Duties

Summary

USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, and advance democracy. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity; demonstrates American generosity; and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience. We operate in five regions of the world: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Eurasia.

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Responsibilities

Serves as a technical resource to foreign assistance activities in the area of education and development. Reviews, evaluates and analyzes education data and provide advice on education issues. Coordinates and manages strategies, policies, concepts, procedures, and guidelines for establishing programs in the education sector.

Analyzes constraints to development, both sector-wide and country-specific, and recommends courses of action. Coordinates program development, implementation, and performance monitoring plans. Advocates for and represent education policies, programs, and interventions in country of assignment.

As leader or member of Mission or office team, guides or participates in the planning and implementation of a broad range of education program activities:
• Identifies development issues and opportunities in basic and higher education, youth and workforce development.
• Leads or participates in designing and managing strategies, policies and programs in education including identifying opportunities for integrating education with broader USG and other donor programs.
• Drafts analyses, concept papers and project documentation in line with the Agency regulations and guidance.
• Leads or participates in the monitoring and evaluation of program performance.
• Coordinate technical assistance, strategic planning, donor collaboration and other activities within the education sector.

Contributes to a broad range of educational program activities, including participation in the formation of policies and guidelines to further education activities. Liaises with counterparts in other USAID regional and central bureaus to develop agency wide program policies, strategies, performance indicators, assessments, and evaluations.

Mobilizes and manages available personnel and financial resources and leverages these USG resources to maximum developmental effect; Directs and supports the efforts of staff and partners in the pursuit of developmental objectives.

Works with counterparts in other USAID regional and central bureaus to develop agency-wide policies, strategies, performance indicators, assessments, and evaluations of programs; Coordinates with other USAID Bureaus and Offices, the Department of State, other USG agencies and non-governmental partners in the private sector and NGO communities in the development and pursuit of shared development objectives; Develops specifications and subsequently manages financial instruments (contracts, cooperative agreements and grants) with Agency partners.

Performs a range of activities that address complex issues in education. Assists in designing and managing initiatives that cut across sectors and engage other elements of the US development assistance to accomplish broad programmatic goals.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - A Foreign Service Officer generally spends the majority of their career assigned to the Agency's overseas missions and works in assigned developing countries with a variety of challenges (civil war, political unrest, lack of modern conveniences).

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
SFS - Advancement to Senior Foreign Service on a merit basis is possible for employees who secure tenure and satisfy the requirements of promotion boards.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must have worldwide availability.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS security clearance.
• Must be between 18 and 59 years old at time of application.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Must meet all requirements this announcement.

This is a Foreign Service announcement. Worldwide availability is a requirement of the position.

Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

Writing - Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills - Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals; is sensitive to individual differences.

Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Leadership - Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

FS-05, $56,728.00 (with Washington D.C. locality) to $90,342.00: Applicant must have a graduate degree (Masters or Doctorate), plus at least two (2) years of relevant experience, of which (1) year is overseas experience or in a diverse working environment. Both the advanced degree and experience must be in a functional area directly related to international education; education policy, education administration; educational economics; comparative education; social and comparative analysis in education; or intercultural education. Applicants with a related degree, such as international development, public administration, or social or behavioral science, must have completed it with significant course work (two or more courses) in international education. Applicants with other graduate degrees will be considered if they have at least five (5) years of relevant international education work experience.

FS-04, $70,009.00 (with Washington D.C. locality) to $111,493.00: Applicant must have a Master's degree plus at least four (4) years of relevant experience, of which three (3) years is overseas experience or in a diverse working environment OR a Doctorate level degree plus at least three (3) years of relevant experience, of which two (2) years is overseas experience or in a diverse working environment. Both the advanced degree and experience must be in a functional area directly related to international education; education policy, education administration; educational economics; comparative education; social and comparative analysis in education; or intercultural education. Applicants with a related degree, such as international development, public administration, or social or behavioral science, must have completed it with significant course work (two or more courses) in international education.

Relevant experience is defined as education policy and program experience in the public and private sectors, either internationally in developing countries or in economically disadvantaged communities in the United States. It includes experience designing and managing education programs, developing education policy, working with local and host country governments, and developing and implementing education policy at the system level. Relevant experience also may include teaching and school management in uverseas and diverse working environment includes.

Overseas and diverse working environment includes: A) working and living in a foreign country, nation, territory, or tribe; or (B) working and living in an economically disadvantaged community in the United States. Work performed must be relevant to the Foreign Service Officer position. Such diverse work experience would be characterized by situations in which you were exposed to new cultures, learned foreign languages, encountered different behavioral norms and practices, coordinated and engaged with external partners and local counterparts, or conducted public outreach and communications.

Education

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements. Transcripts from any and all foreign educational institutions must be accompanied by an official Evaluation of Educational Credentials in order to be considered for the position. It is your responsibility to provide evidence that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States when applying. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Click on the following link for a list of accredited organizations ( https://www.naces.org/members ) recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded as part of the application. Failure to do so will result in the application being eliminated from consideration. If we are unable to determine that you meet the required education, you will be found ineligible for further consideration. If you proceed past the initial application phase, official transcripts must be received by USAID from your university/institution during the final selection process.

Additional information

Applicants who previously applied for this position and were interviewed will not be invited for another interview within a 12 month period from the closing date of the announcement.

SELECTIVE SERVICE. As a condition of employment, all male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service. If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.

Career appointments in the Foreign Service are covered by the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended, which requires an applicant to be 18 years old at time of application and which directs mandatory retirement at age 65. Given this mandatory retirement age and the fact that five years must be allowed to achieve tenure in the agency, there is an upper age limit of 59 at time of appointment to the Foreign Service.

Veteran's preference. Qualified veterans will be considered consistent with the requirements of the Foreign Service Act.

These are Testing Designated Positions (TDPs) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.

Medical Clearance. A medical clearance or waiver for the applicant is required prior to being hired for this position. FS members must be able to serve at any overseas post or receive a waiver. Many facilities are remote, unhealthy, or have limited medical support. Therefore, each applicant must meet medical fitness standards or receive a waiver. Prior to being appointed to the Foreign Service, applicants must have a thorough medical examination and must be able to receive a medical clearance for worldwide availability or a waiver.

Foreign Language Ability. Foreign language ability has no effect on whether or not you are selected for an interview. However, to reach required tenured status, you must be able to achieve minimum proficiency levels in a USAID tenuring languag e. Candidates who demonstrate a predefined level of proficiency will be given the opportunity to test for bonus points that will be added to their final interview score. Testing will be conducted via telephone and/or in person.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

BASIS OF RATING: Qualified applicants receive a score of 70 to 100 before veteran's preference points are applied (if applicable). You will be rated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you report relative to this position that show the degree to which you possess the required competencies listed on this vacancy announcement. USAID must be able to conduct reference checks as part of its assessment process. Applicants who do not permit reference checks from previous employers may be disqualified.

IMPORTANT: If you are found to have rated your self assessment higher than the information in your on-line application, supporting documentation narratives, and/or any other relevant part of your application package; including attachments, a score will manually be determined that reflects your documented experience. This may result in a lowered score and may also eliminate you from the best qualified list.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

NOTE: We are aware some applicants are being directed during the application process to submit redundant documents. You are only required to submit the "Vacancy Level" documents: Resume, Transcript, SF-15 (if applicable), DD-214 (if applicable), and Miscellaneous (for any document you'd like to submit that doesn't fall under the category of the first four). The second request for "Registration Level" documents is the result of a technical error and can be ignored.

The following documents will be required for verification of eligibility before employment is offered:
• Proof of United States Citizenship (birth certificate, passport, or other acceptable documentation), these are not required to be submitted as part of the initial application.
• Official copy of college transcript of education used to qualify you for this position. For the initial application, only a copy of unofficial transcript is required.
• If claiming veteran's preference you must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. Acceptable documentation may be: a copy of your DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions; a "certification" that is a written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed; OR a Standard Form 15 Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference. If you are claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a SF 15. You may obtain a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs reflecting your level of disability for preference eligibility by visiting a VA Regional Office, contacting a VA call center or online. For more information on veteran's preference and eligibility, visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans-preference/#content

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.