USPSC Program Officer at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Nigeria is seeking to employ a suitable and qualified candidate for the position below in the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA):

Job Title: USPSC Program Officer

Solicitation No.: SOL-OFDA-17-000018
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Start Date: Immediately, once necessary clearances are obtained.
Period of Performance: Two (2) years, with three (3) option years.
Who May Apply: U.S. citizens

Introduction
OFDA is responsible for coordinating the USG’s humanitarian response to the complex emergency in Nigeria, establishing programs to meet clearly defined humanitarian needs, and for overseeing OFDA’s current and future humanitarian assistance programming. OFDA maintains a regional office in Nigeria headed by the Senior Humanitarian Advisor (SHA), who oversees staff, programs, and operations for OFDA in-country.

The Program Officer (PO) in Abuja, Nigeria will monitor OFDA-funded programs, liaise with international organizations (IOs) and with the NGO community, provide assessments when appropriate, and make program recommendations. The team in Nigeria is working to allocate USG humanitarian assistance funding to support humanitarian programs. USAID anticipates significant additional humanitarian programming for Fiscal Year 2017. The PO will work with implementing partners to ensure that programming meets strategic objectives and to shepherd programs through the approval process. This position reports directly to the OFDA SHA in Abuja, Nigeria.

Objectives

• OFDA requires the services of a PO for Nigeria to coordinate disaster response activities and carry out its lead role in facilitating and coordinating USG emergency assistance overseas.
• The Program Officer (PO) in Abuja, Nigeria will monitor OFDA-funded programs, liaise with international organizations (IOs) and with the NGO community, provide assessments when appropriate, and make program recommendations.
• The PO will work with implementing partners to ensure that programming meets strategic objectives and to shepherd programs through the approval process.
• This position reports directly to the OFDA SHA in Abuja, Nigeria.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The PO will provide full time in-country coordination and management of OFDA programming for humanitarian emergency and disaster risk reduction activities throughout Nigeria.
• The PO may assist in humanitarian assistance activities elsewhere in the region as needed. Working under the guidance and supervision of the SHA, the PO will support OFDA’s program office in Nigeria with the coordination and management of humanitarian and disaster risk reduction activities.
• The PO will work in close collaboration with a program team that may include Senior Regional Advisors (SRA), SHAs, Senior Program Officers (SPO), Program Officers (PO), Field Monitors, Team Leaders, Deputy Team Leaders, Disaster Operations Advisors and Specialists, and /or Program Assistants.
• The PO must be prepared to function effectively in a challenging and restrictive work environment and be willing to strictly adhere to U.S. Embassy security guidelines.

Contextual Specialty:

• Develop and maintain specialized understanding of humanitarian developments within Nigeria to include political, social, and operational issues impacting humanitarian efforts.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of USAID and USG humanitarian priorities and strategies within Nigeria and USAID/OFDA’s contributions and comparative advantages of those efforts.
• Provide regular reporting, through official cables and other means, on issues related to the humanitarian situation in Nigeria. Provide overviews of patterns and trends in the humanitarian situation and keep the Regional Advisor (RA), SPO, and other program staff current on response issues. Provide regular reports on site visits, meetings, general atmospherics and other issues that impact humanitarian relief efforts.
• Prepare briefing papers, notes and presentations on OFDA programming for official USG visitors interested in humanitarian issues.

Portfolio Management:

• Develop and maintain a detailed working knowledge of OFDA’s humanitarian portfolio in Nigeria.
• Work with OFDA’s program staff based in Washington, D.C., the regional office in Dakar, Senegal, and in Nigeria in the development of OFDA’s programming for response and disaster risk reduction activities in Nigeria, ensure complementarity between the two strategies, and oversee implementation of each.
• Support team efforts to continually assess emergency response and disaster risk reduction needs in Nigeria in order to ensure that OFDA’s programs are appropriately responsive.
• In close coordination with the RA, SPO, and Disaster Operations Specialist (DOS), work with NGOs, IOs, and UN agencies that are developing proposals for OFDA (including grant amendments and extensions). Ensure that draft proposals are in compliance with "OFDA’s Guidelines for Unsolicited Proposals and Reporting." Review concept papers and proposals, and provide recommendations/comments to OFDA for final funding determination.
• Assist headquarters based Agreement Officer’s Representatives in managing humanitarian awards by providing field-based insights, knowledge, and perspectives.
• Travel as permitted to support team efforts to assess, evaluate and monitor humanitarian conditions in Nigeria, and make strategic recommendations for appropriate interventions.
• The USPSC is responsible for planning and carrying out assignments. The USPSC is responsible for planning approach or methodology to be used in carrying out assignments.

Representation:

• Support the SHA in maintaining relations with the humanitarian community in Nigeria in representing USAID and OFDA on humanitarian issues. This will include but is not limited to UN agencies, IOs, NGOs, USG personnel, donors, host government authorities, and others.
• Participate in and report on joint donor humanitarian evaluations and UN-led assessments, and participate actively in the international community response structures.
• With guidance from the RA or SPO, coordinate with the donor community on policy issues affecting humanitarian operations, and develop integrated, non-duplicative programs.
• Maintain regular contact with OFDA grantees, as well as other UN agencies, IOs, and NGOs. As requested by the RA, meet regularly with donors, host government officials, USG agencies, and others on humanitarian issues in order to explain, advocate for, and advance OFDA’s priorities and to help coordinate USG and international humanitarian activities.

Leadership:

• Serve as peer mentor to team members on grants management and portfolio management, to include OFDA’s business process, portfolio-specific budget and workload management, and post-award monitoring and management.
• Participate, as assigned, in office-wide discussions on initiatives that impact program implementation to provide field-based perspectives.

General Duties:

• Serve in program positions on response teams, assessment teams, or to provide coverage for field offices within and outside the region, which may deploy on short notice for up to 90 days.
• Serve in program positions on Washington-based RMTs for up to 45 days.
• 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.
• As needed, serve on DARTs which may require immediate (within 24 hours) deployment overseas for an extended period of time.

Supervisory Relationship:

• The Program Officer will take direction from and report to the OFDA SHA based in Abuja, Nigeria or his/her designee.

Supervisory Controls:

• The PO will report to the Senior Humanitarian Advisor in Abuja, Nigeria and maintain close coordination with the program team in Washington, DC. Supervisor sets overall objectives and resource available; the USPSC consults with supervisor to develop deadlines, projects and work to be done. The USPSC is responsible for planning and carrying out assignments. The USPSC is responsible for planning approach or methodology to be used in carrying out assignments.

Physical Demands:

• The work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, there may be some additional physical exertion including long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain, or carrying of moderately heavy items (less than 50 pounds).

Work Environment:

• Work is primarily performed in an office setting. During deployment on DARTs (if required), and during site visits, the work may additionally involve special safety and/or security precautions, wearing of protective equipment, and exposure to severe weather conditions.

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 international relations, political science, economics, food policy, or a related field), and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience working in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance, which must include at least one (1) year of on-the-ground international field experience working in humanitarian assistance.
• This experience must include one or more of the following: needs assessment, analysis, emergency relief program operations, or post-emergency rehabilitation aid.

Or

• Master’s degree with significant study in, or pertinent to, the specialized field (including international relations, political science, economics, food policy, or a related field), and four (4) years of progressively responsible experience working in emergency relief and humanitarian assistance, which must include at least one (1) year of on-the-ground international field experience working in humanitarian assistance.
• This experience must include one or more of the following: needs assessment, analysis, emergency relief program operations, or post-emergency rehabilitation aid.

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 sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret up to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level clearance as provided by USAID.
• Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance.
• Must not appear as an excluded party in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).
• 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:

Professional Experience (10 points) :

• Experience monitoring and reporting on rapidly evolving humanitarian crises in an international disaster context.
• Experience working across the entire disaster management cycle to include emergency response, early recovery and transition, disaster risk reduction, and resilience.
• Specific experience implementing humanitarian interventions including needs assessment, strategy development, and reporting.

Skills and Abilities (10 points) :

• Demonstrated skills and abilities in coordinating relief, transition, or disaster risk reduction activities with host governments in the midst of humanitarian crisis situations.
• Demonstrated skills and abilities in coordinating relief, transition, or disaster risk reduction activities with other donors and diplomatic missions in the midst of international humanitarian crisis situations.
• Demonstrated skills and abilities in coordinating relief, transition, or disaster risk reduction activities with international and national non-governmental humanitarian partners in the midst of humanitarian crisis situations.
• Demonstrated skills and abilities in coordinating relief, transition, or disaster risk reduction activities within the USG.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex humanitarian issues to a range of audiences orally and through written products.

Program Management (10 points) :

• Demonstrated knowledge of USG acquisition and assistance regulations.
• Demonstrated experience developing, designing, or evaluating proposed humanitarian interventions against response or disaster risk reduction strategies and identified need.
• Demonstrated experience managing USG acquisition and assistance awards to include post-award administration and regulation compliance.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating with multiple country representatives to develop, track, and maintain a large budget.

Interview Performance (40 points)

Timed Writing Test (15 points)

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks (15 points)

Total Possible Points: 100

Basis of Rating:

• Applicants who meet the Education/Experience requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated in accordance with the Applicant Rating System. 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 factor of the Applicant Rating System in their resume, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards 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 Applicant Rating System factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.
• 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.

Remuneration

• GS-12 equivalent ($62,722 - $81,541 - not eligible for locality pay). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value based upon the candidate’s past salary, work history and educational background. Salaries over and above the top of the pay range will not be entertained or negotiated.

Application Closing date
15th February, 2017.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Applications which must include all required documents stated below to: [email protected]

Required Documents
Complete resume. In order to fully evaluate your application, your resume must include:

• 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.
• Specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work.
• 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.
• Education and any other qualifications including job-related training courses, job-related skills, or job-related honors, awards or accomplishments.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Optional: Where you heard about this job (FedBizOps, OFDA Jobs, Career Fair, etc.).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.
• USPSC Application Form AID 302-3. Applicants are required to complete sections A through I. This form must be physically signed. Electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Note

• Additional documents submitted will not be accepted.
• By submitting your application materials, you certify that all of the information on and attached to the application is true, correct, complete, and made in good faith. You agree to allow all information on and attached to the application to be investigated. False or fraudulent information on or attached to your application may result in you being eliminated from consideration for this position, or being terminated after award, and may be punishable by fine or imprisonment.
• To ensure consideration of applications for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on your application, and as the subject line in any email.
• 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.