USAID Development Program Specialist, Gender and Inclusion at the U.S. 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 Development Program Specialist, Gender and Inclusion (All Interested Candidates) (72062021R10012)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2021-018
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

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 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 August 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.

For more information about USAID, visit: http://www.usaid.gov

Summary

• The Development Program Specialist function is to advise the Mission on complying with US Government and USAID policies and strategies detailing commitment to inclusive development including, but not limited to the Disability Policy; the Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy; the Youth in Development Policy; the Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Strategy; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Vision for Action; and the Nondiscrimination for Beneficiaries Policy.

Travel Required:

• Occasional Travel
• The job holder may be expected to perform work-related travel.

Duties
Policy Advisor and Mission Representation (40%):

• Serve as the Mission’s Point of Contact (POC) for gender, youth, and inclusive development to mentor and provide highly qualified policy and technical advice to technical teams on compliance with USAID’s inclusive development policies.
• Advise the Program Office and technical teams throughout all aspects of the Program Cycle, to ensure that these policies are carried out in the implementation of USAID’s activities.
• Participate in activity designs, as appropriate, to ensure that gender and inclusive language and activities are included in designing sector specific work.
• Represent USAID at Mission Level interagency Gender coordination efforts.
• Serve as the Mission Liaison to the embassy, gender donor coordination group, and government of Nigeria gender, youth, and inclusive development points of contact, and stakeholders working on efforts that further these USAID policy objectives.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (40%):

• Advise on Mission Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) efforts to support the inclusive development policies.
• Work with technical teams to review project and activity MEL plans and advise on gender, youth, and other inclusive development aspects to ensure indicators are in place to comply with the relevant policies and to measure meaningful results.
• Arrange for training and other capacity building activities for USAID / Nigeria and the Mission’s implementing partners to help ensure compliance with the inclusive development policies.
• Review field reporting templates to ensure inclusive development factors are assessed.
• Participate in field monitoring visits as appropriate to promote integration of and empowerment of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
• Review all Portfolio Review submissions to help teams highlight gender and inclusive development achievements and advise them where improved inclusive development could be achieved.
• Review evaluation scopes of work and advise on compliance with inclusive development policies.
• Serve as the Contracting Officer Representative on inclusive development evaluations or analyses as assigned.

Documentation and Reporting (20%):

• Draft Mission reporting efforts related to Gender, Youth, and Inclusive Development, including but not limited to narratives for the annual Performance Plan and Report and Operational Plan.
• Work with the Program Office Budget Specialist to appropriately identify budget attributions for activities that support these policies.
• Provide stories to the Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) team on achievements of Mission Activities related to gender, youth, and inclusive development.
• Work with the DOC team to coordinate USAID’s participation and involvement in key days such as International Women’s Day, International Day of the Girl Child, 16 Days of Gender Based Violence Activism, etc.
• Contribute as needed to other Mission reporting requirements.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Education Requirements:

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies, Public Administration, International Development, Project Management, or related Social Science is required.

Prior Work Experience:

• Minimum five (5) years of progressive responsibilities in gender, youth, or other inclusive development issues in project design, implementation, and reporting with experience working on monitoring and evaluation or development research, including experience with inclusive development related projects is required.

Requirements:

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

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.

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.

Job Knowledge:

• The incumbent will be required to have a detailed knowledge of USG, International Donor, or other commonly utilized program and project management procedures and guidelines, particularly gender, youth, and inclusive development challenges, approaches, and best practices.
• The incumbent must have a thorough understanding of USAID’s Inclusive Development policies.
• A sound knowledge of the concepts, principles, techniques, and practices of development assistance is required.
• A sound knowledge of host-country economic, social, cultural, and political characteristics is required, particularly issues of the challenges and impediments that the Nigeria context presents for women, youth, and other disadvantaged groups.
• The incumbent will be required to be proactive in keeping abreast of evolving Inclusive Development guidelines and policies which affect overall program activities within the Mission such as the Automated Directives System (ADS), Agency Policies, Mission Orders, Mission Notices, and USAID Strategy and Policy Documents.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent organizational skills are required. Demonstrated ability to work independently and in collaboration with other team members and units is required.
• The ability to establish and maintain contacts with implementing partners is required.
• The ability to make public presentations and to represent USAID at events such as donor coordination meetings is required.
• The ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, is necessary.
• The incumbent must be able to draft clear reports and briefing documents in English, in a timely manner.
• The incumbent must also have excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to: 1) facilitate productive professional relationships within USAID’s culturally diverse team environment; 2) work calmly, tactfully, and effectively under pressure; 3) demonstrate extraordinary flexibility; 4) effectively manage multiple tasks at the same time, and 5) liaise effectively with embassy, host country officials, and other international donors.

Language Proficiency:

• Level IV English language proficiency, speaking and writing, is required.

Benefits and Other Info

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

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
NGN 15,890,203 Annually.

Application Closing Date
4th March, 2021.