Program Officer

Position description

SJAC seeks an entrepreneurial and collaborative staff member with a deep understanding of human rights in the Syrian context to (1) oversee implementation of two of SJAC’s awards supporting its investigations and case building portfolio; (2) Coordinate the publication of SJAC investigations, including significant drafting and (3) Lead the drafting of project proposals to support SJAC’s investigative team.

SJAC receives two major awards that fund its ‘Investigations and Case Building’ program (one award is ongoing and another is anticipated). This area of work includes open-source investigations on crimes committed in Syria, as well as building criminal cases against Syrian perpetrators located in Europe. The Program Officer will be responsible for collaborating with various team leads to ensure that SJAC is meeting project timelines, effectively monitoring and evaluating activities, managing project budgets, and communicating clearly with donors. The PO will also draft human rights investigative reports and shorter articles with significant support from SJAC’s open-source investigators and field-based documentation team.

General Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage two project awards, including tracking project deliverables, budgets, and workplan. Participate in regular calls with program team to keep activities on track.
• Coordinate SJAC’s investigative reports, drafting based upon open-sources, witness interviews and documentary evidence.
• Participate in weekly calls with SJAC’s Syria-based documentation team, help to identify topics for publication, and draft short articles on current violations.
• Design, collect, and analyze M&E indicators, and share with team leads to ensure that project activities are updated as needed.
• Participate in regular calls with SJAC management to share project progress and challenges.
• Produce quarterly and annual reporting for donors and participate in periodic donor calls.
• Provide basic compliance oversight, ensuring that project activities and spending are in line with donor regulations.
• Lead the drafting of proposals for new business and support other development activities
• Possible supervision of one Program Associate as SJAC’s team grows.
 

Qualifications

• University degree (master’s preferred) in human rights, law, international affairs, or another relevant field.
• Knowledge of the Syrian conflict, associated human rights violations, and transitional justice processes and OSINT.
• Fosters a collaborative environment and skillfully navigates disagreements through tact and diplomacy.
• 3+ years of experience in project management, including donor reporting, budget management, and monitoring and evaluation. Experience in USG award compliance, including familiarity with the 2CFR200, is a plus.
• Experience drafting human rights reporting based upon various sources of evidence, including e.g. OSINT, witness statements and documentary sources.
• Grant writing experience. Familiarity with writing proposals for government funds particularly valuable.
• Sensitivity to dangers of secondary trauma and working with graphic materials
• Experience designing and implementing gender sensitive projects, including projects seeking to document violations experienced by women, girls, and other communities with barriers to access, is a plus.
• English and Arabic (Syrian dialect) proficiency, written and spoken.

Pay and Benefits:

Salary: Starting salary is dependent on education and experience within established bands of compensation. SJAC anticipates a starting salary between $65-85,000.

Other Benefits and/or Policies include:

SJAC has a hybrid work policy. While employees are occasionally expected to report to the office for in person events or meetings, they are otherwise free to split their working time between our DC office and their home within the Washington metropolitan area according to their preferences

• Vacation Leave: 15 days in years 1-3 of employ; 20 days in years 4+; Flex Fridays, every other Friday
• Family and Sick Leave: 10 days/year
• Annual Holidays: At least 13 holidays including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Parental leave: 20 days of paid leave + 40 days of unpaid leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Savings and Retirement Plans: automatic 2% employer contribution, and up to 7% matching contribution
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Short-term disability and life insurance
• Worker’s compensation insurance and unemployment insurance
 

Application instructions

To apply, please send an email with the subject line “Program Officer”, providing a cover letter, resume and writing sample of less than 10 pages. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Evaluation of candidates may consist of a hiring exercise, Arabic-language assessment, interview, and reference check.

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