Apply: USAID Project Management Specialist at US Embassy
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 below:
Job Title: USAID Project Management Specialist – Education – All Interested Candidates (72062021R10004)
Announcement Number: Abuja-2020-059
Location: Abuja
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Series / Grade: LE – 4005 11
Promotion Potential: LE-11
Work Schedule: Full-time – 40 hour per week
Telework Eligible: No
Overview
- Hiring Path: Open to the public
- Who May Apply /
Clarification From the Agency: For definitions use URL
www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/glossary. Open to 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 May 2021.
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.
Summary
- The incumbent will serve as a Contracting Officer Representative
(COR), Agreement Officer Representative (AOR) and / or Activity
Manager, upon USAID certification, for selected instruments within the
education portfolio that align to components of USAID / Nigeria’s
Country Development Cooperation Strategy.
- Supervisory Position: No
- Relocation Expenses Reimbursed: No
- Travel Required: 25% or less
- The
contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or
to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service
National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
Duties
Program / Project Leadership and Management (40%):
- Perform the full range of program management functions from
activity startup to closure including but not limited to ensuring
grantees / contractors meet the full objectives of their project
descriptions or scopes of work, advising and participating in ongoing
evaluations of performance and ensuring program compliance with all
USAID policies.
- The incumbent must ensure technical content and
activity objectives are consistent with the strategic priorities of the
USAID Mission and the Government of Nigeria (GON), with an unwavering
commitment to continuous learning and adaptability.
- As part of her / his A / COR responsibilities, s / he conducts
site visits as an official representative of USAID / Nigeria to monitor
implementation and progress, identifies delays or difficulties requiring
resolution, engages counterparts internally and externally to identify
executable resolutions and ensures follow through on requisite actions
for seamless program delivery.
- S / he also ensures that all
official approvals are obtained from GON partners as required, as well
as provides financial oversight of assigned implementation activities. –
The incumbent provides technical leadership during in-briefs and
out-briefs for short-term technical assistance on activities as well as
actively liaises with donor counterparts and non-USAID activity leads,
where needed.
Program Policy and Analysis and Reporting (20%):
- The incumbent provides direction and support in the planning,
development, and evaluation of policies contributing toward the
education component of the Mission’s portfolio.
- Coordinates with
the Education Office Director, the Deputy Office Director, and other
Program Managers to ensure thoroughness and consistency of data
submitted on activities.
- Tracks political and policy
developments, legislative changes, and technical developments in the
field that affect USAID’s activities and / or objectives regarding
primary education, provides advice and recommendations on appropriate
USAID positions and provides briefing as needed.
- S / he will be
involved in annual Mission portfolio reviews as well as ad-hoc proposal
reviews submitted to the Mission or Washington for field concurrence.
- The
incumbent ensures that the indicators for measuring the impact of
education activities are accurately tracked and are used to revise
strategy, as necessary.
Activity Development and Design (20%):
- Conceptualizes and articulates evidence-based activity design or
delivery components in accordance with the education sector strategy,
the Nigerian political economy, the institutional capabilities of
potential USAID recipients, resource availability and funding sources.
- Contributes
technical expertise and creative ideas to other technical teams in the
Mission developing new interventions to support the social and economic
development of Nigeria.
- Explores ways and strategies for
integrating education into those interventions, identifying synergies,
and leveraging resources among those teams for maximum impact and
results.
- Researches the social and economic factors affecting the education system in Nigeria for input into design development.
- S / he contributes to the development of conceptual frameworks and formulates plans for required implementation documentation.
Education Team Administrative Work and External Engagement (20%):
- S / he is responsible for the management of assigned technical
and administrative aspects of USAID / Nigeria’s education program.
- Drafts
reports, correspondence, cables, GLAAS actions, scopes of work,
implementation letters, acquisition and assistance plan and accruals in
collaboration with the Program Office and the Office of Financial
Management, and any other documents necessary for the implementation of
assigned activities.
- S / he acts as liaison with senior leaders
in Nigerian NGOs and the civil society community to cultivate and
maintain support for the USAID education sector program.
- Represents
the Education team in conferences, workshops, donor coordination
subgroup / committee meetings, local staff committee meetings, project
design and briefing meetings and other meetings deemed appropriate.
- Develops
necessary materials for presentations by the Education Office Director
and other Program Managers, as well as other USAID / Nigeria senior
staff
- Negotiates the clearance and approval of documents required for proper implementation of activities.
- Collaborates
and coordinates various actions with senior GON officials, development
partners, local and international organizations, donor community
partners and civil society groups.
- The incumbent organizes the
participation of these officials in special meetings and events,
especially with high-level visitors or Embassy representatives.
Qualifications and Evaluations
Requirements:
- Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
- Post
Entry Training: Introduction to the Program Cycle; Project Design and
Management; Contracting Officers Representative / Agreement Officers
Representative (COR/AOR) training; Education sector related training.
Timing of courses is subject to availability of funds.
Education Requirements:
- Education: Minimum of a bachelor’s Degree in Education, Education Management, or related field is required.
Evaluations:
- Education (as stated above) 10 points
- Prior Work Experience (as stated above) 20 points
- Job Knowledge (as stated above) 30 points
- Language Proficiency (as stated above) 10 points
- Skills and abilities (as stated above) 30 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
reference check, this should be stated in the application letter.
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 factors. Management may consider the
following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of
interest, budget, and residency status.
Qualifications
- Prior Work Experience: Minimum of five years of progressively
responsible experience in program implementation of large donor-funded
activities within the education sector in Nigeria, including in-depth
experience in the collection, analysis, dissemination and presentation
of information related to progress in achieving sector objectives and
recommend actions and detailed understanding of the structure and
procedures inherent to the Nigerian government is required.
Job Knowledge:
- In depth knowledge of the major issues affecting education in
all geographic regions in Nigeria, including technical, social and
cultural aspects;
- Knowledge of specific issues facing education
in Northern Nigeria, such mitigating conflict in the education sector,
education policy, curriculum implementation, combating school-based
violence, basic literacy and numeracy acquisition, school based
management, education in emergencies, special needs education, and youth
development; and,
- Familiarity with topics related to education
reform, religious institutions, girls’ access to education, use of
language of the environment and mother-tongue instruction, education
financing, and systems strengthening.
Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrable skills in prudent decision-making, project
management and implementation oversight of education activities in
Nigeria.
- Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills, especially in multi-cultural settings.
- Proficiency in MS Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are required.
- Ability to process and critically analyze information quickly from a wide variety of sources is expected.
- Advanced
ability to adapt in a fast paced and evolving environment as well as
sound competencies in problem-solving and organization.
Language Proficiency:
- Excellent Level IV (fluency) speaking, writing, and editing
skills in English are required. Oral Level III (working ability) in a
local Nigerian language (e.g., Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba) is required.
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 / USD $58,186 annually
Benefits
Agency Benefits:
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:
- Benefits:
- 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
Required Documents
- Current Resume
- Relevant Certificates
- NYSC Certificates
- University Degree Certificate
- List of References
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.
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.
- For More Info: HR Section 09-461-4000 Email: HRNigeria@state.gov
Application Deadline 10th December, 2020 by 11:59 p.m. GMT
