USAID Program Management Specialist, HART at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises the Embassy in Abuja, FCT, and the Consulate General in Lagos. U.S. Consulate General Lagos is the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: USAID Program Management Specialist, HART (All Interested Candidates) (72062021R10023)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2021-065
Location: Abuja
Series / Grade: LE – 4005 11
Work Schedule: Full-time – Work Schedule is 40hrs per week
Promotion Potential: LE-11

Overview

• Hiring Path: Open to the public
• Who May Apply / Clarification From the Agency: Open to All Interested Candidates: Cooperating Country Nationals (Nigerians Only).
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust – Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Five (5) years renewable, estimated to start on or after September 2021.
• Supervisory Position: No
• Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No
• Travel Required: Occasional Travel – The job holder may be expected to perform work-related travel.

Summary

• The BHA/HART Program Management Specialist is a member of USAID/Nigeria Humanitarian Assistance Response Technical (HART) Office, which supports the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance portfolio totaling more than $330 million each year.
• The PMS provides technical oversight and guidance on USAID BHA strategies, programs, and activities that advance the HART agenda in Nigeria, with a specific emphasis on the USAID humanitarian response in the Northeast and monitoring emerging crises.

Duties
The BHA / HART Program Management Specialist will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

Strategic and Technical (75%):

• Lead the design, implementation, and performance management of a robust and dynamic portfolio of humanitarian assistance activities. Serve as an Activity Manager and assist headquarters-based Agreement Officer’s Representatives (AORs) in managing humanitarian awards by providing field-based insights, knowledge, and perspectives.
• Monitor and report on implementation of ongoing BHA programs. Conduct regular partner meetings to discuss activity implementation. Based on the information collected during partner meetings, communicate findings and recommendations to HART Office management, BHA Washington, and, as appropriate, to partners, sector leads, other donors, and Government of Nigeria counterparts. Recommend adjustments and improvements in USAID partner humanitarian assistance activities to promote efficiency, effectiveness, and cost savings.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of USAID and USG humanitarian priorities and strategies within Nigeria and USAID/HART’s contributions and comparative advantages of those efforts.
• In close coordination with the Office Director, Program Coordinator, and the DC-based Nigeria Team, work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations (IOs), and United Nations (UN) agencies that are developing proposals for HART (including timely grant amendments and extensions).
• With guidance from the Senior Humanitarian Advisor and Program Coordinator, coordinate with the donor community on policy issues affecting humanitarian operations, and develop integrated, non-duplicative programs.
• 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, to include political, economic, social, and operational issues impacting humanitarian efforts, and keep the team current on response issues. Uses judgement and experience to assess the accuracy of information, reliability of sources, and the relevance of the information. Also provides analysis on how these trends affect the development and implementation of BHA’s emergency programming.
• Provide regular reports on site visits, meetings, general atmospherics, and other issues that impact humanitarian relief efforts.
• Prepare briefing papers, notes and presentations on HART programming for official USG visitors interested in humanitarian issues.
• Serve as peer mentor to team members on grants management and portfolio management, to include HART’s business process, portfolio-specific budget and workload management, and post-award monitoring and management.
• Support team efforts to continually assess emergency response and disaster risk reduction needs in Nigeria in order to ensure that HART’s programs are appropriately responsive.
• Review concept papers and proposals and provide recommendations/comments to HART and AOR for final funding determination.
• Participate in and report on joint donor humanitarian evaluations and UN-led assessments and participate actively in the international community response structures.
• Travel as permitted to support team efforts to assess, evaluate and monitor humanitarian conditions in Nigeria, and make strategic recommendations for appropriate interventions.

Representation and Coordination (25%):

• Support the team in maintaining relations with the humanitarian community in Nigeria in representing USAID on humanitarian issues. This will include but is not limited to UN agencies, IOs, NGOs, USG personnel, donors, host government authorities, and others.
• As requested, meet regularly with donors, host government officials, USG agencies, and others on humanitarian issues in order to explain, advocate for, and advance HART’s priorities and to help coordinate USG and international humanitarian activities.
• Work with HART’s program staff based in Washington, D.C., the regional office in Dakar, and in Nigeria in the development of HART’s programming for response and disaster risk reduction activities in Nigeria, ensure complementarity between the two strategies, and oversee implementation of each.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Requirements:

• Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

Education Requirements:

• A minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Sociology, Economics, Business, or Public Administration or in other fields relevant to Humanitarian Assistance, International Development, Program Evaluation, Research, and International Programs is required.

Prior Work Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the design, management, and/or implementation of humanitarian and/or development activities is required.

Job Knowledge:

• The PMS must have a thorough and sound knowledge of humanitarian assistance including emergency response approaches in Nigeria; technical knowledge of BHA Nigeria’s humanitarian response programmatic design, implementation, and evaluation; In-depth knowledge of Nigerian culture, society, and values and strong working knowledge of computer applications to carry out management and statistical analysis.

Skills and Abilities:

• Interpersonal Skills: Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships within the HART Office, technical advisors and Washington, DC Nigeria Team, NGO and UN partners, and relevant USG agencies.
• Professionalism: Ability to apply complex rules and processes to a variety of situations with a view toward accomplishing program objectives and meeting the needs of stakeholders; keeps abreast of changes and is able to adapt readily; shows persistence and remains calm in stressful situations.
• Analytical Thinking: Uses facts and available information to develop logical assumptions; recognizes inconsistencies between facts and/or other data and draws correct inferences from information. Understands data/information collection, management, synthesis and integration.
• Planning and Organization: Skillfully identifies and manages priority tasks and issues; plans for risks and allows for contingencies; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; meets deadlines and achieves results with high quality; works effectively on multiple tasks under intense time pressure.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens effectively, tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; able to explain rules and the rationale behind them; excellent use of English in written or oral presentations.
• Computer and Software Skills: Possess knowledge and skills needed to effectively and efficiently use computers and office software including Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, e-mail, and the internet; able to learn and use M&E-related programs, and tools including presentation material incorporating effective graphics.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve goals; demonstrates respect for people and is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Language Proficiency:

• Level IV (Fluent) English speaking and writing ability is required.

Evaluations:

• Knowledge: 10 points
• Skills and Abilities: 10 points
• Communication and Language skills: 10 points
• Interview Performance: 70 points.

Total Possible Points: 100 points.

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. Candidates meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed candidates. If the interview is conducted, the interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

Reference checks will be made only for the successful candidate. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the application letter.

Marketing Statement:

• USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID fosters transformational development around the world.
• Our work supports economic growth and trade; agriculture and the environment; education and training; democracy and governance; global health; global partnerships and humanitarian assistance. We operate in the following regions of the world: Afghanistan and Pakistan, Africa (all of Africa), Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East.
• For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov

USAID is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

• All qualified candidates will be considered regardless of age, race, color, sex, creed, national origin, lawful political affiliation, non-disqualifying handicap, marital status, sexual orientation, affiliation with an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.

Other Information:

• USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf
• Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at https://www.usaid.gov/forms
• Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs
• Ethical Conduct.  By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635.  See https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations

Taxes:

• The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations. Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.

Salary
NGN15,890,203 Annually.

Benefits and Other Info
Agency Benefits:
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

• Health Insurance
• Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
• Annual and Sick leave
• Annual Bonus.

Allowances (as applicable):

• Transportation Allowance
• Meal Allowance
• Miscellaneous Allowance
• Housing Allowance.

Deadline: 18th June, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information

• Eligible applicants are required to complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. GMT on the closing date of this announcement.
• Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date online, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.

Required Documents

• Current Resume
• Cover Letter
• Relevant Certificates
• NYSC Certificate
• University Degree Certificate
• List of References.

Next Steps:

• After the closing date for receipt of applications, all applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a shortlist of applicants developed. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be considered.
• A committee will be convened to review the shortlisted applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria as stated above.  Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.