Nikita is the deputy chief of party of USAID’s Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka (MEND) program. Nikita is a media development professional who has worked on large donor funded programs in the Global South and has experience working across cross-cutting themes including technology, gender, and data analysis.

As deputy chief of party, she oversees the strategic planning, day-to-day operations, provides financial oversight and technical input on the programs numerous activities. She previously held the posts of program manager and senior program officer with MEND.

Prior to joining IREX, Nikita worked on DFID’s Disasters and Emergency Preparedness Program Project (DEPP) - Shifting the Power. She has also conducted consultancies for various local and international organizations such as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

Nikita holds a BA in political science and development studies from Smith College (Northampton, Massachusetts) and a MSc in development studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (London).