Job Description

Context

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization with 35 member states hailing from different continents around the world. International IDEA aims to support sustainable democracy worldwide, doing so, inter alia, by working with both new and long-established democracies to strengthen the institutions and culture of democracy. Located at the interface of research and practice, International IDEA serves as a forum for dialogue and uses comparative experience and analysis to identify good practices for democracy-building. It also produces knowledge tools and practical guides for democracy support. The Institute maintains a global network of experts, provides training materials, and offers strategic advice to democracy actors at the international, regional, and national levels. The Institute is headquartered in Stockholm with field offices in Africa and West Asia, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

International IDEA is managing the second phase of the “Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Phase II Programme” in Nigeria. The programme is funded by the European Union (EU) for a period of five years (from 2023). The programme is working towards three anticipated Outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Enhanced performance, quality, and oversight of the criminal justice system and of justice service delivery.

• Outcome 2: Improved access to justice for vulnerable women, children, juveniles, persons with disabilities and victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

• Outcome 3: Increased transparency and accountability of anti-corruption systems and reforms.

The Project Manager, Criminal Justice Reform Component (C1) is responsible for managing and coordinating the successful implementation of all Criminal Justice project activities under C1 of the RoLAC II Programme at both federal and state levels to achieve the following expected outcome: Enhanced performance, quality, and oversight of the criminal justice system and of justice service delivery

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Contributes to the overall development of RoLAC II programme strategies, workplans, monitoring and evaluation; Contributes to enhancing knowledge and performance of the programme;

2. Leads, manages and provides strategic direction to C1 (Criminal Justice) project activities; Manages and directs the team to deliver efficiently, within agreed timeframes and budget, and in accordance with approved procedures and processes;

3. Establishes and nurtures a working environment that is conducive to delivering results, fostering a spirit of collaboration, strong work ethic and project team cohesion;

4. Oversees the component’s planning and implementation; Closely monitors performance and prepares and provides periodic project reviews in a timely and effective manner;

5. Ensures the delivery of agreed outputs and outcomes are in cooperation and coordination with other areas of work within the RoLAC II programme, with other international IDEA programmes in Nigeria, and with external partners;

6. Develops and manages relationships with relevant stakeholders;

7. Contributes to the design and implementation of RoLAC II Monitoring and Evaluation framework in accordance with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan outlined in the Programme Design document, responding to both EU needs and aligned with International IDEA’s M&E results framework;

8. Communicates, represents and ensures the visibility of C1 is in line with RoLAC II Communication and Visibility Plan;

9. Ensures coordination and effective communication with relevant project partners, and EU Delegation to Nigeria as delegated by the Head of Nigeria Programmes;

10. Represents the C1 project externally as appropriate, including development and maintenance of positive and effective relations with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and other relevant donors and interlocutors;

11. Initiates, leads and supports the design and implementation of measures that will engender and strengthen ownership of the RoLAC II programme interventions and outcomes by the programme’s boundary partners, with particular regard to programme initiatives and reforms under Component 1, and, where relevant, ensure a smooth transition of ownership and leadership of reform initiatives and outcomes from the programme to the boundary partner;

12. Initiates, leads, supports and oversees the design and implementation of measures to establish, improve and strengthen long-term sustainability measures for Component 1 initiatives and outcomes, and develops, monitors and evaluates metrics for tracking the Component’s sustainability objectives;

13. Ensures adherence to both EU and International IDEA regulations and procedures in project implementation and reporting;

14. Carries out other duties and responsibilities as related to the post that may be assigned from time to time.

General Profile

• Combines in-depth knowledge, acquired through post-graduate academic achievements or hands-on experience, excellent skills including managerial skills and relevant experience in the field of Criminal Justice and Rule of Law;

• Leads assigned teams (including staff members and consultants) throughout the project life cycle; leads meetings and discussions;

• Regarded as an expert in their broad professional community;

• Has the intellectual leadership to integrate innovation into their field of expertise;

• Fosters team-based activities in their unit; collaborates with other entities of the Institute;

• Acts as a model and mentor for C1 colleagues;

• Is expected to travel globally to any geographical area involved in their project;

• Follows internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines;

• Acts in accordance with International IDEA’s Core Values; Respect, Integrity, and Professionalism;

• Integrates gender equality, diversity, and social inclusion (GEDSI) considerations into all tasks and activities, in alignment with the Institute’s Core Values and commitment to the GEDSI policy.

Reporting line

• Senior Programme Manager, RoLAC II

Education and Experience

• Master's degree or equivalent postgraduate qualification in Criminal Justice, Law, International Development, Social Sciences, Political Science, or another related discipline;

• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in Criminal Justice reform and Rule of Law, project management and implementation, and the provision of expert advice;

• Experience working in the field of democracy and governance in Africa and other developing country contexts is essential;

• A minimum of five (5) years’ management experience, including senior level positions, with direct supervision over complex substantive teams; Experience with motivating and leading teams and solving issues;

• Demonstrated experience in programme management, including the application of monitoring and evaluation approaches, methodologies, and procedures;

• Experience in planning, developing and managing EU funded programmes, as well as familiarity with EU processes and systems considered an advantage;

• Relevant experience from an international and/or regional organization in the work of democracy assistance would be considered an asset;

• Excellent knowledge in written and oral English is required; Any other widely spoken language in an International IDEA priority region (Arabic, French, Spanish) and/or official EU language would be an asset

Terms of Contract:

• Local Post.

• Fixed term appointment until 31 December 2027

Please note as this is a local post, International IDEA will bear no costs relating to the relocation of the selected candidate to the duty station. This position is open to those legally authorized to live and work in NIGERIA for the duration of the contract. International IDEA is not able to support work permit applications.

Applying for this position:

• Applications should be submitted no later than 23:59 (CEST) Sunday 13 September 2026

• Due to the anticipated volume of applications, International IDEA will review applications on a rolling basis, and the vacancy may close earlier than the advertised deadline. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply early.

• Please note that all applications must be made in English.

Selection Process:

• Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.

• Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.

• All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized

Use of AI in Recruitment
International IDEA places strong emphasis on human input in recruitment. Candidates must disclose any use of AI tools. All application materials, written assessments, and interview responses (as applicable) must be entirely human-generated and reflect the candidate’s own knowledge, skills, and experience. The use of AI to generate content or misrepresent qualifications is not permitted. AI‑powered assistive technologies (such as screen readers or speech‑to‑text tools) may be used for accessibility purposes to ensure equal access to the recruitment process

International IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality