US Agency for International Development
POSITION DESCRIPTION
FOREIGN SERVICE LIMITED (FSL)
Program Officer

Position Title: Program Officer

Period of Performance: One year term, renewable for up to five years

Place of Performance: Washington DC, Bureau for Africa, Office of Sudan and South Sudan Programs

Security Access: Top Secret

Who may apply: Open to all qualified U.S. citizens

Salary Range: $82,068.00-$120,521.00

Work Schedule: Full-Time

Open Date:December1, 2014

Application Deadline: January 9, 2015

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID):

USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID fosters development around the world. Our work supports economic growth and trade; agriculture and the environment; education and training; democracy and governance; global health; global partnerships and humanitarian assistance. We operate in five regions of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa; Asia, the Middle East; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Europe and Eurasia.

Background of Position:

The Republic of South Sudan is the world’s newest nation, one of USAID’s newest Missions, and one of the agency’s Critical Priority Countries (CPCs). USAID has a large, multi-sectorla program in the country. To address the current crisis, USAID has undertaken a thorough portfolio review and developed a new operational framework that shifts emphasis of critical programs from state-building activities focused on national government institutions to assisting the South Sudanese people to overcome the current crisis and be more resilient.

Prior to the crisis, ,the Program Office (PROG) had three Foreign Service Officers (FSOs), one U.S. Personal Service Contractor (PSC), and three Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs) (with a fourth under recruitment). A full complement of PROG staff is not expected to return to South Sudan for the foreseeable future and, therefore, there is a requirement for Washington support to USAID/South Sudan.

Role within USAID:
The Program Officer position calls for a professional with experience working in and/or providing direct support to USAID Missions and working collaboratively with and across Mission offices and USAID/Washington. In addition, the incumbent must have budget, reporting, project design and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) experience, preferably in support of a portfolio in conflict, post-conflict, or politically unstable environments.

The incumbent serves a dual-role supporting USAID/South Sudan and AFR/SSSP on issues and tasks from the Program Office. The incumbent will be supervised by the AFR/SSSP Director or her/his designee.

The primary role of the incumbent is to work directly with and support USAID/South Sudan’s Program Office and potential overseas satellite office, which will be operating with fewer staff due to the security situation in the country. The incumbent should view him/herself first and foremost as an extended member of the Juba Mission's Program Office. The Supervisory Program Officer (Program Office Chief) in Juba will provide guidance on issues, prioritize support for the Mission, concur with leave plans, and provide input into the incumbent's AEF.

Responsibilities:

Support Mission Programs

With regard to Mission support, duties will include:

  • Supports program planning by providing recommendations to determine the planning, operational, technical and budgetary requirements for specific project activities; preparing project design and pre-obligation documents in compliance with Mission and Agency statutory, policy, and procedural requirements; and serving on Technical Evaluation Committees for new awards.
  • Supports budget management by assisting in the maintenance of the Mission’s OPS Master budget database; responding to regular and ad hoc budget taskers; assisting in annual budget allocations and planning of out-year budgets; reporting for the Government of the Republic of South Sudan’s AIMS donor funding database; and liaising with AFR/SSSP South Sudan Desk/Program Officer and AFR/DP on budget issues.
  • Prepares mandated reports to Washington by coordinating overall preparations and submission of the annual Operational Plan (OP), Performance Plan and Report (PPR), Mission Resource Request (MRR), Congressional Budget Justification (CBJ), and Congressional Notifications.
  • Supports Mission M&E processes by assisting the Mission M&E Specialist in preparing the M&E plan; and supporting the management of the Mission’s $25 million M&E contract, including serving as Activity Manager, Acting Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Acting Alternate COR as needed.
  • Implements the Mission’s new operational framework by assisting the Mission in incorporating Collaborating, Adapting and Learning (CLA) into Mission processes; liaising with USAID/W/PPL to ensure Mission compliance with Agency policies and procedures related to strategy; and participating in strategy development.
  • Assists as needed with the Mission’s development outreach and communication (DOC) activities.
  • Travels up to 50 percent of the time to South Sudan or elsewhere in the region, as conditions permit.

Support Washington Operations

With regard to Washington support, duties will include:

  • Serves as a direct link to USAID/South Sudan on Program Office issues.
  • Works with other AFR/SSSP staff, liaising with other parts of the Africa Bureau, USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning and other USAID and State department offices on program office issues.

Perform Other Duties

  • Responds flexibly and capably to a wide range of work-related requirements such as: (1) providing information on programs; (2) tracking unsolicited proposals; and (3) carrying out ad hoc assignments as dictated by unforeseen operational requirements at the discretion of the supervisor or request of the mission.

Term & Salary of Position:
The Program Officer position is an FSL appointment, and will be appointed for a one year term, renewable for up to five years. The position will be subject to the Foreign Service (FS) pay scale and is graded at an FS-2; exact salary will be commensurate with experience, but ranges from $82,068 - $120,521 in the Washington/DC Metro Area.

Selection Criteria:

The Program Officer must be a U.S. citizen capable of being granted and maintaining a U.S. Government security clearance at the “top secret” level. The successful candidate will be selected based on a review of his/her qualifications, supplementary statements, one or more interviews and related activities, and reference checks. The hiring panel may check references that have not been specifically identified by applicants and may check references before or after a candidate is interviewed.

Qualifications:

The candidate selected for this position will show evidence of:

  • A Master's degree in a relevant major plus at least five(5) years of relevant work experience of which two (2) years are relevant work experience in developing countries, preferably in conflict environments.
  • At least three (3) years of experience overseeing development programs on behalf of a donor or implementing organization is preferred.
  • Familiarity with and knowledge of USAID’s operations, procedures, and policies in areas such as project management, procurement, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation preferred.
  • Evidence of productive and positive working relationships with colleagues and peers.
  • Strong interpersonal skills.
  • Demonstrates experience meeting deadlines and balancing competing equities, audiences, and priorities in a busy professional environment.
  • Professional experience working on South Sudan issues, or a demonstrated ability to quickly grasp and learn a new region.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

To Apply:

Please send the following by e-mail to and n or before midnight of the closing date. Please label the subject line of the e-mail “Program Officer – Your Name Here.”

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. 3 References
  3. Please provide a supplementary statement for two out of the three questions/statements below. The applicant is able to choose which two questions/statements he/she would like to answer. The answer for each should be no more than 1 page (single spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1” margins). The question the applicant is answering should be listed at the top of the page and the name of the applicant should be in the header.
  • Please tell us about an experience that relates to this job description, What was your role? Tell about how you helped meet a significant challenge.
  • Working within the AFR Bureau of USAID, one is challenged to work effectively not only with colleagues in the Bureau but also with colleagues fromfield Missions,other Bureaus, other U.S. Government Agencies (e.g., State), and stakeholders outside the U.S. Government (NGOs, the World Bank, Congress, and others). Describe relevant past experience and accomplishments that illustrate your technical knowledge and communication skills to effectively work in a complex environment.
  • Please describe your international development experience focused around the skills and challenges relevant to this job.

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