Reference No.: AID-15-21
Position/SalaryRange: Regional Program Specialist; FSN-10
Additional benefits include allowances for Housing, Transportation,
Meals, Family, and Miscellaneous; 13th and 14th month bonuses;
annual and sick leave and medical coverage
Open To: All DRC citizens
Location: USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo
Kinshasa, DRC
Opening: August7, 2015
Closing: August 28, 2015
WorkHours: Full-Time; 40 hours/week
USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),an equal opportunityemployer, seeks applicants for the above position.
Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in finance, economics, business management, or a related field or equivalentand Fluency in French (Level IV) and good working knowledge in English (level III) are requirements for this position.
Basic Function of Position:
The Regional Program Specialist is a senior Foreign Service National (FSN) in the combined USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo (USAID/DRC) and Central Africa Regional Operating Unit (CAROU) Program Office. S/he provides programmatic oversight to six distinct regional initiatives, which make up the CAROU portfolio — 1) Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), 2) Counter Lord Resistance Army (C-RLA), 3) Central African Republic (CAR), 4) International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), 5) Republic of Congo (ROC) support, and 6) regional humanitarian assistance – operating in numerous countries throughout Central Africa. S/he is supervised by USAID/CAROU Regional Program Officer (USDH). The Regional Program Specialist serves under the overall direction of the Deputy Director in charge of CAROU in collaboration with the USAID Supervisory Program Officer. The Regional Program Specialist will oversee the full range of the Program Office and Project Development Officer (PDO) functions at all stages of the Program Cycle for CAROU programs. This includes strategic planning, project design, communications, budgeting, performance management, and ensuring that all pre-obligation and annual reporting requirements (such as the Mission Resource Request, Operational Plan and Performance Plan and Report) are met. S/he will be relied upon by top Mission Management to contribute to decision-making on a wide range of policy and programming issues. S/he will also work closely with other United States Government (USG) counterparts and USAID/DRC’s bilateral programs to foster greater coordination amongst all USG strategies and programs.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
Program Office Leadership (40% of time)
- Liaises with and fosters relationships with host governments, international donors, and civil society organization (CSO) counterparts to advance objectives of Central Africa regional programs.
- Helps prepare formal agreements (implementation letters, memoranda of understanding, etc.) with key stakeholders, and drafts official correspondence related to the obligation process.
- Represents USAID/CAROU at high-level, cross-sectoral meetings and workshops, as required.
- Advises USAID/CAROU staff (theDeputy Director, the Regional Program Officer, and technical teams) by providing strategic, financial, and programmatic guidance.
Program Implementation and Oversight (60% of time)
- Co-leadsactivities throughout the program cycle including the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation,and reporting of USAID/CAROU activities.
- Provides expert advice on performance monitoring and evaluation tools, procedures, and processes.
- Participates in formal evaluations and periodic field visits of ongoing activities.
- Helps develop monitoring and evaluation tools and procedures.
- Helps coordinate periodic portfolio reviews.
- Assures full adherence to internal procedures as well as the Agency’s policies.
- Co-manages reporting processes for regional activities, including the Performance Plan and Report (PPR), Operational Plan (OP), Congressional Budget Justification (CBJ), Mission Resource and Request (MRR), and other reporting requests as needed.
- Reviews program work plans and budgets.
- Ensures that regional programs are properly integrated with bilateral programs.
- Identifies and helps develop communication strategies and outreach materials for regional activities.
- Participates in the design and review of new initiatives and activities, and participates in Technical Evaluation Committees.
- Contributes to the preparation of key USAID documents such as mission strategies, Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), and Acquisition and Assistance Review and Approval Documents (AARADs).
Required Qualifications at the Full Performance Level:
Education:
Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in finance, economics, business management, or a related field or equivalent. Master’s degree preferred.
Prior Work Experience:
A minimum of five years of prior experience in program development and oversight, including project design, performance management, budgeting, communications and/or donor coordination. Previous experience working with or for international NGO, donor agencies, foreign governments, multilateral institutions, or international corporations is preferred. Previous experience should demonstrate increasing responsibility for exercising judgement and providing solid analysis leading to sound development assistance projects.
Language Proficiency:
S/he is required to demonstrate level IV French (spoken and written). Level III in both written and spoken English is required.
Knowledge:
A thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the principles and accepted practices of projet design, budgeting and reporting, and monitoiring and evaluation is essential. A comprehensive knowledge of U.S. Government legislation relating to development assistance or the potential to rapidly acquire such knowledge is required. Must develop a thorough understanding of the goals of USAID’s program in the Central Africa Regional.
Post Entry Training:
On-the-job training on USAID rules, regulations, and procedures will commence immediately upon starting. Required formal training includes: Programming Foreign Assistance (PFM), and Program Design and Management (PDM). In addition, the Regional Program Specialist will develop an individual learning and development plan with the support of his/her supervisor that will help identify additional training needs.
Skills and Abilities:
Requires excellent judgment, sophisticated analytical and interpersonal skills and strong organizational ability. Must be able to obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data; organize, interpret and present it in meaningful oral or written form for varied audiences, including higher level USAID and Embassy staff; and provide solid analysis leading to sound activity management decisions. Requires the ability to draft factual and interpretive memos, providing clear and well-supported recommendations and provide objective information and advice. The ability to develop and maintain cordial, professional relationships and perform in a team environment is a must.
Evaluation Criteria andWeights:
- Education/Weighted 20% based on initial application review;
- English Language Skills/Weighted 20% based on application review, written assessment and interview;
- Prior Work Experience/Weighted 20% based on application review and interview;
- Knowledge/Weighted 20% based on written assessment and interview; and
- Skills and Abilities/Weighted 20% based on written assessment and interview.
How the selection will be made:
The successful candidatewill be selected based upon
- A preliminary review of the applicant’s submitted package to establish that minimum educational and English writing fluency requirements are met.
- Tests to include an Englishwriting skills test,a Microsoft Office proficiency test that might includeany of the following:Word,Excel, PowerPoint; and any technical skill test that might be deemedappropriate.
- A personal ortelephone interview.
- Reference checks.
USAID/DRC’s Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) and Human Resources Section will performthe preliminary review (Step 1 above) toeliminate those applicationsthat do not meet the minimum educational and written Englishlanguage requirements.
The TEC will review eachofthe applications which meet the minimum qualifications against theestablished evaluation criteriato develop a shortlist of applicants tobetested and possiblyinterviewed.Applicants will be contacted for testing (Step 2) and interviews.Based on theresults ofthe tests, however, an applicant otherwise identifiedfor interviewcould bedroppedfrom the interviewlist.
Following the interview (Step 3) during which the applicant will beevaluated against theestablished criteria,the TEC will make apreliminary determinationof candidates to beconsidered for employment and forward thatlist to HR.
HR will conduct and document thereference checks (Step 4)prior to advising theTEC of the results of these checks.Pleasenote that references maybe solicitedfrom current aswell asformer supervisors inadditiontothe referencesyouprovide in your application package.
References will onlybe solicited for those interviewed applicants who are being considered for ranking.
Based on this final input, the TEC will make its final decision on whichcandidates to rank order,prepare aSelection Memofor reviewand approvalbythe Contracting Officer, after which anofferof employment willbemadetothe successfulcandidate, and unsuccessful candidates whowere interviewedwillbe contacted andadvised oftheir non-selection.
As positive medical andsecurity clearances are a condition of employment, the selectedcandidatewillundergo stringent investigation prior to employment with USAID/DRC.
USAID/DRC reserves the right to hire an applicantwhodoes notmeet the required experience levelat a trainee level.However, an applicantwhodoes not meetthe minimum educationalrequirements cannot behiredat either a trainee orfull performance level.
Compensation:
ThepositionwillbecompensatedinaccordancewiththeU.S. Embassy’s LocalCompensationPlan(LCP).Thesuccessfulcandidate’ssalarylevelwillbebasedonpriorjob-related experience andsalary history.
To Apply:
ONLY applicantswho meet the minimum educational and fluency in French and good working knowledge in English as stated in the solicitation documentwill be considered.Interested applicantswhodonotmeet these requirementsare encouraged NOT toapplysincethese applicationswill not be considered.
A complete application package consists of the following:
- Application for U.S. Federal Employment, DS-174 – Job Application Form.The form can be found in the US embassy website (http://kinshasa.usembassy.gov/opportunities/jobs.html)
- A cover letter demonstrating how prior experience and/or training address the minimum qualifications and selection criteria,
- A current resume or curriculum vitae (CV), and
- Names and contact numbers of three professional references.
Ensure that all communications (including yourCoverLetter) include the Announcement Reference Number (AID-15-21) andtheTitleofthePosition(s)forwhichyouare applying (Regional Program Specialist)
Submit the complete application package via email, to [email protected]
Failure to complywiththese instructionsmayresult inyour application being considered “nonresponsive”and eliminated from further consideration.
Pointof Contact:
Sandra Kiyanga: [email protected]
Onlyshort-listed candidateswillbe acknowledged.
DEFINITION:
Foreign Service National (FSN): A host country national employed at a U.S. Mission abroad, who is not a U.S. citizen, nor a family member of a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member under Chief of Mission authority.
Closing dateforthis position:August 28, 2015.
The U.S. Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo provides opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also strives to ensure equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations. Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.
