Opportunities with the Democracy Program

The Carter Center’s Democracy Program regularly recruits volunteers and consultants to fill a variety of posts, such as observers on an international election observation mission, an evaluation specialist to analyze the program’s impact, or a field office director overseeing the direct implementation of a project. Our needs change often, so please join our recruitment mailing list through the link below, or check this page frequently to see if new positions are posted.

Join our Recruitment Mailing List

To receive all recruitment notices by email as soon as they are posted, please join our recruitment mailing list. You can complete the mailing list registration form here.

Open Positions

Please click on the the links below to be directed to a description of each position and instructions on how to apply. Any inquiries related to a posted position should be directed to the contact person and address included in the position notice.

International:

Gender Analyst, Tunis, Tunisia
Media Monitoring Analyst, Tunis, Tunisia
Country Representative, Yangon, Myanmar
Democracy Program Mission Assistant
Electoral/Legal Analyst, Yangon Myanmar
Observer Coordinator, Yangon, Myanmar
Mission Director, IEOM, Yangon, Myanmar
Long-term Observers, Guyana

Gender Analyst, Tunis, Tunisia

The Carter Center is seeking a highly-qualified gender analyst to work on the Center’s observation mission in Tunisia. The gender analyst will assess and analyze key issues affecting women and gender disparities in the context of the 2019 presidential and legislative elections to respectively take place on Sept. 15 and Oct. 6, 2019. The gender analyst will contribute to public and private statements commenting on the electoral process to provide an impartial assessment of the elections as well as detailed recommendations for ways to improve their inclusiveness, credibility, and transparency. The position will report through the Tunisia-based mission director to the Atlanta-based project manager. The position requires relocation to Tunisia by mid-August through January 2020.

The short-term consultancy position requires travel to Tunis by Sunday, August 11, 2019. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Pending funding, the position is scheduled for approximately five months.

Primary responsibilities:

Analyze aspects of Tunisia’s national legislation concerning women as it pertains to the country’s general elections. Assess whether provisions regarding their participation are implemented in accordance with the legal framework as well as international standards for democratic elections.

Oversee survey research, including focus groups and in-depth interviews, to evaluate the participation of and barriers to the participation of women as voters, aspirants, and candidates in the electoral process against international standards and national legislation, including party primaries, candidate nominations, the campaign period, election day, and post-election dispute challenges.

Develop standardized tools, checklists, discussion guidelines and other data gathering instruments to assess women’s participation in elections, and barriers to their effective engagement.

Brief long-term and short-term observers on the key issues affecting women and gender disparities in the upcoming elections. Review observer reports and analyses, as well as their contributions to checklists and qualitative data collection for research.

Liaise with political party representatives, NGO, and civil society leaders (particularly women and minority groups), and representatives of citizen domestic observer groups to gather information and share views on relevant issues related to women participation in Tunisia’s elections.

Assess and analyze the role of women participation during the pre-election period, election day, and the post-election period in target areas and across several regional governments within Tunisia.

Prepare written reports and contribute to the drafting of public statements, including the preliminary statement and final report, as requested by the Atlanta staff.

Qualifications:

Ideal candidates will possess some or all of the following qualifications:

A minimum of five to seven years of demonstrated experience in women’s studies, gender development, and/or related research fields;
Demonstrated experience in assessing barriers to women’s civic participation and engagement, and legal frameworks with regards to gender, preferably in developing or transition countries;
A bachelor’s, master’s, and/or doctoral degree in women’s studies, gender development, or a similar field;
Demonstrated experience/expertise in conducting field-based or survey research, specifically in overseeing focus groups, surveys and/or in-depth interviews regarding gender dynamics and relationships;
Knowledge of Tunisian politics and culture, regional expertise, preferred;
Cross-cultural understanding;
Strong writing and communication skills;
Ability to live in difficult conditions, perform well under stress, work within a team, and maintain professionalism at all times;
Knowledge of French or Arabic preferred.

Please send a CV/Resume, together with a cover letter explaining how your profile and experience match the job requirements via application, which can be found at the website here: https://airtable.com/shrIheU6SEtvebC2c

Media Monitoring Analyst, Tunis, Tunisia

The Carter Center is seeking a highly qualified Media Monitoring Analyst to join the Center’s core team of its election observation mission in Tunisia surrounding the 2019 presidential and legislative elections scheduled for Sept. 15 and Oct. 6, 2019, respectively. The analyst will assess Tunisian media, with an emphasis on social networks, to evaluate how social media affects and shapes the electoral campaign. The analyst will also assess regulations surrounding the use of media platforms during the campaign period, and their application. The analyst will contribute to public and private statements regarding the electoral process to provide an impartial assessment of the elections as well as detailed recommendations for ways to improve their inclusiveness, credibility, and transparency.

The short-term consultancy position requires travel to Tunis by mid-August 2019. The deadline for applications is Sunday, Aug. 11. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Pending funding, the position will be contracted for approximately five months.

Primary responsibilities:

Analyze the ways in which social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other online media used in Tunisia) is utilized during the elections by main presidential candidates, political parties, domestic civil society observer groups, and social media opinion drivers;
Monitor elections through qualitative analysis of various social media platforms (e.g. key political candidates and civil society organizations), covering the campaign, extent of campaign advertisement, disinformation efforts, the use of hate speech, conduct of election day, illegal campaigning, and security issues;
Assess Tunisia’s fulfillment of commitments related to freedom of opinion, expression and association, as well as the right to privacy online;
Contribute to overall social media analysis strategy, research tools, and reporting mechanisms. Oversee a small team of national staff to implement the project, as well as country experts and other relevant stakeholders, to analyze digital communications and social media issues. Meetings should discuss coverage of women candidates and how marginalized groups are portrayed in social media, digital literacy, and allegations of intimidation, online violence, or illegal campaigning;
Assist in the development of methodology for monitoring social media outlets, train local assistants, conduct analysis, provide regular updates to the expert mission and Atlanta staff, and provide written contributions to statements and reports (internal, public, or donor);
Create social media monitoring databases to track main political and social discourses on main media platforms, prior to, during, and after specific election events;
Analyze and visualize data collected, as well as comments published, on social media to identify the most recurrent types of argumentation and the language used, including instances of derogatory languages, calls for violence, rumors and allegations, etc., which is to be included in public reports on the use of social media during the elections;
Draft a post-election “lessons learned” document to identify methodology used, problems and opportunities encountered, and recommendations for further development and deployment of social media monitoring in elections;

Qualifications:

Ideal candidates will possess some or all of the following qualifications:

A minimum of five to seven years of applicable experience in media or journalism, ideally in countries transitioning to sustainable peace and democracy;
Demonstrated experience in election observation, specifically analyzing traditional and/or social media required; experience related specifically Facebook and WhatsApp preferred;
Knowledge of Tunisian politics and culture, regional expertise desirable;
Cross-cultural understanding;
Strong writing and communication skills;
Ability to live in difficult conditions, perform well under stress, work within a team, and maintain professionalism at all times;
Knowledge of French and/or Arabic strongly preferred;
Experience in methodological approaches of traditional media monitoring preferred;
Knowledge of quantitative tools and languages, including R, Python and others, is preferred.

Country Representative, Yangon, Myanmar

The Carter Center is seeking a highly-qualified individual to serve as Country Representative for the Carter Center’s office in Yangon, Myanmar. The successful candidate for this position will manage the Carter Center’s peacebuilding, democracy and election projects in Myanmar and any future projects as added. The Country Representative will also be responsible for security, finance, human resources and other administrative and operational functions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A bachelor’s degree in a field related to the program area. Five years of related experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Master’s degree in social sciences, international human rights law, or other development-related field and at least seven years of progressively responsible experience, including five years’ experience managing field office programs and personnel (or equivalent combination of experience, education, and training).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English is required.
• Candidate should possess strong analysis, problem solving, prioritization, and risk-management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, cross-cultural understanding and the ability to lead and motivate a diverse team are crucial.
• Proven fundraising success and experience working with donors, government officials and international organizations are essential.
• Advanced financial and human resource management skills are required.
• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required.
• Significant experience with programs related to elections and election observation, peace building, and/or civil society strengthening.
• Proven experience managing field offices is required.
• Highly organized, able to work under pressure of tight deadlines when necessary, and possesses strong writing and communication skills.
• Knowledge about the political context and electoral environment in Myanmar, as well as about international standards related to democratic elections and civil and political rights.
• Experience working in Myanmar, the Southeast Asia region or comparable countries in transition is a plus.
• Willingness to take Hazardous Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) or have a current HEAT certificate.
• Knowledge of Burmese language or other language of Myanmar is an asset, but not required.
To be considered, please apply by clicking here or at https://staff-emory.icims.com/jobs and enter #41748

Democracy Program Mission Assistant

The Carter Center is seeking a temporary mission assistant to support the Center’s observation missions in Tunisia and Guyana. The mission assistant will support all logistics and administrative aspects of the implementation of the election observation activities in the context of the 2019 presidential and legislative elections to take place on Sept. 15 and Oct. 6, 2019, respectively, in Tunisia and anticipated general elections in Guyana. The mission assistant will report to Atlanta-based project managers Brett Lacy and Sarah Johnson. The position is Atlanta-based, with some travel to Tunisia and Guyana through March/April 2020.

The deadline for applications is Sept 12, 2019. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Pending funding, the position is scheduled for approximately seven months.

Interested applicants should email their CV, cover letter detailing their interest and three references to: tueom2019@cartercenter.org

Duties to be completed:

The program assistant supports administration and implementation of the Center’s election observation missions to Tunisia and Guyana, including assisting the project manager(s) and others to support recruitment and contracting of project consultants; coordinate travel for Atlanta staff and short-term observers (STOs); maintain spreadsheets of arrivals, departures, visas, and additional information; collect necessary paperwork from the STOs; maintain mission contact lists; help to prepare briefing materials for mission participants; and assist with distribution of materials ahead of the short-term mission.

While overseas, the program assistant will support: STO airport pickups and drop-offs; STO briefings and communications; news briefings, daily briefing materials, news clips and leadership support; ELMO implementation; and distribution and collection of deployment supplies. S/he will process financial documents, including expense reports, and assist with the development of financial reconciliation paperwork for the field office.

Upon return from the field, the mission assistant will provide support to STOs and consultants through the processing of travel, contract and financial matters; repatriation and inventory asset management following the election observation missions; editing and proofing of the final mission report and mission closeout through the first quarter of 2020.

Skills required:

Ideal candidates possess some or all of the following qualifications:

A Bachelor’s degree, or a high school diploma or equivalent and five years of administrative experience;
Familiarity with election monitoring and/or democratic governance programming;
Experience in supporting and backstopping field offices and international programs, and coordinating travel and logistics;
Experience and faculty with Office365 applications, including excel, word, SharePoint, and others;
Ability to communicate clearly by email, Skype, and more;
Exhibit cross-cultural understanding;
Experience living or working in North Africa desirable;
French or Arabic language skills preferred but not required;
Ability to work in difficult conditions, perform well under stress, work within a team, and maintain professionalism at all times.

Length of Assignment:

This position is slated for 7.5 months.

Electoral/Legal Analyst, Yangon, Myanmar

The Carter Center is seeking a highly-qualified individual to serve as the Electoral/Legal Analyst for a potential international election observation mission (IEOM) for Myanmar’s upcoming general elections, which are not yet scheduled but expected to take place in autumn of 2020. The Electoral/Legal Analyst is primarily responsible for analyzing the electoral legal framework, assessing the performance of the election administration, and tracking and assessing the resolution of electoral disputes, in accordance with Myanmar’s commitments to international democratic election standards. This position is contingent on the availability of funds and electoral developments. Deployment to Myanmar is expected to be from April 2020 through December 2020.

Primary Responsibilities:

Become familiar with the legal, constitutional, and regulatory framework for elections in Myanmar, as well as any other relevant laws and regulations (media regulations, judicial system, electoral procedures, etc.).
Become familiar with and provide overall assessments of electoral issues in Myanmar, including the work of election management bodies; boundary delimitation; the voter register; candidate registration; voter education; advance voting; procedures for voting, counting, and result tabulation; etc.
Become familiar with political participation issues, including those related to gender, ethnic minorities, disability, and poverty.
In cooperation with the field office staff and Atlanta staff, contribute to an overall analysis of the electoral environment in Myanmar.
Prepare a written legal framework assessment, including analysis of legislation related to the conduct of elections and political participation in Myanmar, the constitution, and Myanmar’s international human rights commitments. Document and analyze election complaints and appeals.
In coordination with the Mission Director and Atlanta staff, assume the lead role in drafting sections related to electoral and legal issues for internal and external reports and statements, including the final report.
Act as a primary advisor on electoral law and practice, including liaising with the Union Election Commission (UEC) and other stakeholders as necessary.
Conduct training or orientation sessions for staff, observers, and external stakeholders, and prepare or contribute to briefing materials.
Develop or edit observer questionnaires.
Represent the IEOM in meetings with election administration bodies, political party or candidate representatives, and other stakeholders. Participate in electoral coordination meetings and donor briefings as necessary.
Complete other duties, as needed.

Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience on previous election observation missions as a legal or electoral analyst, and at least five years in the democracy, governance and/or elections field are required.
Law or advanced degree in relevant field is preferred.
Excellent knowledge of human rights and democratic election standards and familiarity with the technical procedures required for constituency delimitation, voter registration, candidate registration, and other steps of electoral preparation.
Demonstrated ability to provide advice, guidance and analyses regarding election legislation and processes is required.
Leadership skills, cross-cultural understanding, and a background working in sensitive political situations are strongly encouraged.
Professional experience in Myanmar or the region is desirable, or at a minimum, comparable countries in transition.
Strong English writing and communication skills, and competence with computer applications are required. Burmese language skills are an asset, but not required.

Please send cover letter, CV, and a list of references with subject line “Myanmar Electoral/Legal Analyst” to:

Jonathan Stonestreet

Associate Director

The Carter Center

E-mail: myanmar.recruitment@cartercenter.org

Note: As this is an international election observation mission, Myanmar nationals are not eligible to serve as the Electoral/Legal Analyst. Due to the large volume of applicants, only those candidates selected for an interview or additional consideration will be notified by the Center, no phone calls please.

Observer Coordinator, Yangon, Myanmar

The Carter Center is seeking a highly-qualified individual to serve as Observer Coordinator for a potential international election observation mission (IEOM) for Myanmar’s upcoming general elections, which are not yet scheduled but expected to take place in autumn of 2020. This position is contingent on the availability of funds and electoral developments. Deployment to Myanmar is expected to be from May 2020 through December 2020.

Primary Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Mission Director and in consultation with other core team experts, coordinate long-term observers (LTOs) and short-term observers (STOs) throughout the mission, including arrival and orientation, briefings, deployment, reporting, debrief and departure.
Serve as the primary point of contact for observers and be in daily contact during their time in Myanmar; collect and analyze observer reports; and align observers’ work with IEOM objectives.
Prepare the logistics, briefing materials, training, and programmatic support for observers.
Maintain regular contact with Atlanta staff on the needs of LTOs and STOs and help to facilitate the participation of the high-level leadership.
Provide analysis and strategic advice to the IEOM on substantive electoral, political party and campaign dynamics based on observer reporting.
Establish, monitor, and troubleshoot the reporting tools used by observers, conduct analysis of incidents reported by the observer team during the pre- and post- electoral period, and synthesize LTO reporting on a weekly basis.
Prepare supplemental memos and weekly reports, contribute to the drafting of briefing materials and other mission documents, and contribute to IEOM statements and report sections based on LTO and STO reporting.
In coordination with the Security/Logistics Manager, order, track, and return equipment necessary to carry out the IEOM, including supplies, computers, smartphones, etc.
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

A minimum of three to five years of experience working on election observation missions, and experience working as an LTO.
Demonstrated competencies in organization, financial management, security awareness, and observation methodology.
Must possess cross-cultural understanding and ability to live in difficult conditions, perform well under stress within a team, and maintain professionalism at all times.
Experience in Myanmar or in the region is desirable or, at a minimum, comparable countries in transition.
Strong English writing and communication skills, and competence with computer applications are required. Burmese language skills are an asset, but not required.

Please send cover letter, CV, and list of references with subject line “Myanmar Observer Coordinator” to:

Jonathan Stonestreet

Associate Director

The Carter Center

E-mail: myanmar.recruitment@cartercenter.org

Note: As this is an international election observation mission, Myanmar nationals are not eligible to serve as the Carter Center Observer Coordinator. Due to the large volume of applicants, only those candidates selected for an interview or additional consideration will be notified by the Center, no phone calls please.

Mission Director, Yangon, Myanmar

The Carter Center is seeking a highly-qualified individual to serve as Mission Director of a potential international election observation mission (IEOM) for Myanmar’s 2020 general elections. The Mission Director will manage the Carter Center’s international election observation activities in Myanmar, including election-related reporting, field office administration, and the activities of the core team and long-term and short-term observers. This position works collaboratively with the Carter Center’s Country Representative in Myanmar. This position is contingent on the availability of funds and electoral developments. Deployment to Myanmar is expected to be from April 2020 through December 2020.

Primary responsibilities:

In coordination with the Carter Center Country Representative in Yangon, lead the core team experts, observers and staff, and oversee daily mission operations.

Serve as a senior representative of The Carter Center in Myanmar.
Establish and maintain ongoing liaison with key actors in Myanmar, including government officials, electoral representatives, political party leaders and candidates, NGO and civil society leaders, security officials, domestic and international observer groups, and the diplomatic and donor community to share views on the electoral process and political environment.
Provide political and electoral analysis to The Carter Center on programmatic, operational, and substantive issues, including consideration of legislation and regulations, the political environment, electoral process, participation of women, youth, and ethnic minority communities, and other aspects as relevant in Myanmar. Synthesize and analyze findings of core team and observers. Key points should be included in regular written reports (weekly) and oral briefings as needed to the Carter Center’s Atlanta staff.
Direct and supervise IEOM expatriate and national staff to implement all aspects of this project, working in concert with Atlanta staff and the Country Representative. Review and edit mission materials, including observer briefing documents, checklists, and other documents related to the implementation of the mission, and oversee deployment of international observers.
Oversee necessary arrangements regarding the logistical, technical, operational, financial and security requirements of the mission, including data collection and participation of high-level leadership.
Assume lead role in drafting or overseeing drafting of Carter Center press releases and periodic public statements assessing status of key electoral preparations, as needed in consultation with the Center’s Atlanta staff.
Ensure that all IEOM observers, staff, volunteers and others are aware of and adhere to Carter Center Codes of Conduct and UEC codes of conduct.

Qualifications:

Applicants should have at least seven years of senior level experience implementing election monitoring missions, democracy and governance programs, or conflict-prevention efforts, ideally in Myanmar or the region, or at a minimum in other countries in democratic transition.
Demonstrated experience and/or knowledge of the Carter Center’s observation methodology, including international and regional standards for democratic elections.
Proven experience in relevant leadership role(s) for international non-governmental organization, including establishment of field offices and managing required administrative procedures, personnel and programmatic activities.
Leadership skills, cross-cultural understanding, and the ability to provide advice and guidance on mission management are required.
Strong knowledge of the political context and electoral environment in Myanmar.
Strong English writing and communication skills, and competence with computer applications are required. Burmese language skills are an asset, but not required.

Please send cover letter, CV, and a list of references with subject line “Myanmar Mission Director” to:

Jonathan Stonestreet

The Carter Center

Associate Director

E-mail: myanmar.recruitment@cartercenter.org

Note: As this is an international election observation mission, Myanmar nationals are not eligible to serve as Carter Center Mission Director. Due to the large volume of applicants, only those candidates selected for an interview or additional consideration will be notified by the Center, no phone calls please.

Long-Term Observer, Guyana

The Center is preparing to deploy a long-term election observation mission for the general elections anticipated in Guyana on March 2, 2020. We are currently recruiting highly-qualified individuals to serve as long-term observers (LTOs) for this potential mission. Timing of deployment is contingent on the availability of funds and electoral developments.

LTOs will work in pairs and travel regularly within their area of responsibility in Guyana. Candidates should be prepared to travel to remote, rural locations and must be able to work in difficult environments with minimal amenities. LTO safety is a priority for The Carter Center, and candidates must be willing to follow all communication and safety/security protocols.

LTO teams will monitor and report on key electoral developments in Guyana, including the electoral and political environment, human rights, civic and voter education, the media environment, procedures related to the voter registry, campaigning, and the voting, counting, and tabulation processes. LTOs may also observe electoral dispute resolution procedures. LTOs will also report on political participation issues, including those related to ethnic minorities, religion, gender, disability, and poverty. This information will be the basis for an impartial assessment of the election process and recommendations for improving inclusiveness, credibility, and transparency.

Primary Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Field Office Director and Deputy Director, and working in coordination with a long-term observer team partner:

Monitor the pre- and post-election environment, election technical preparations, the campaign, procedures related to the voter registry, campaigning, campaign finance, participation of women, access of domestic observers, election-day and post-election processes, the resolution of electoral disputes, and other aspects of the process.
Establish relationships with the relevant electoral authorities, political parties, government representatives, observer groups, security forces, and others at the regional and local levels in the assigned area of operation.
Provide regular written reports and oral briefings on electoral developments as needed, and contribute to other reports as directed.
Liaise with domestic election observers, civil society organizations, and other community-based organizations operating in the area of responsibility.
Make logistical arrangements for the field deployment of the short-term observer (STO) delegation, including accommodation, meals, transport, interpretation and communication.
Prepare written briefing materials relevant to each deployment area, including contact lists. Assist with briefing members of the STO delegation.
Observe and report on the voting, counting, and tabulation processes.
Abide by the Carter Center’s code of conduct for international observation and agree to follow the principles of the International Declaration for International Observers as well as the observation methodology of the Carter Center mission in Guyana.

Qualifications:

Ideal candidates will possess some or all of the following qualifications:

Experience in election monitoring or administration and/or democratic governance.
Professional experience and/or knowledge of politics and culture in Guyana or the region.
Expertise in some or all of the following areas: elections, human rights, conflict resolution and peace-building, women’s political participation, political analysis.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly in English, including through written reports.
Cross-cultural understanding and ability to live in difficult conditions, perform well under stress, work within a team, and maintain professionalism at all times.

Financial compensation:

LTO positions are considered voluntary. Selected candidates will receive a daily per diem to cover meals and incidental expenses, as well as a weekly stipend as remuneration. LTO housing and travel costs are undertaken by The Carter Center.

Please send cover letter, CV, and list of references with subject line “Guyana LTO” to:

E-mail: GuyanaEOM@cartercenter.org

Note: As this is an international election observation mission, Guyanese nationals are not eligible to serve as Carter Center LTOs. Due to the large volume of applicants, only those candidates selected for an interview or additional consideration will be notified, no phone calls please.