Sri Lanka: Senior Governance Expert (Sri Lanka)

Position Title: Senior Governance Expert (local position)

Position Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Start Date: Mai 2016

Brief description of programme:
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in Berlin. DRI promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions worldwide.
Subject to funding, DRI is launching a two-year project aimed at strengthening democratic consolidation in Sri Lanka by informing the reform process with comparative expertise and by generating broad stakeholder participation through the incentive of the Generalised Scheme of Preference (GSP+). DRI will work with policy-makers and civil society.

Duties and responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Team Leader, the Senior Governance Expert is responsible for:

• Delivering expertise on constitutional, electoral and other political reforms in Sri Lanka, as well as on the status of international human and labour rights treaty implementation with a nexus to GSP+;

• Conducting research and preparing background materials for stakeholders and project beneficiaries;• Organising and implementing advocacy events and trainings;

• Contributing to project publications, expert briefings and trainings;

• Supporting international expert missions when in the country with briefings and the provision of advice on the political and legal context in Sri Lanka;

• Contributing to project monitoring;

• Drafting reports on project implementation, in collaboration with the Team Leader.

Qualifications/ experience:

• Master´s degree in political science, human rights, law or related discipline;
• At least seven years of relevant professional experience in supporting democracy, human rights and legal reform with a particular focus on constitutional reforms in transition countries;
• Sound knowledge of international democracy and human rights standards - with a particular focus on minority rights, ICCPR, CAT, CRC, and labour conventions;
• Knowledge of GSP+ is an asset;
• Experience in providing comparative expertise on the above topics in conducting advocacy, in delivering trainings, and in conducting workshops and events;
• Familiarity with project cycle management (proposal drafting, report writing, project monitoring) and with donor-funded projects will be considered an asset;
• At least five years of experience in working with civil society organizations, parliaments and government representatives;
• Experience in Sri Lanka and/or South Asia is required;
• Strong analytical, communications and presentation skills (written and oral);
• Fluent in English (spoken and written) required, knowledge of Sinhalese is an asset;
• Excellent command of Microsoft Word and Excel, experience with online file sharing systems;
• Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions like heavy workloads and deadlines;
• Equally qualified women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Closing date for applications: 10 Mai 2016.

For interested applicants, please send your application (cover letter, CV and three references) to asia@democracy-reporting.org including “Senior Governance Expert – Sri Lanka” in the subject. For further information http://democracy-reporting.org/.

This position is subject to funding. This is a locally recruited position. DRI offers a competitive salary according to donor regulations and incumbent experience.

Early applications are encouraged as candidates may be invited to interview before the deadline. Recruitment may close before the deadline if an applicant is found. Only successful candidates will be contacted for an interview. The award of the contract is contingent on funding for this project.