USAID intensifies search for technical experts

Thinking of applying to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Development Leadership Initiative and Foreign Service Limited programs? Expect an intense recruitment process. DLI and FSL as the “two highest priority recruitment programs and efforts in USAID, Senior Foreign Service Officer Carl Abdou Rahmaan told participants of the Devex’s career fair in March. The agency is on the alert for professionals with technical expertise in health, government, engineering, environment, project and program development, agriculture, legal services and education. “In-house and in-country” skilled professionals in Afghanistan and Pakistan stand a particularly good chance of getting hire as USAID focuses more on capacity building. “Not that the contractor program will cease to exist, but again, we need to build indigenous capacity at a much more accelerated rate and everything,” the former AFRICOM senior development advisor explained. The recruitment process starts with electronic screening and ranking. Then, online applications are sent to the human resources office where a cutoff mark is determined. Applicants who sail on to the interview round can expect an evaluation of their educational experience, technical knowledge, and communication, analytical and writing skills. Selected candidates then undergo a pre-deployment process comprising security and medical clearances, which qualifies them for training, Rahmaan said. The emphasis on online applications for FSL hiring resembles the State Department’s temporary hiring process. DLI applicants, however, should expect a more thorough process involving a series of writing tests and long, elaborate individual and group in-person interviews. The final leg of the DLI recruitment process is “a very structured orientation and initiative training programs with rotations, counseling, coaching.” Chosen professionals work in Washington, D.C., for about six months to a year before heading overseas to work in two-year rotation positions with “a fairly quality lifestyle.” USAID allows “one-tour assignments” for tough posts, but strongly recommends that “officers complete at least two assignment locations in a given region before moving on to give them some regional professional expertise.” The agency is also on the lookout for individuals with general management and social science and analysis backgrounds to fill its program and project officer entry-level positions, which focus on strategy development and budget allocation. There are also monitoring and evaluation career opportunities in Afghanistan. Job vacancies can be found on USAID’s career portal, USAjobs.org and the Devex Jobs website. Read more USAID career advice: - USAID Plans New Staff Exchanges, First With Brazil Aid Agency - Obama to Slow Down Hiring at USAID, State in 2012 - USAID Offers Twin Options for Global Health Exposure - Obama Pushes More Hires at USAID, State Department - A Hiring Surge at USAID Read more international development career advice.