flourishing in a virtual working environment with colleagues hailing from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Responsibilities
Research and Writing: o Conduct academic and legal research on legal empowerment, legal aid, land and natural resource rights, environmental justice, and all relevant, related topics. o Write and edit various drafts of policy papers and research reports. o Support national partner organizations in their research and writing needs. o Assist Program Manager in creating publications. o Present research at conferences and/or staff meetings, as appropriate.
Administrative and Programmatic Support: o Provide on-going programmatic support to Namati’s Burma-based Program Manager and other staff. o Provide translation support (written and oral) from Burmese to English and English to Burmese. o Organize and participate in program-sponsored events. o Assist with the preparation of budgets and work plans. o Support program monitoring and evaluation. o Draft/edit routine correspondence and memoranda in Burmese and English. o Develop communication materials to share project methods, challenges and successes, as requested. o Organize logistics of calls, meetings, and workshops (travel arrangements, materials, minutes, coordination with conference organizers), as required. o Assist Program Manager in reviewing national partner organizations’ deliverables, narrative reports, and financial reports, as requested, to ensure documentation is complete. o Perform clerical duties, including: responding to incoming calls, requests from the general public, faxing, photocopying, preparing monthly expense reports, outreach and generally assist in program administration. o Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education/Experience: o Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university. Master’s Degree a plus. o One to three years of relevant experience or training; equivalent combination of education and experience. o NGO experience and interest in legal aid, land, environment, or other rights issues preferred.
Skills/Characteristics: o Native or near-native Burmese language skills. Excellent written and spoken English. Other local language capabilities a plus. o Exceptional research, analytical, and writing skills. o A “problem-solver” - highly motivated, self-directed, capable of identifying needs and taking productive action; able to take personal initiative and follow tasks through to their successful completion. o Flexible, adaptive, willing to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks, able to thoughtfully prioritize. o Committed to excellence in all work products. o Strong organizational skills, with attention to detail and quality control. o Excellent computer skills, highly proficient in the Microsoft Office suite (particularly Excel and Word), web applications, and database software. o Strong global perspective, experience and values. o Strong commitment to legal empowerment principles. o Discretion and ability to handle confidential issues. o Able and willing to travel to program sites within Burma.
Location: Yangon, Myanmar. Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Structure: The Program Associate will be hired as a Namati consultant. The Program Associate will report to the Program Manager. To Apply: Please email resume, English writing sample and cover letter to: employment@namati.org before August 30, 2013. In your email, please identify where you saw the job posting.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis No phone calls, please. Namati is an Equal Opportunity Employer.