Usaid - Africa Bureau, Program Advisor

The Africa Bureau (AFR) is the largest of five regional bureaus in USAID and is responsible for one of the Agency's largest portfolios. In total, USAID manages over $7.1 billion annually in USG budgetary resources, including development and humanitarian assistance. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has made strides in development indicators in the past 30 years, including reducing poverty and improving health outcomes. The Joint (USAID-State) Regional Strategy 2022-2026 states, "The United States strives to strengthen our partnerships across Africa in ways that serve U.S. interests, African interests, and the interests of people worldwide by promoting sustainable prosperity, democracy, and security toward a more peaceful and mutually beneficial future for the people of Sub-Saharan Africa. AFR's field and Washington units are staffed by approximately 3,000 employees (209 in AFR/Washington; 2,832 in AFR/Overseas). The bureau is headed by the Assistant Administrator (AA), whose senior leadership team includes four Deputy Assistant Administrators (DAA) and one Senior Coordinator. AFR Washington comprises eight offices: four geographic offices (East African Affairs, Southern African Affairs, West African Affairs, and Sudan/South Sudan Programs), the Office of Development Planning, the Office of Sustainable Development, Office of the Administrative Management Services and the Office of the Assistant Administrator. AFR overseas comprises 30 bilateral missions or offices (plus the African Union operating unit), and four regional platforms plus four regional programs.

The Office of the Assistant Administrator of the Africa Bureau (AFR/AA) directs and supervises activities of the eight offices within AFR, its overseas missions and regional platforms, and programs. The office ensures effective use of the USAID-managed portion of over $7.1 billion annually in total USG budgetary resources. The Office of Development Planning advises and assists AFR and missions on all aspects of USAID policy, budget, planning, and programming in Africa. It provides leadership in defining the overall policy and program framework for missions, regional platforms, and programs; ensures effective use of the USAID managed resources; and assesses and monitors Bureau portfolio performance.

AFR/AA seeks a Program Specialist to provide support on a wide range of issues related to policy development; program planning, development and evaluation; and administrative requirements. As a critical member of the office, the Program Specialist, reporting to the AA, will perform a wide range of services which may include some or all of the following duties, as well as other duties which may be unique to the projects to which the specialist is assigned.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, include but are not limited to:

Liaison and Communication Activities

• Monitor ongoing substantive matters as instructed by the AA.
• Respond, in verbal and written format, to requests for information requiring coordination with other agency offices.
• Communicate/interpret policy direction from the AA within the bureau, within the Agency and with outside stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency program staff, headquarters staff, state and local officials, and/or private industry representatives.
• Ensure that formal decisions, recommendations, and suggestions are passed to the proper offices for implementation or review.
• Diplomatically communicate and present ideas from parties within the Bureau’s Front Office and relay information regarding summary of events, results, and next steps.
• Serve as a liaison to persons and groups both inside and outside of USAID, speaking for the principal on routine program issues as well as administrative issues.

Advisory Support, Administration

• Work closely with AA to manage Front Office and Bureau priorities.
• Identify and propose solutions to management problems which contribute to planning program direction.
• Review and provide feedback and guidance to the Bureau on all matters coming before the AA for action or clearance prior to being submitted to the Administrator.
• Assist higher-grade colleagues in formulating internal policies and procedures to resolve conventional problems and situations in assigned activities.
• Provide advice and guidance to senior managers and employees on questions and situations related to the administrative services provided, helping to identify Bureau priorities and establishing processes achieving priorities.
• Make recommendations to the AA of matters that require their immediate attention.

Advisory Support, Program Planning and Development

• Inter and Intra-Agency Coordination and Administrative Execution
• Conduct a variety of studies and detailed analyses of program functions and processes.
• Research and provide substantive information to organizational managers participating in the planning activities, thereby influencing decisions and actions involving established programs and projects.
• Coordinate extensively with disparate organizational elements to direct the administrative work of the AA, based on knowledge of the Bureau’s and Agency’s mission, function, and substantive programs.
• Draft correspondence, speeches, testimony, recommendations, reports, memoranda, and other public materials related to management and administrative programs and issues for the AA’s signature.
• Prepare recommendations which serve as a portion of larger studies.
• Analyze established programs and perform program liaison duties to support long-and short-range administrative planning activities for the Bureau and, specifically, for the AA.
• Compile briefing books and other regular and recurring reports as directed by the AA, including presentations to the Administrator’s Office.
• Prepare and contribute to reports and presentations on program planning and evaluation.
• Provide strategic advice to the AA on Agency and interagency issues regarding Bureau’s initiatives.
• Assemble background and other briefing materials for use at high levels and sensitive meetings and conferences, bilateral and multilateral gatherings and public appearances, both within the United States and abroad.

Administrative Services

• Serve as liaison to the AA on official travel.
• Recommend changes in administrative practices and implement new organizational procedures and practices to be used by administrative staff.
• Perform a variety of administrative and logistical duties that directly support the AA’s objectives on a daily basis.
• Assist staff to ensure that responses to inquiries from agency clients or interest groups are appropriate and in compliance with USAID policies and preference and include relevant background and supporting information.
• Provide necessary training and oversight to administrative and program assistants.
• Provide strategic support and guidance to Missions and Bureaus on the travel of the AA.
• Coordinate travel priorities and schedules for the AA; ensure seamless logistical arrangements for the AA’s official U.S. Government travel, foreign and domestic.
• Review correspondence to ensure consistency with agency procedures and formats.
• Oversee administrative arrangements for meetings, conferences, and seminars.

Special Projects

• Perform a variety of duties related to special projects involving administrative or program issues that contain complicating elements.

NOTE: The incumbent will not perform other inherently governmental functions or duties (e.g. will not serve as AOR/COR or supervise staff), but rather will advise, mentor, and facilitate as appropriate on the performance of inherently governmental functions on the part of the Office of the Assistant Administrator.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS, EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Excellent writing skills and ability to write in a collaborative process; ability to meet deadlines.
• Outstanding organizational and planning abilities.
• U.S Citizen; ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Knowledge of Africa and international development efforts within sub-Saharan Africa including specific sectors of interest to AFR/SD, e.g. health, education, conflict, democracy and governance, economic growth, infrastructure, agriculture and environment.
• Knowledge of best practices regarding dissemination of key findings.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work in a dynamic team environment with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders.
• Knowledge and skill to help advise other specialists in and outside the Agency, as well as top managers and decision-makers, on issues of developing, communicating, or enhancing program and youth matters involving interaction with all of the Agency’s publics.
• Bachelor’s degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or Master’s degree in related discipline plus 5 years of relevant experience;
• Ability to work collaboratively with other offices within USAID/Washington and USAID Missions in Sub-Saharan Africa, other U.S. government officials, other donors, partner government representatives, and implementing partners.

Ability and willingness to comply with all Federal or Agency COVID requirements to access Agency facilities, such as vaccination/public health requirements.

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