Duties

Summary

The Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI) is seeking to fill two vacancies in the following key areas:

Innovation, Technology & Research Hub (DDI/ITR)

The Center for Education (DDI/EDU)

You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before applying. Your application may not receive full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

DDI/ITR leads USAID's use of field experimentation, open innovation, and digital technology to transform development approaches

DDI/EDU advances USAID's Education Policy by supporting partner countries in strengthening their capacity to deliver quality learning opportunities for children and youth - and improving learning outcomes and skills development from pre-primary to higher education.

If selected as a Program Analyst in ITR or EDU, your major duties will include the following:

• Leading management activities requiring strategic analysis, planning and programming, including reviewing and analyzing relevant sector budgets and data; developing and reviewing sector development strategies, coordinating and providing assistance related to planning, strategic analysis, and program/project design and assessment.
  
• Applying a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of complex short and long-range goals of the organization, developing detailed plans for implementing them, and overseeing implementation.
• Coordinating information and building consensus from various organizations involving the preparation and approval of various reporting documents.
• Leading and/or assisting in determining the need for written policies and procedures, overseeing the development of policies and procedures, and reviewing and recommending approval upon completion.
• Serving as an operational expert on budgeting (to include budget formulation, justification or execution), and on financial management issues and activities, including historical costs, including implementing internal controls.
• Coordinating across the operating unit and with other entities within and external to the agency in areas such as strategic planning, budget and client services. Establishing and maintaining liaison with counterparts. Working closely with their representatives to address concerns on topics such as requirements and resources.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - The position may require up to 10% travel.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14 - This position has reached its full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• United States Citizenship is required.
• Relevant experience (see Qualifications below).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
• Time in grade must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
• Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Most recent SF-50 showing tenure code "1" or "2" (see Required Documents).

You must meet the Time-in-Grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To meet these requirements, you must have served at least 52 weeks at the next lower grade level GS-13 (or equivalent) of the position advertised in this vacancy announcement.

Qualifications

GS-14; You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; we consider part-time work on a prorated basis. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position includes: (1) performing complete quantitative and qualitative analysis as a part of a management team, (2) participating in assignments that cross organizational and/or agency lines, i.e. with the Department of State, the Office of Management and Budget, and Congress, (3) serving in a role with a focus on programming and operations, including program cycle management, budget and resource planning and execution, procurement facilitation, strategic planning, reporting, office operations and administrative processes.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, relevant to the duties of the position to be filled, including volunteer experience.

CTAP candidates will be referred to the selecting official if they are found well qualified. Well-qualified means an eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which clearly exceed the minimum requirements of the position. A well-qualified employee must meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the job, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum education and experience requirements, meet all selective factors (where applicable); meet quality ranking factors and are assigned a score of 85 or higher; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position; meet any special qualifying U.S. OPM-approved conditions; AND be able to satisfactorily perform the functions of the job upon entry without additional training.

A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations.

Education

This position does not have a defined education requirement. Therefore, ​ no transcripts are required.

Additional information

USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in the District of Columbia, we operate in more than 100 countries around the world, playing an active and critical role in the promotion of U.S. foreign policy interests. When crisis strikes; when rights are repressed; when hunger, disease and poverty rob people of opportunity; USAID acts on behalf of the American people to help expand the reach of prosperity and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. USAID employees and contractors must commit to maintaining a workplace free of sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation, and abuse and adhere to USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons Code of Conduct. For information on the effort to counter all forms of human trafficking, including the procurement of commercial sex acts and the use of forced labor, visit http://www.state.gov/g/tip. For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP's) 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.

Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.

Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies:

https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies.pdf .

EEO Policy: EEO Policy Statement .

Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement .

Veterans' Information: Veterans Information .

Telework: https://www.telework.gov/ .

Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ .

It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual's employment experience will be used only to determine the person's qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including behavior during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, a financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

We will review your application package to ensure you meet the job and eligibility requirements, including the education and experience required for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) to determine if your resume supports your answers to the assessment questionnaire. If your resume does not reinforce your responses to the online assessment questionnaire, it will affect your eligibility for further consideration. You may be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible. We will refer all candidates that we rank as Highly Qualified to the hiring manager, and they may invite the referred applicants for an interview.

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies:

• Problem Solving
• Planning and Evaluating
• Technical Competence
• Budget Administration
• Written Communications
• Project Management

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Secret

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing

Required Documents

• Resume showing relevant experience.
• CTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.
• If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and the quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.
• Most recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action); your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code "1" (Career) or "2" (Career-Conditional), and type of position occupied.

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.