General Development Officer – Afghanistan (Mid-Level)

USAID Foreign Service Limited Officer Positions in Afghanistan

Position: General Development Officer – Afghanistan

Mid-Level

This requires US Citizenship and is a term-limited and non-career position

Summary:

USAID is seeking to recruit strong development professionals to serve as General Development Officers (GDOs) for assignment in Afghanistan. This will directly support USAID’s mission to promote the rapid transition of Afghanistan to a more stable, productive, and democratic country with sustainable social development and economic growth.  Tai Pedro and Associates (TPA), a global management and technology firm, is currently partnering with USAID to recruit highly experienced professionals to design and manage programs in various sectors. The General Development Officer position offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including allowances such as danger pay and hardship supplements.

This is a term limited non-career position. The General Development Officer (GDO) will be based in Afghanistan and assigned to a unit such as a Regional Platform (RP)/Regional Command (RC), Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT), District Support Team (DST), Special Operations Task Force (SOTF), or various positions in Kabul. Field duty entails co-location with coalition military or civilian entities, often in rustic and challenging conditions. GDOs oversee and support a wide range of stability and development programs in various locations and at various levels of government, by developing strategies, analytical models, methodologies, analyzing data and providing assistance and advice to both coalition and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) counterparts. GDOs collaborate with various United States Government (USG) officials and support direct assistance programs with GIRoA, as well as direct assistance to Afghan civil society organizations, within their technical area. A key component of the duties and responsibilities will include developing requirements and managing financial instruments (contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants) with USAID partners. The wide range of demands in Afghanistan will likely require the incumbent to provide support, advice, and oversight of activities in economic growth, local government, agriculture, education, health, and infrastructure.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Reports, monitors, advises and evaluates USAID programs in the area of responsibility (AOR) and provides information, guidance, and analysis as well as implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects.
2. Serves as USAID’s primary representative in the AOR by establishing and maintaining contacts with representatives of local government and communities, as well as International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) military units, United Nations offices, nongovernmental organizations, USAID contractors and grantees; and other United States Government (USG) agencies.
3. Participates in operational planning and resource allocation decisions.  
4. Creates and manages a USG development plan for the AOR, including the identification of development challenges, development of accurate records of ongoing USG programs, and recommendations for new interventions.  
5. Serves as a development expert within the PRT, ensuring all PRT interventions are sustainable and otherwise technically sound.  
6. Provides advice on military-funded development projects, works closely with military and other civilian elements of the unit and local governance implementing partners in his/her AOR.
7. Performs other duties as required and assigned

Qualifications:

Eligible applicants must demonstrate the following levels of experience, education and training:

• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant major plus ten (10) years of relevant experience of which six (6) years is development experience in a developing country.
• Relevant degrees such as: international relations, political science, law, history, urban planning, economic development, engineering, public administration and policy, government or selected social/behavioral science with a specialization related to the above areas. Academic degrees must have been received at the time of application to be considered.
• Relevant experience in international development, in areas such as economic growth, economic policy and institutions, agriculture and agribusiness, finance, trade and investment, microenterprise development, natural resource management, community development, urban and regional planning, infrastructure development, governance, women’s issues, health, education, or related fields. A demonstrated ability to effectively interact with a wide variety of stakeholders, including community members, government officials, donor representatives and local and international NGOs is desirable.
• Veteran’s preference applies. Qualified veterans will be considered consistent with the requirements of the Foreign Service Act.

Physical Qualifications:
Civilians working in the field may be required to wear 30-40 pounds of body armor/helmet on a daily basis, as well as carry their daypack and water, usually in a backpack weighing an additional 8-10pounds. Field personnel are required to walk over uneven and rocky terrain over long distances. This includes field patrols of 5 miles or more to meet with local community members; these field patrols typically occur 2-3 times per week. Generally, personnel will be on their feet 5-6 hours per day. Transportation by armored vehicles will be used. Personnel working in the field are required to embark and disembark from such vehicles, which have high clearances and limited individual space to sit and maneuver. Clearances may be up to four feet off the ground, there will be high step rails and/or ladder-type steps, and doorways may be smaller than those of commercial vehicles· Living conditions are austere. At many field posts, housing consists of fortified shipping containers or tents and is often shared.  Only basic medical care is available locally.  Field environment is challenging. Desert temperatures often reach 100-105 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.  Temperatures at night can become very cold; field personnel must take precautions against frostbite. At times, field personnel may be required to evacuate quickly from an area under their own power due to security concerns such as hostile fire.

Applicants are expected to commit to at least one year and may commit for two (2) one-year tours, which must be approved by the mission in Afghanistan prior to the start of the second year.

How to Apply: For full position descriptions and to apply to these openings, please visit our website: http://www.tai-pedro.com/usaid/index.html directly through the link below.  Applications for this position are being processed through an on-line applicant assessment system that has been specifically configured for US Agency for International Development applicants.  Even if you have already developed a resume in USAJOBS, you will need to access this on-line system to complete the application process.  To obtain information about this position and TO APPLY, please click on the following link to be directed to the USAID application site:

http://www.usaid.gov/careers/fsls.html

Contact Us:  If you require additional information:

Please call: 2026524755

Visit our website: http://www.tai-pedro.com/usaid/index.html  

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