Position Title: Economic Recovery and Market Systems Technical Advisor
Solicitation Number: SOL-OFDA-16-000003
Salary Level: GS-13 Equivalent: $90,823 – $118,069
Issuance Date: November 13, 2015
Closing Date: December 11, 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 an Economic Recovery and Market Systems Technical Advisor (ERMS Technical Advisor) 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.
****2.****Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) shown in the solicitation.
****3.****USPSC Application form AID 302-3. Applicants are required to complete and sign the form.
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 and the supplemental document addressing the QRFs must be emailed to:
OFDA Recruitment Team
E-Mail Address: recruiter@ofda.gov
Website: www.OFDAjobs.net
Any questions on this solicitation may be directed to OFDA Recruitment Team via the information provided above.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The ERMS Technical Advisor’s responsibilities will include the following:
• Plan and carry out assignments and determine planning approach or methodology to be used in carrying out assignments;
• Contribute to the formulation and articulation of appropriate strategies, recommendations and policies, and provide timely information and responses to ERMS-related inquiries from within OFDA, within USAID, and from the rest of the USG;
• Provide technical review of ERMS and related fields in proposals and concept notes;
• Assist in monitoring the effectiveness, efficiency and appropriateness of OFDA-funded ERMS and related programs and provide assistance for improving outcomes;
• Actively represent OFDA in emergency ERMS-related forums, discussions and activities, serve as a USG ERMS sector resource person, and provide expert technical and organizational leadership;
• Liaise with other economic recovery/markets/livelihoods experts, and with specialists in related fields (e.g. economic development, financial inclusion, resilience) within USAID, the USG, among implementing partners, other donors, and other key entities;
• Maintain up-to-date, expert-level knowledge of the ERMS technical area, related issues, and of the organizations engaged in related program activities, and apply new developments to OFDA programming;
• Serve as an activity manager and/or as a certified Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) for contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements under the global ERMS portfolio;
• Provide expert technical support to OFDA field offices, other offices within USAID, and to OFDA/PSPM;
• Develop collaborative working-level relationships with OFDA field and Washington staff who oversee ERMS-related programs;
• Deliver ERMS training modules for OFDA staff and partners;
• As needed, travel to OFDA field program locations to serve as a technical authority, including assessing needs and market conditions, advising on strategies for ERMS and related programming, and/or monitoring current ERMS-related projects;
• Serve as the OFDA after-hours duty officer on a rotational basis, for approximately one week every six months;
• Sign up for and serve as needed, on Washington-based RMTs, which provide services and support to DARTs deployed in response to disasters. The duties on RMTs will be varied; 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, economics, international development, international relations, or a related field), plus seven (7) years of relevant work experience in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance and/or international development, of which at least two (2) years must be directly related to assessing, designing, monitoring, managing, implementing, and/or evaluating economic recovery, livelihoods, markets, or cash programs in disaster-affected or fragile contexts overseas.
OR
Master’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including, but not limited to, economics, international development, international relations, or a related field), and five (5) years of relevant work experience in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance and/or international development, of which at least two (2) years must be directly related to assessing, designing, monitoring, managing, implementing, and/or evaluating economic recovery, livelihoods, markets, or cash programs in disaster-affected or fragile contexts overseas.
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.
● USPSC Application form AID 302-3. Applicants are required to complete and sign the form.
● Supplemental document specifically addressing the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) submitted.
● Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret level clearance as provided by USAID.
● Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance.
● Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.
QUALITY RANKING FACTORS (QRFs)
(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. The factors are listed in priority order from highest to least.)
QRF #1 In 500 words or less, describe your relevant work experience in assessing,
designing, monitoring, managing, implementing, and/or evaluating economic recovery, livelihoods, markets, or cash programs in disaster-affected or fragile contexts overseas.
QRF #2 In 500 words or less, discuss your experience applying key standards, tools,
frameworks and research in the field of economic recovery and cash programming.
QRF #3 In 500 words or less, discuss your ability to work with a diverse array of
individuals and organizations involved in disaster response/preparedness/mitigation and humanitarian assistance, including U.S. Government agencies (e.g., USAID, State Department, Department of Defense), international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and UN agencies, with references to relevant experience.
QRF #4 In 500 words or less, discuss your perspectives on the similarities and differences
between humanitarian economic recovery programming and economic development programming.
BASIS OF RATING:Applicants who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated based on scoring of the QRF responses. Those applicants determined to be competitively ranked may also be evaluated on interview performance and satisfactory professional reference checks.
Applicants are required to address each of the QRFs in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, and/or education they have received as it pertains to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to address the selection factors and/or Quality Ranking Factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, and/or training.
The most qualified candidates may be interviewed and required to provide a writing sample. OFDA will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for applicants being considered for selection. Note: Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an applicant. OFDA reserves the right to select additional candidates if vacancies become available during future phase of the selection process.
The Applicant Rating System is as Follows:
QRFs – 40 points
QRF #1 – 12 points
QRF #2 – 12 points
QRF #3 – 8 points
QRF #4 – 8 points
Interview Performance – 45 points
Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – 15 points
Total Possible Points: 100
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