Democracy Officer

Job Description

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: All employees are measured on how they foster a climate of respect in interactions with others, value differing perspectives, and treat others in a fair, equitable, and culturally sensitive manner. All employees are expected to adhere to equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies and value diversity and inclusion in performing everyday duties and responsibilities.

Description of the Bureau: The Asia Bureau provides overall leadership for Agency programs across the region, including many countries at the top of the U.S. foreign policy agenda. The vast and diverse region covers East, Southeast, South, and Central Asia as well as the South Pacific. USAID programs focus on building democratic institutions and processes, increasing access to quality education and workforce training, increasing trade, investment, and productivity, improving the management and sustainable use of natural resources, and improving health, population, and nutrition. The Bureau is responsible for overall strategic planning in the region and program coordination with other U.S. Government agencies and private organizations and supports the work of 20 USAID field Missions.

Description of Office: The Asia Bureau’s Office of Technical Assistance (ASIA/TS) provides technical and analytical support to field and Washington-based clients on strategy formulation and execution in support of the Administration’s foreign policy priorities. To advance these priorities, ASIA/TS designs, procures, and manages regional and transboundary activities that bolster field-based programming. ASIA/TS’s five technical divisions provide analytical support to field and Washington-based clients in key areas, such as political and economic stability, climate change and natural resource management, agriculture, health, education, democracy and governance, economic growth, energy, and infrastructure. ASIA/TS provides technical direction on the Bureau’s interactions with the National Security Council and the interagency. ASIA/TS’s technical thought-leadership shapes creative and innovative solutions that respond to emerging challenges and opportunities throughout the Asia region.

Description of Position:

The Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Advisor serves as a member of the Democracy, Governance, Peace, and Security (DGPS) Division Technical Services Office in the Asia Bureau (ASIA/TS).

The Democracy and Governance Advisor plays a key role as part of the Asia Bureau’s Democracy, Governance, Peace, and Security (DGPS) Division of the Office of Technical Support (TS), supporting the Asia Bureau, its missions, and field presences across the Asian continent and Pacific Island countries during a period of increased U.S. strategic focus and competition in the Indo-Pacific region.

As part of the DGPS team, the incumbent serves as a Senior Advisor, engaging in country-level and sub-regional policy development; technical advice and implementation guidance on democracy and governance, peace, and security programming; and representation of USAID as assigned within the interagency, with external donors, civil society and private sector partners and maintains substantial latitude in defining priorities and work streams within the overall DGPS team.

Depending on the changing needs of missions/field presences and the Asia Bureau, specific technical areas within the remit of this position include elections, governance, civil society, local governance / decentralization, justice/rule of law, women’s political participation, democratic backsliding, corruption, technology and democracy, human rights, media, conflict prevention, stabilization, countering trafficking in persons (CTIP), and countering violent extremism (CVE).

Description of Key Duties:

• Review, update and expand as appropriate the Bureau’s analysis of DRG and Peace and Security (PS) issues. Develop lessons learned and best practices on USAID DGSP sub-sectors and integration of governance programming across other USAID sectors.
• Work closely with USAID field missions, analyze, and present results, and engage in deliberations related to future program directions and budget levels.
• Ensure that the Bureau maintains state-of-the-art knowledge of DRG and Peace and Security issues and trends. Advise Asia Bureau senior management and USAID field missions on the implications of this analysis for development programming.
• Coordinate with other relevant USAID Bureaus and Offices (USAID pillar/functional bureaus, especially the DRG Center and the Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization. Specific technical areas include elections, governance, civil society, local governance/decentralization, justice/rule of law, women’s political participation, democratic backsliding, corruption, technology and DRG, human rights, media, conflict stabilization, countering trafficking in persons (CTIP), and countering violent extremism (CVE).
• Serve as a point of contact with other relevant USAID Bureaus that are engaged in both intra- and inter-Agency processes to develop and coordinate analysis, strategy development and development programming to address promotion of democracy and good governance in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
• Prepare and review talking points and other briefing materials for senior staff, Asia Bureau offices, USAID pillar/functional bureaus, State Department interlocutors and others as needed.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTS:

• The position may require the incumbent to travel internationally as part of its duty fulfillment on an as needed basis.

Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, the FS-03 or GS 13 grade level of this position. Examples of specialized experience include a) designing Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) or Peace and Security (PS) activities; b) supporting leadership in the administration, review, and design of DRG or PS programs; and c) providing expert technical advice to U.S. Government negotiations, meetings, and other processes.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a top-secret security clearance.

Interested candidates should submit:

• Resume/CV;
• Written statement of interest, and
• Three professional references

Application Instructions: Please send cover letter, detailed resume/CV, and the contact information for three relevant professional references to mchelius@usaid.gov with “FSL APPLICATION PACKAGE: Democracy Officer - FL-02, Asia/TS” in the subject line by the position closing date. Application submissions are required by 11:59 pm (EST), March 24, 2023. Packages not submitted by the deadline with the specified subject line—or incomplete packages—will not receive consideration.

This notice may be used to fill additional vacancies, as the workforce needs of the Bureau may change.