The OTI Learning/Senior Learning Specialist is a full-time Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-13/14 equivalent level and located in Washington, D.C. Applications for this position are due no later than March 21, 2016 at 5:00pm 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
As a member of the OTI Applied Best Practices and Coordination (ABC) Team, the Learning/Sr. Learning Specialist position utilizes the experience and skills gained from working with political transition, stabilization, and conflict mitigation programs, to provide support and guidance for country program staff to help ensure the successful implementation of OTI program activities in the field.
OTI’s success now and in the future depends in large part on its ability to achieve an overarching organizational goal: the effective transfer and ongoing analysis of knowledge and experience – comprised of values, management processes, lessons learned, best practices, standards, and innovations – in real time, with a variety of stakeholders. These stakeholders include: OTI staff in the field and headquarters; OTI’s implementing partners around the world; USAID Missions overseas; other USAID offices and bureaus in Washington; other U.S. Government agencies and branches; other donors; other transition, stabilization and reconstruction practitioners; host government and/or other local counterparts; and the U.S. public. All of the above increases OTI’s level of transparency and accountability.
To this end, the OTI ABC Team supports a model of organizational learning across the office that ensures:
- Increased communication and exchange of ideas between headquarters and field teams;
- Increased opportunities for peer-to-peer dialogue;
- Easier access to content and learning resources for a variety of stakeholders;
- More guidance available in online format;
- Provision of tools to surface and apply OTI’s programming lessons to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of OTI programs.
The Learning/Sr. Learning Specialist supports OTI’s mission to provide fast, flexible, short-term assistance targeted at key political transition and stabilization needs by building the knowledge, skills and abilities of OTI staff to continually improve country program performance. The Learning/Sr. Learning Specialist does this by: supporting the design and coordination of innovative solutions that are adapted to OTI’s fast-paced global needs; supporting and facilitating learning and training events; and providing support services ranging from procurement to linkages with private sector partners. ABC supports learning and innovation through the application of technology – including OTI’s knowledge management platform, mapping, data visualization, and other analytic tools – to continually improve OTI country program analysis, management and performance. ABC will ensure the effective integration of lessons and knowledge into OTI’s learning and training resources. ABC coordinates closely with other units, teams, and divisions within OTI to achieve these goals. OTI’s Learning/Senior Learning Specialist position provides support and guidance for program implementation, staff training and mentoring, assessments, and the development and application of lessons learned. The Learning/Senior Learning Specialist will be supervised by the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) Team Leader of the Applied Best Practices and Coordination (ABC) Team, or his/her designee.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
At the GS-13 Learning Specialist Level:
· Oversee the design, development and delivery of innovative learning and training solutions that are well adapted to OTI’s fast-paced, global needs, including organizing and planning events to increase OTI and implementing partner staff members’ application of OTI’s program practices and lessons learned;
· Manage the implementation of OTI’s worldwide strategies for learning and training, knowledge management (KM), and/or program performance management (PPM) in close collaboration with the Field Programs Division including logistical, budget, administrative, human resources, and contractual support;
· Collaborate with OMD’s Talent Management Unit during the new or transitioning employee onboarding process to ensure smooth handover and participate as an active member on OTI’s Training Steering Committee to enable office-wide coordination on staff development opportunities and policies;
· With supervisor’s guidance, fill critical needs for program advisement, management and implementation in Washington, DC and the field, including providing support to new OTI country program start-ups, management and close-out;
· Facilitate OTI staff members in the application of best practices and lessons learned by assessing knowledge gaps and needs, developing and updating relevant products, and supporting knowledge sharing activities. Assist in the integration of lessons learned from OTI’s PPM processes and ongoing/future training and learning efforts;
· Maintain collaborative relationships with all parts of OTI. Coordinate closely with the rest of the ABC team and PLI division, with OTI’s Field Programs Division, including Regional Advisors and bullpen staff, and with OTI’s Operations and Management Division (OMD) to ensure ongoing alignment with needs and expectations and effective management and coordination of learning, training, KM and/or PPM processes across the office;
· Participate in inter- and intra-agency working groups on learning and training related to transition assistance and/or working in complex environments if/when required;
· Present and articulate OTI’s mission and global programs to select visitors, officials from international organizations, bilateral donors, and national and foreign government officials;
· When required, carry out higher representational responsibilities, including serving as acting ABC Team Leader, for example;
· Manage the development of guidance and training materials on core OTI programming topics including context analysis, program and strategic design, knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, program performance management, and staff development;
· Supervise and manage ABC staff that support learning, training, KM, and/or PPM as assigned by the Team Leader. Provide orientation and training for staff supervised; assign work, explain how duties are to be performed to meet expectations and communicate how the successful performance of those duties will be measured; evaluate staff performance; recognize good performance; communicate where performance needs to be improved; resolve complaints; and approve leave requests and timesheets as well as training, travel and program and operations requests. Take supervisory and related training as required by OTI;
· Perform other related duties and activities as assigned by the supervisor.
At the GS-14 Senior Learning Specialist Level:
· Independently lead the design, development and delivery of innovative learning and training solutions that are well adapted to OTI’s fast-paced, global needs, including organizing and planning events to increase OTI and implementing partner staff members’ application of OTI’s program practices and lessons learned. Serve as one of ABC’s lead subject matter experts delivering training in DC and the field;
· Provide intellectual and managerial leadership in the formulation and implementation of OTI’s worldwide strategies for learning and training, knowledge management (KM), and/or program performance management (PPM) in close collaboration with the Field Programs Division including logistical, budget, administrative, human resources, and contractual support;
· Lead the ABC Team’s collaboration with OMD’s Talent Management Unit during the new or transitioning employee onboarding process to ensure smooth handover and participate as a leading member on OTI’s Training Steering Committee to enable office-wide coordination on staff development opportunities and policies;
· With supervisor’s guidance, fill critical needs for program advisement, management and implementation in Washington, DC and the field, including providing support to new OTI country program start-ups, management and close-out;
· Increase OTI staff members’ application of best practices and lessons learned by independently assessing knowledge gaps and needs, developing and updating relevant products, and facilitating knowledge sharing activities. Ensure integration of lessons learned from OTI’s PPM processes and ongoing/future training and learning efforts;
· Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with all parts of OTI. Coordinate closely with the rest of the ABC team and PLI division, OTI’s Field Programs Division, and OTI’s Operations and Management Division (OMD) to ensure ongoing alignment with needs and expectations and effective management and coordination of learning, training, KM and/or PPM processes across the office;
· Represent OTI in inter- and intra-agency working groups on learning and training related to transition assistance and/or working in complex environments if/when required;
· Represent and articulate OTI’s mission and global programs to select visitors, officials from international organizations, bilateral donors, and national and foreign government officials. When required, serve as a liaison with other DCHA offices, USAID divisions and the State Department, to develop appropriate program and policy direction;
· When required, carry out higher representational responsibilities, including serving as acting ABC Team Leader, for example;
· Establish guidance and create tailored training materials on core OTI programming topics including context analysis, program and strategic design, knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, program performance management, and staff development;
· Supervise and manage ABC staff that support learning, training, KM, and/or PPM as assigned by the Team Leader. Provide orientation, training, and mentoring for staff supervised; assign work, explain how duties are to be performed to meet expectations and communicate how the successful performance of those duties will be measured; evaluate staff performance; recognize good performance; communicate where performance needs to be improved; resolve complaints; and approve leave requests and timesheets as well as training, travel and program and operations requests. Take supervisory and related training as required by OTI;
· Perform other related duties and activities as assigned by the supervisor.
Minimum Qualifications 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. See detailed instructions for demonstrating Education/Experience under “Applying”)
At the GS-13 Learning Specialist level:
(1) A Master’s Degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field, including Organization Development, International Training, International Relations, International Development, Peace building, Conflict Resolution or a related field;
OR
(2) A Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible work experience;
AND
(3) A minimum of five (5) years of recent project management experience with a USG foreign affairs agency, international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization where the applicant’s work included focus on organization, program or individual learning and/or training solutions, systems and strategies;
(4) A minimum of one (1) year of overseas field experience living and working in conflict-prone, transition, crisis, or developing countries;
(5) A minimum of two (2) years supervisory experience.
At the GS-14 Senior Learning Specialist level:
(1) Master’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field, including Organization Development, International Training, International Relations, International Development, Peace building, Conflict Resolution or a related field;
OR
(2) Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of nine (9) years of progressively responsible work experience;
AND
(3) A minimum of seven (7) years of recent project management experience with a USG foreign affairs agency, international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization where the applicant’s work included focus on organization, program or individual learning and/or training solutions, systems and strategies;
(4) A minimum of one (1) year of overseas field experience living and working in conflict-prone, transition, crisis, or developing countries;
(5) A minimum of two (2) years supervisory experience.
Please direct questions about this position or the application process to the OTI Recruitment Team at www.otijobs@usad.gov.
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