Technical Coordinator at Internews Network

Job Description

The Technical Coordinator reports to the Chief of Party and will closely coordinate with GIF’s global team consisting of Digital Safety and Digital Rights Experts, a MEL Specialist, and the remainder of the program team. This position will specifically support a global Internet Freedom initiative funded by USAID. Based on the belief that Internet freedom benefits everyone, the global Internet freedom consortium has launched a 3-year initiative to enhance digital safety for civil society and media organizations, and to engage citizens in Internet governance debates, and advance human rights online. By supporting localized Internet freedom initiatives within a global, community-based Internet freedom strategy, the Consortium will construct strong local and regional bulwarks against a rising wave of digital authoritarianism. The effort will place regional and local organizations at the forefront of the fight to preserve an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet.

The Technical Coordinator for East or Southern Africa provides technical and administrative assistance for GIF activities under the supervision of the Chief of Party, while working closely with the Technical Advisor for Internet Governance and Policy. The Technical Coordinator is a full-time position and will be expected to perform tasks requiring specialization in digital rights and prior experience in organizing and conducting trainings. This position is initially expected to last 4 months, with a possibility for extension after that time.

Job Requirements

1. Coordinate digital rights activities of East and Southern Africa as laid out in the GIF workplan;
2. Conduct needs assessment covering different digital capacities in East and Southern Africa to develop support and training plans;
3. Help local partners conduct research and develop advocacy strategies on digital rights issues;
4. Help in selection, procurement and supporting beneficiaries;
5. Carry out one-to-one or group trainings and support to partners and beneficiaries;
6. Assist in programmatic development and project support for future programs;
7. Collaborate with GIF team on subgranting and documentation of processes .

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

1. Lead monitoring, evaluation and learning in East and Southern Africa, and adapt program activities as necessary in coordination with the GIF MEL Specialist;
2. Collect and analyze M&E data from local partners and beneficiaries;
3. Conduct regular monitoring of project activities to ensure project objectives are being met;
4. Prepare complete activity reports to supervisor on all GIF East and Southern Africa projects in execution;
5. Carry out research as assigned and in support of ongoing projects and new initiatives.

Project Administration

1. Lead in organization, facilitation, and implementation of work plan activities in East and Southern Africa, including trainings and various virtual/in-person events;
2. Manage vetting, vendor codes, and stipends for participants attending in-person trainings;
3. Lead in identifying and onboarding additional partners, trainers, beneficiaries and others, as needed;
4. Ensure program implementation complies with funder requirements and Internews’ policies and procedures.

Communication and Coordination

1. Identify and communicate with potential beneficiaries about their needs and potential GIF activities;
2. Work with the GIF team to maintain good communications, timelines and reasonable expectations on service delivery;
3. Participate in stakeholder and international Internet Freedom meetings and forums as requested;
4. Develop relationships with prospective partners and beneficiaries, while maintaining existing relationships.

Values and Flexibility

1. Other duties as requested;
2. In all duties, an understanding of and demonstrated commitment to upholding Internews' Core Values.

Required Qualifications

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills; with professional fluency in English;
2. Ability to travel to the East and/or Southern African region upon request;
3. Excellent knowledge of and passion for East and Southern Africa’s freedom of expression and Internet freedom (including digital safety and digital rights) landscape;
4. Ability to explain technical concepts in plain language for individuals and groups with different levels of digital experience and understanding;
5. Able to provide support remotely, working with those who may have technical difficulties;
6. Experience with delivering technical support over Internet chat, voice or video calls, or in creating documented how-to lessons and resources;
7. Understanding and experience with end-to-end encryption in communications and file transmission;
8. Experience with using digital security tools and practices;
9. Strong writing skills for research and project documentation;
10. Ability to work with colleagues in different time zones;
11. Strong attention to detail, problem-solving and analytical skills;
12. Superior communication and presentation skills;
13. Ability to work well with others, meet deadlines, and respond to changes in priorities;
14. Proven ability to operate effectively in a multicultural environment.

Preferred Qualification

1. Knowledge of additional consortium languages, including languages and dialects within the East and Southern Africa regions;
2. Experience in supporting advocacy campaigns;
3. Experience or interest in working with charities and NGOs, nonprofits, media, human rights and/or civil society groups;
4. Familiarity with US Government rules and regulations;
5. Experience with event planning and/or arranging logistics for project implementation abroad;
6. Experience with online project management tools such as Airtable, Trello/MS Planner, Miroboard, etc;
7. Experience with communications platforms such as Slack or MS Teams;
8. Experience managing complex travel arrangements.