The OTI Deputy Country Representative is a full-time Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-13 equivalent level and located in Niger. Offers for this position are due no later than September 30, 2021 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 Deputy Country Representative is a member of the Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS) Bureau and within OTI reports to the OTI Country Representative or their designee, and is based in Niger. The Deputy Country Representative’s principal responsibility is to support the OTI Country Representative in the development, oversight, and management of the OTI country program.
Niger’s location and robust security relationship with the United States makes the country a key ally in disrupting terrorist threats in the Sahel. In recent years, the region has experienced a sharp increase in violent extremism (VE) activity, with significantly destabilizing effects in neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso, and northeast Nigeria. For six years, USAID/OTI Niger worked with communities in the Lake Chad Basin and Liptako Gourma regions to counter VE threats. Recognizing that this threat adds to an already complex set of development challenges for Niger, USAID/OTI shifted to support the Government of Niger's stabilization and decentralization efforts, and to work with the USAID/Niger Mission to strengthen conflict responsive programming.
USAID/OTI’s current iteration of the program seeks to provide assistance to civilian ministries of the Government of Niger and other national institutions and regional stakeholders to support stabilization and peacebuilding efforts. It also looks to strengthen the connection between national, regional, and local level governance in key areas. Finally, the program aims to support the broader USAID/Niger Mission efforts to adapt programming across sectors and to bolster USAID/Niger stabilization and peacebuilding objectives:
OTI intends to address these critical issues through a flexible, small-grants mechanism that tailors approaches to the varied needs of communities in Niger. 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 strengthen linkages between communities, local actors, and the Nigerien government and to increase community cohesion. 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.
This post is a middle management position requiring excellent managerial and communication skills, an ability to perform in a complex and highly sensitive political environment, experience in policy formulation and negotiation at the highest levels (government and non-government organizations), and a strong interest in assisting countries in transition. The candidate must be mature, self-reliant, a team player, a problem-solver, and able to manage a diverse portfolio of grants.
The Deputy Country Representative should have extensive management experience (both project and personnel) and understand the basics of grantee and contractor/USAID relationships. The candidate should be able to communicate effectively with grassroots organizations and their constituencies, national and local government officials, U.S. Government agencies, and clerics or other religious leaders. Since work may require continued changes in program direction and implementation, including frequent coordination, the individual will be someone who is highly flexible and willing to work under conditions of ongoing change.
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:
● Represent OTI interests during meetings with USAID Mission personnel, U.S. Embassy staff, host-country government officials, international organizations, indigenous and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international donors interested in CPS/OTI activities;
● Provide guidance on the identification and development of projects that meet OTI funding criteria, further OTI programmatic objectives, and complement other projects and programs implemented by other OTI offices, U.S. government agencies and donor organizations;
● Provide support for the design and execution of programs that follow OTI’s quick impact programming model in embassies or USAID Missions. Support to embassies and USAID Missions may include attendance and/or facilitation of program management processes for follow-on programming, including rolling assessments, strategy review sessions, program performance reviews and management reviews;
● Review proposals and grant concepts and work with diverse groups, many of which have not previously had international funding;
● Collaborate with the Country Representative in monitoring the performance of OTI implementing partners in the implementation of OTI-financed activities designed to achieve OTI strategic objectives;
● Travel to monitor and assess political conditions, implementing partner operational platforms, meet with potential grantees, host-country government and other program counterparts, and develop activity ideas;
● Mentor and train other OTI and implementing partner field staff;
● Take the lead on collecting information and drafting/editing regular reporting products;
● Assume higher representational responsibilities, potentially serving as Acting OTI Country Representative in his/her absence needed;
● Perform a wide range of administrative functions including budget preparation, financial management, records management, and travel assistance to help ensure programmatic success;
● Coordinate with the OTI Country Representative to develop an exit strategy that ensures reasonable time to transition from OTI programs to follow-on USAID or other donor programs;
● Communicate regularly and share program information with other USAID project managers, the US Embassy, bilateral donors, UN Organizations, International Organizations, and indigenous and international NGOs to ensure visibility and synergy of USAID/OTI activities;
● Support the Country Representative to ensure the use of OTI systems and procedures to maintain effective and efficient management of funds, programming, and monitoring and evaluation;
● Report to the OTI Country Representative and OTI/Washington on the status of: 1) grant development and implementation, 2) OTI contractor performance, 3) Foreign Service National (FSN) staff support needs and morale, 4) communication and coordination issues among OTI offices with other U.S. Government entities, 5) security concerns, 6) relations with local partners including local, state and national government representatives, and 7) other pertinent information required to achieve OTI’s program objectives;
● Manage and/or supervise the FSN staff, including program officers, administrative assistants and drivers alongside of the Country Representative; and,
● Supervise staff as delegated by the Country Representative (e.g. Program Managers, Program Assistants, Program Administrative Assistants, etc.). Provide orientation, training and mentoring for USAID staff supervised; assign work, explain how duties are to be performed to meet expectations, and communicate how the successful performance of those duties will be measured; evaluate staff performance; recognize good performance; communicate where performance needs to be improved; resolve complaints; and approve leave requests and timesheets as well as training, travel and program and operations requests.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
At a minimum, the offeror must have:
(1) A Master’s Degree with five (5) years of work experience;
OR
A Bachelor’s Degree with seven (7) years of work experience;
AND
(2) Five (5) years of project management experience with any of the following organizations, including but not limited to: a non-governmental organization in community development, mediation/arbitration, conflict resolution, democracy and governance, international law, human rights activities, and/or political analysis; an international assistance organization, or a U.S. Government foreign affairs agency;
(3) One (1) year of overseas field experience (in person or virtual). A virtual temporary duty (TDY) is defined as work that would have been conducted in an overseas location if not for the global COVID pandemic;
(4) One (1) year of supervisory experience;
(5) Working proficiency in French is preferred.
Please direct questions about this position or the offer process to the OTI Recruitment Team at otijobs@usaid.gov.
How to apply:
For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please visit www.OTIjobs.net.