The OTI Country Representative – Nigeria is a full-time Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-14 equivalent level and located in Nigeria. Offers for this position are due no later than June 28, 2019 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please read the entire solicitation at www.OTIjobs.net.
INTRODUCTION:
The OTI Country Representative is a member of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA)/OTI and reports to the OTI Regional Team Lead. Nigeria is one of the U.S. Government’s most strategic allies in sub-Saharan Africa but still struggles with insecurity caused by Boko Haram (BH) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-West Africa (WA). An escalated military offensive by Nigerian and regional security forces helped the government reclaim areas previously held by BH and ISIS-WA, and provided an opportunity for communities to return to their homes. However, the insurgency is far from over, as BH and ISIS-WA have increased attacks in Nigeria and neighboring countries in the Lake Chad Basin. To defeat BH and ISIS-WA, military operations must be coupled with civilian efforts to address the underlying issues.
OTI’s Northeast Nigeria program seeks to further U.S. foreign policy objectives in Nigeria through support that denies BH/ISIS-WA the space to operate by reducing recruitment and support for their ideology. OTI intends to address these critical issues through a flexible, small-grants mechanism which tailors approaches to the varied needs of communities in northeast Nigeria. The program may utilize both “soft” (e.g., cultural and recreational activities, media and strategic communications) and “hard” (e.g., small-scale infrastructure) activities to better connect communities, local actors, and the Nigerian government and to increase youth resistance to violent extremism. The program may also support national level activities, or other emerging transition needs.
Due to the sensitive, fragile, and challenging environments in which OTI works, the office’s approach to programming is one that seeks to find creative, entrepreneurial, and unique ways to approach problem sets. These dynamic contexts require that programs adapt to rapidly evolving situations and that teams continually explore assumptions and test innovative tools and methods to achieve program objectives. Given OTI’s short-term political mission, its unpredictable working environments and the diffuse problems it seeks to address, OTI has developed ways to get smart quickly and act fast. OTI has honed a program approach that uses iterative strategic planning, where staff constantly review the current political situation, create relationships with communities and key actors, and undertake activities that will test what works and what doesn’t in order to inform future activities and priorities. Core qualities of a successful OTI program are characterized by a team that is able to be: fast, flexible, iterative, adaptive, and entrepreneurial.
The Country Representative’s principal responsibility will be development, oversight and management of USAID/OTI’s country program. The incumbent will be called upon to support the OTI Deputy Country Representative with managing an implementing partner and may be called upon to represent OTI’s mission and programs to U.S. Embassy, host government officials, in-country visitors, and senior officials from other international organizations, bilateral donors, and local government officials.
Aligned with USG policy priorities, USAID/OTI’s rapid and targeted programming addresses emerging issues and empowers local implementing partners to leverage timely and locally driven activities that enhance engagement between government and citizens and promote norms of tolerance, coexistence, and dialogue.
The USAID/OTI program coordinates with, and complements, other USAID Missions and Department of State assistance efforts, as well as those of other donors.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
● Manage a high-profile program in a dynamic environment and provide programmatic, operational, and strategic guidance to OTI’s implementing partners (contractors and/or grantees) ensuring that activities contribute to OTI’s program objectives and are within the implementing partner’s scope;
● Conceptualize and design program strategies and objectives in close coordination with OTI staff in Washington, D.C. and in the field, U.S. Embassy, host country government, and local civil society officials based on political analysis and U.S. government policy.
● Communicate and coordinate OTI’s in-country activities between OTI and its implementing partners, USAID Mission, the U.S. Embassy and other donor organizations;
● Design and review staffing plans to meet overall program objectives as well as recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate the performance of in-country OTI staff;
● Monitor local and regional political developments and regularly brief OTI and implementing partner on potential programmatic impact;
● Analyze and report on current political developments, security concerns, and other pertinent information required to achieve OTI’s program objectives;
● Provide recommendations to the Washington, D.C.-based Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or the Regional Team Leader on implementing partner performance, the appropriateness of the implementing partner’s scope to OTI’s country objectives, implementing partner’s budgets, and modifications thereto;
● Provide USAID concurrence on all implementing partner activities, including final approval of grantees for grants under contract, in accordance with the USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS);
● Ensure the use of OTI systems and procedures to maintain effective and efficient management of funds, programming, as well as monitoring and evaluation;
● Ensure that OTI’s programs and activities are monitored and evaluated and that lessons learned are applied to ongoing and future activities;
● Prepare and maintain OTI program budgets for field operations;
● Serve as OTI’s primary liaison with USAID Mission personnel, U.S. Embassy staff, host-country government officials, United Nations (UN) Organizations, indigenous and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other pertinent organizations. Develop and maintain collaborative relationships to ensure close coordination at the field level, identify the widest range of potential local partners and opportunities, and achieve maximum synergy with other programs;
● Prepare operational plans in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, including logistics and property use guidelines, closeout and hand-over, security procedures, and contingency and evacuation plans;
● Ensure that all OTI and implementing partner, field staff adhere to in-country security guidelines set by the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Officer and other organizations such as the UN or host country government;
● Articulate program strategy, as well as communicate and coordinate OTI’s in-country activities between OTI and its implementing partners, USAID, and other donor organizations; prepare and disseminate programmatic, financial and periodic reports to the USAID Mission, OTI/Washington, D.C. and other organizations as appropriate.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
1) A Master’s Degree with seven (7) years of work experience;
OR
A Bachelor’s Degree with nine (9) years of work experience;
AND
2) Minimum of six (6) years of recent project management experience with a USG foreign affairs agency, international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization, in community development, stabilization programming, economic development, mediation/arbitration, conflict resolution, democracy and governance, international law, human rights activities, and/or political analysis;
3) Two (2) years of overseas field experience working in developing countries;
4) Three (3) years of supervisory experience (including mentoring, guiding, and/or training
staff).
Please direct questions about this position or the offer process to the OTI Recruitment Team at otijobs@usaid.gov.
For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please visit www.OTIjobs.net.
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