USAID Project Management Specialist at U.S. Embassy Abuja

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises of 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 Project Management Specialist, Feed the Future (Current Mission Employees Only) (72062021R10028)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2021-085
Location: Abuja
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Series / Grade: LE - 4005 11
Work Schedule: Full-time - Work Schedule is 40hrs per week
Promotion Potential: LE-11
Telework Eligible: No

Overview

• Hiring Path: Open to the public
• Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency: Open to Current Mission Nigeria Employees Only. For definitions use URL www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/glossary
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust - Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Five (5) years renewable, estimated to start on or after November 2021
• Supervisory Position: No
• Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No
• Travel Required: Not required

Summary

• The USAID Project Management Specialist – Feed the Future is located in the USAID/Nigeria Economic Growth and Environment (EGE) Office.
• The primary purpose of this position is to perform a full range of administrative, program and management duties including research, planning, reporting, outreach, and activity monitoring.
• The incumbent will support implementation and coordination of EGE programs, including the Presidential Feed the Future Initiative, Power Africa, and the WASH portfolio.

Duties
Project Support/Administration: 40%

• Maintains a technical working knowledge of all activities within EGE including program/projects Scope of Works (SOW), areas of ongoing/past/planned activities and their relation to Mission strategic objectives and measurable goals.
• Plays a critical role in defining and developing systems to store and retrieve information and statistics of high quality which are critical for program/project monitoring, planning, policy development, analysis, and reporting.
• Coordinates and ensures timely completion of all administrative and reporting requirements including but not limited to operational plans, portfolio reviews, congressional notifications, annual reports, briefing memoranda, success stories and fact sheets.
• Provides guidance and support to EGE team members regarding USG guidelines and regulations (ADS, AIDAR, FAR, Mission Orders). Participates in coordination of the EGE budget, obligations, accruals, and other contractual and financial reporting requirements.

Program / Project Management: 40%

• Serves as the Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) and/or alternate COR/AOR for EGE acquisition and assistance activities, activity manager for field support programs.
• The Specialist will manage an annual combined program budget of US$2M per year for 5 years.
• Provides advanced technical advice required to implement projects; performs site-visits and monitors performance including review of work plans, terms of reference and scopes of works. Serves as a team member in planning, reviewing, and designing new activities.
• Technical monitoring and administration of the contract/cooperative agreement; financial management including expenditure analysis, forward funding estimates and accruals calculations; program management including target allocation and quarterly/annual monitoring of implementation. Will identify actual or potential problem areas and recommend corrective actions, particularly in areas of procedures and analytical inquiry.
• Drafts techn ical justifications for new activities and for changes to ongoing activities and programs.
• Participates in strategy and program reviews; comments on other activity managers project documents, as requested.
• Tracks annual budget allocations and expenditures, priority given to Feed the Future portfolio. Develops annual budget allocations for projects, administration, program design, project monitoring and evaluation in coordination with EGE management.

Analysis and Program Reporting: 20%

• Support EGE Senior Program Managers on the analysis and reporting of all aspects of economic growth activities, priority given to Agriculture.
• Using published and unpublished sources, and where necessary, conducting research of a qualitative and quantitative nature, assesses the impact of new developments and interventions regarding economic growth and agriculture in assigned areas.
• Assists in outreach and communication through maintaining updated program information. May represent USAID to the Government of Nigeria counterparts, the private sector, NGOs, other donors, and stakeholders.
• Will provide on a regular basis complex tech nical non-government organizations performance management plans and quarterly results reporting.
• Provides administrative and technical guidance to EGE staff on program and project strategies and technical approaches.
• Participates in analyzing policy statements and plans of the Nigerian government and other donors to inform USAID programming.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Requirements:

• Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
• Education Requirements: Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, Economics, Business Administration, or International Development or Affairs, or related field is required.

Evaluations:

• Knowledge: 15 points
• Skills and abilities: 10 points
• Communication and Language skills: 5 points
• Education: Up to 10 points for education exceeding the minimum requirements
• Interview Performance: 60 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.

Qualifications
Prior Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience working in development and project support in the Agricultural sector, Water and Sanitation, Power, and/or Private Sector Engagement with international and/or donor organizations is required. Demonstrated experience in successfully supporting technical projects, monitoring, and reporting for activities in any of the sectors listed above is required.

Job Knowledge:

•  A thorough knowledge and understanding of the drivers of economic growth, especially agriculture and the role of development in Nigeria is required. Contacts with appropriate governmental officials, non-governmental organizations and private sector professionals are necessary.
• This must be complemented by a broad understanding of
  • The economic, political, and cultural characteristics, and
  • The social problems, resources, and development prospects/priorities for Nigeria.
• Must have good knowledge or the potential to acquire such knowledge, of USG legislation relating to development assistance; USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation; and of the objectives, methodology and status of the program and projects to which assigned.  

Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to obtain and analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of data and to organize/present it in concise written and oral form; independently plan, develop, manage, and evaluate important and complex programs/projects; and furnish information and advice in assigned areas with detachment and objectivity.
• Ability to prepare complete and accurate technical reports and to develop and present ad hoc briefings.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively in a multicultural team environment.
• Demonstrated competency in using MS Office suite, Google Chrome, other database and web-design software and social media.
• Demonstrated ability or be able to acquire the ability to effectively and efficiently manage resources (staff, equipment, budget) to meet project goals and Mission objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively, work collaboratively and communicate (orally and in writing) clearly and concisely with all levels of personnel, within USAID, Government of Nigeria officials, international organizations, donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private sector, other US Government officials.

Language Proficiency:

• Level IV fluency in English, both written and spoken, is required.  Language competence may be tested.

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   

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

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

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
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

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

Important Notice

• 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 the receipt of applications, applications will initially be screened for conformity with the minimum requirements and a short list of applicants developed. Following this initial review and short listing, a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will convene to review applications that meet the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation factors (1-4). Applications from candidates which do not meet the minimum requirements will not be evaluated.  As part of the selection process, finalist candidates will be interviewed.  Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.  No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
• USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate. 
• Applicants are required to provide three (3) reference persons who are not family members or relatives, with working telephones and email contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about applicant’s past performance and abilities. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the resume. Note that if an applicant had a previous position with USAID, you must list your previous supervisor as a referee.
• For More Info: HR Section 000-000-0000 [email protected]

Application Deadline  9th September, 2021.