Organization: US Agency for International Development
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 29 Jul 2015
The OTI Position Title is a full-time Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-15 equivalent level and located in Washington, DC. Applications for this position are due no later than July 29, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please read the entire solicitation at www.OTIjobs.net.
INTRODUCTION:
The Field Programs Division (FPD) provides expertise and technical support to both OTI Washington and to all country programs in the field, spearheading OTI’s strategic engagement in intra/inter-agency sector-specific dialog and debate, and enhancing OTI’s ability to actively engage in discussions on matters critical to OTI program objectives. OTI currently has four teams as part of its Field Programs Division, including four regional teams: Middle East (ME) regional team, Africa (AFR) regional team, Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regional team, and Yemen, Europe, and Asia (YEA). The Field Programs Division also encompasses a management team of Deputy Chiefs, support staff, and OTI’s surge capacity, known as the program “Bullpen”.
The Chief, Field Programs Division’s principal responsibility is to lead these four teams (ME, AFR, LAC, and YEA), supervising the four team leaders, and managing OTI country programs, which includes all programming responsibilities and authorities, assessments, start-ups and close outs. Additionally, the Chief, FPD will supervise FPD Deputy Chiefs, support staff, and the surge staff supervisor.
The OTI Chief, FPD reports to the OTI Deputy Director or his/her designee, and is based in Washington, DC.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Utilize oral and written communication, negotiation, and analytical skills to manage the politically-sensitive process of obtaining Agency approval for an OTI intervention at a critical point in a country’s transition;
- Utilize knowledge, experience, programmatic and analytical skills to assess politically sensitive situations and respond with on-the-spot initiatives or actions, including the ability to provide recommendations on the feasibility of a new OTI country program;
- Within the guidelines provided by the OTI Deputy Director or designee, oversee and offer comprehensive advice on the negotiation of program and project agreements with governmental and non-governmental counterparts, with broad latitude for exercise of independent judgment in collaboration with OTI Senior Leadership;
- As needed, serve on short-term assignments with other USAID offices or bureaus in direct support of OTI programs. These placements shall not exceed three months;
- Oversee the implementation of all OTI country programs strategies, advising and collaborating on office policies and procedures;
- As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, advise and collaborate closely with other Senior Leaders on the development of OTI program strategies and office policies and practices. Advise and make recommendations for OTI Senior Leadership on a strategy outlining future planning and vision in the development and implementation of OTI programs. Advise OTI’s Senior Leadership team through regular reports that include observations, problems, and recommendations regarding OTI programs;
- Coordinate OTI programs broadly within the framework of USG policy in order to both problem solve and develop new ideas, theories, or techniques to optimize the impact and effectiveness of transition programs;
- Perform international political analysis across a broad spectrum of the world, as OTI’s programming involves interventions in various countries, each with differing histories, cultures, and political systems, at different levels of social and economic development;
- Actively participate in conferences, meetings, or presentations involving issues of strategic relevance to political transition programming, including watch list countries in cooperation with OTI regional teams, in order to provide sustained knowledge to the OTI Senior Leadership Team on current events and programs;
- Serve as a liaison with other DCHA offices in Washington and the field, other USAID divisions, and the State Department to ensure program and policy direction;
- On occasions, when required by the OTI Director or Deputy Director, serve as a primary point of contact and liaison with U.S. Ambassadors or his/her Representatives (e.g. in the absence of a USAID Mission), other agencies of the U.S. Government, international organizations, host country government officials, and the non-government community both in the U.S. and abroad who may be highly important to OTI’s programs and objectives, with the goal of maintaining or developing common understandings among diverse groups regarding the strategic purpose of OTI programs within the context of USG policy;
- Represent OTI in internal Agency discussions of policy and resource allocation, at the Office, Assistant Administrator, and Executive levels;
- Serve as the OTI Senior Management Team’s principal expert on program and policy issues;
- Provide guidance on OTI’s policy and position on issues; ensuring that USG and OTI interests are protected and coordinated, and that policy is properly and consistently implemented;
- Design staffing plans to meet overall program objectives, ensure staff work objectives and tasks are well defined, and ensure that recruitment is initiated immediately when staffing needs arise. Ensure staff is highly qualified, trained, and mentored in all critical aspects of OTI operations and programming. Ensure that employee performance evaluations are completed in a timely manner in accordance with OTI office policy;
- Lead, manage and directly supervise OTI Deputy Chiefs, Team Leaders, and FPD bullpen staff as required. Provide orientation, training, and mentoring for staff; explain how duties are to be performed to meet expectations; recognize good performance; communicate and take action where performance needs to be improved;
- Act as OTI Deputy Director when required by the Director during periods of absence by the incumbent Deputy Director, or as Director when both the Deputy Director and Director are absent; and
- Perform related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the successful completion of country programs and operations.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
(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. See detailed instructions for demonstrating Education/Experience under "Applying")
At a minimum, the applicant must have:
- A Master’s Degree with nine (9) yearsof project management experience with a U.S. Government foreign affairs agency, international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization in community development, economic development, mediation/arbitration, conflict resolution, democracy and governance, international law, human rights activities, and/or political analysis;
OR
- A Bachelor’s Degree with eleven (11) years of project management experience with a U.S. Government foreign affairs agency, international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization in community development, economic development, mediation/arbitration, conflict resolution, democracy and governance, international law, human rights activities, and/or political analysis;
AND
- Three (3) years of overseas field experience working in a developing country, of which two (2) years must include experience working in one or more countries undergoing political transition.
- Six (6) years of supervisory experience, of which three (3) years must include supervising at a management level (supervising supervisors), and two (2) years of supervisory experience overseas.
Please direct questions about this position or the application process to the OTI Recruitment Team at otijobs@usaid.gov.
How to apply:
For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please visit www.OTIjobs.net.
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