Position Title: Senior Disaster Operations Specialist (Multiple Positions)
Solicitation Number: SOL-OFDA-15-000051
Salary Level: GS-13 Equivalent: $90,823 – $118,069
Issuance Date: April 27, 2015
Closing Date: May 27, 2015
Closing Time: 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time
Dear Prospective Applicants:
The United States Government (USG), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), is seeking applications from qualified U.S. citizens to provide personal services as a Senior Disaster Operations Specialist under a United States Personal Services Contract (USPSC), as described in the attached solicitation.
Submittals must be in accordance with the attached information at the place and time specified. Applicants interested in applying for this position MUST submit the following materials:
1.Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include:
(a) Paid and non-paid experience, job title, location(s), dates held (month/year), and hours worked per week for each position. Dates (month/year) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. Any experience that does not include dates (month/year), locations, and hours per week will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.
(b) Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.
(c) Names and contact information (phone/email) of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Current and/or previous supervisors may be contacted for a reference.
(d) Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.
(e) U.S. Citizenship
Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the experience requirements as stated in this solicitation. This information should be clearly identified in your resume. Failure to provide information sufficient to determine your qualifications for the position will result in loss of full consideration.
Additional documents submitted will not be accepted.Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. OFDA reserves the right to select additional candidates if vacancies become available during future phases of the selection process.
Applicants can expect to receive a confirmation email when application materials have been received. Applicants should retain for their records copies of all enclosures which accompany their applications. Your complete resume must be mailed, delivered or emailed to:
OFDA Recruitment Team
529 14th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20045
E-Mail Address: recruiter@ofda.gov
Telephone Number: (202) 661-9300
Website: www.OFDAjobs.net
Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to OFDA Recruitment Team via the information provided above.
Sincerely,
Renee Reed
Contracting Officer
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Working under the guidance and supervision of the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader for the assigned Africa region of responsibility, the SDOS will be assigned to one or more complex portfolios which will require significant USG policy engagement and humanitarian program management. SDOSs can expect to move between portfolios depending on the changing nature of OFDA’s humanitarian engagement and the needs of the office. The SDOS will work in close collaboration with a program team that may include Senior Regional Advisors, Senior Humanitarian Advisors, Program Officers, Field Monitors, Team Leaders, Deputy Team Leaders, Disaster Operations Advisors and Specialists, and /or Program Assistants, depending on the portfolio assigned. The SDOS will perform the following within the assigned portfolio:
Contextual Specialty:
• Monitor incipient disasters, international disaster response plans and efforts, and major humanitarian issues and challenges in the area of responsibility through a wide range of USG and international sources;
• Maintain regular contact with OFDA field representatives and the OFDA Regional Office to maintain current triangulated understanding of existing and impending humanitarian crises in the area of responsibility;
• Review and monitor national disaster risk reduction efforts and plans in the area of responsibility in collaboration with regional team;
• Assist in identifying humanitarian issues, priorities, lessons learned, and opportunities in the region of responsibility and applying those to program strategy development and implementation.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of political, humanitarian, organizational, and stakeholder interests specific to the region of responsibility.
• Prepare and/or provide substantive assistance in the preparation of, regular strategic and analytical reports on current or anticipated emergencies, as well as comprehensive preparedness documentation on assigned countries.
Portfolio Management:
• Work with implementing organizations regarding project proposals submitted for OFDA funding to ensure proposals meet OFDA’s program objectives and grant guidelines;
o Prepare all documentation to obtain timely grant project approval;
o Input appropriate award data into Office and Agency administrative and financial tracking systems;
o Track program reports from grantees and ensure reports are received in a timely manner; review program reports to ensure that program objectives have been achieved; collate input from report for feedback to grantee, and share reports with regional team member, as appropriate;
o Upon completion of programs, close out awards according to Agency policies, identifying funds for de-obligation and/or equipment for disposition;
o Expedite the flow of programmatic and other documents through the clearance process
• Become certified and serve as an Agreement Officer’s Representative/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR) for assistance awards, as assigned;
• Review the conceptual soundness, technical feasibility, and budget for disaster assistance activities and emergency projects;
• Review and process all award documentation according to OFDA’s Grant Guidelines, USAID Automated Directives Systems (ADS), and Federal Regulation including coordinating multi-unit participation and ensuring timely proposal review and processing;
• Provide regional support as needed to OFDA field operations to include monitoring of OFDA programs, assessments, strategy development and general field office coverage.
• Participate actively in the program strategy development process for the assigned portfolio; which may include coordinating input and editing.
• Assist the team in the coordination, development, and drafting of written program planning documents that may include event and scenario based contingency planning, staff planning analysis, and budget options.
Representation:
• Represent humanitarian concerns and priorities from the OFDA perspective in oral and written briefings, as well as coordination and policy development meeting to include the following:
o Meetings with individual and groups of implementing partners discussing programmatic priorities, objectives, progress, results, and challenges;
o Discussions, meetings, and papers informing USG foreign policy in areas with humanitarian concerns or impacts;
o USG Interagency forums;
o Coordination mechanisms with the DCHA bureau and USAID.
Leadership:
• Serve as peer mentor to DOSs and program assistants on grants management and portfolio management, to include OFDA’s business process, portfolio-specific budget and workload management, and post-award monitoring and management;
General Duties:
• Travel should be expected at 10-20% to monitor the program portfolio, participate in strategy development, and to assist in office coverage. Additional travel opportunities will be available but not required.
• Sign-up for and serve as needed, on Washington-based RMTs, which provides services and support to DARTs deployed in response to disasters. The duties on RMTs will be varied.
• Serve as the OFDA after-hours duty officer on a rotational basis, for approximately one week every six months; and
• As needed, serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)
Bachelor’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including but not limited to international relations, political science, and disaster management) and at least seven
(7) years of relevant work experience with the USG, Private Voluntary Organization (PVO)/NGO, IO or UN Agency. Such experience must have a humanitarian focus and include responsibility in determining budget levels, selecting programs for funding, and/or managing and evaluating funded programs in a results type framework. Experience must include one (1) year of cumulative field work (foreign or domestic) in international humanitarian assistance and/or disaster response needs assessment, analysis, emergency relief program operations, or post-emergency rehabilitation.
OR
Master’s Degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including but not limited to international relations, political science, and disaster management) and at least five (5) years of relevant work experience with the USG, Private Voluntary Organization (PVO)/NGO, IO or UN Agency. Such experience must have a humanitarian focus and include responsibility in determining budget levels, selecting programs for funding, and/or managing and evaluating funded programs in a results type framework. Experience must include one (1) year of cumulative field work (foreign or domestic) in international humanitarian assistance and/or disaster response needs assessment, analysis, emergency relief program operations, or post-emergency rehabilitation.
SELECTION FACTORS
(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Applicants who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)
● Applicant is a U.S. Citizen.
● Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements.
● Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance.
● Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance.
● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.
APPLICANT RATING SYSTEM
The applicant rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. Applicants must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:
Experience – 30 points
• Humanitarian experience, to include civilian emergency response, early recovery, rehabilitation transition, or disaster risk reduction experience (10 points).
• Breadth of humanitarian experience across disaster cycle and program cycle (10 points).
• Experience managing USG awards from either the USG or the NGO side to include (1) strategy or program design, (2) proposal development or review, (3) implementation compliance and monitoring (10 points).
Interview Performance – 40 points
OFDA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews.
Timed Writing Test – 20 points
Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – 10 points
Total Possible Points: 100
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