The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation, with some 145 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.
Location: Timor-Leste (Dili)
Closing date: 22 Mar 2008
Job Description

Reporting to the South East Asia Project Director in Jakarta, the successful candidate will research and produce insightful reports on the situation in Timor-Leste, analysing security and political trends, and developing recommendations aimed the Timor-Leste government and the international community. Crisis Group is looking for someone who combines excellent field research skills with sophisticated analysis, academic rigour and a feel for policy. Dili is not an easy living environment and there is little local support, so the successful candidates will need a high degree of resilience and self-motivation.

Responsibilities:

* Brief the Project Director and other Crisis Group staff on developments in Timor-Leste;
* Research and write at four detailed reports (25-30 pages each) per year, setting out relevant research findings and policy recommendations. Provide input to other Crisis Group publications and output as required;
* Support and provide interpretation for occasional advocacy and research visits to Timor-Leste by the Project Director and other Crisis Group staff;
* Supervise the translation and distribution of Crisis Group reports;
* Explain and advocate for Crisis Group's recommendations at senior level in Timor-Leste;
* Run Crisis Group's small (two-person) office in Dili, managing one assistant and ensuring good financial management practices;Requirements:

* Expert knowledge of politics and society in Timor-Leste with field experience in the country and the ability to analyse national politics;
* Experience in foreign policy analysis and/or conflict prevention;
* At least five years professional experience in government, academia, international organisations, NGOs or journalism;
* Excellent writing, editing and analytical skills and ability to formulate well-targeted policy recommendations;
* Fluency in English and either Tetum or Portuguese; Indonesian an advantage;
* Higher degree in international relations, political science, journalism, sociology or equivalent through experience;
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including good public presentation skills, a strong capacity for effective teamwork, as well as the ability to work independently; and
* Ability to conduct field research for several weeks at a time in an often demanding environment.

Vacancies Contact
Applications from suitably-qualified Timorese are particularly welcome.
Applications should be submitted in English and include a CV, cover letter and contact details of at least 3 referees. In the cover letter (of no more than two pages in length, and which should be sent as an e-mail) the candidate should briefly propose his or her own ideas on themes for one or two future Crisis Group reports or shorter briefing papers on East Timor. Please send applications by email to asia.vacancies@crisisgroup.org to the attention of Michael Shaikh, Asia Advocacy & Research Assistant, including the job title in the subject line. The closing date for applications is 22 March 2008. Further information on these and other vacancies can be found at: http://www.crisisgroup.org.