Democratic Climate Action Advisor

Job Description

BACKGROUND

USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s implementation of development and humanitarian assistance is centered through the more than 100 field Missions across five regions – Africa (AFR), Middle East (ME), Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), Asia, and Europe and Eurasia (E&E). Local staff knowledge and engagement with local actors are essential to supporting context-specific and locally-led development.

USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG)’s vision is of a world where freedom is flourishing and democracy delivers for all. Its mission is to lead USAID’s efforts to invigorate democracy, enhance human rights and justice, and bolster governance that advances the public interest and delivers inclusive development. The Bureau achieves this by shaping policy and development agendas, generating knowledge and evidence that drives innovation, catalyzing partnerships and coalitions, and mobilizing cutting-edge programs and technical assistance to enable USAID’s Missions and partners to accelerate democratic development globally.

In addition to the Office of the Assistant to the Administrator, the DRG Bureau has eight technical and support offices: Global Trends and Technology (GTT); Elections and Political Processes (EPP); Justice, Rights, and Security (JRS); Governance (GOV); Civil Society, Labor, and Media (CLM); Policy, Learning, and Integration (PLI); Management and Cadre Support (MCS); and Program (PO). The Anti-Corruption Center (ACC) is also located in the DRG Bureau. The offices and ACC are described in ADS 101.3.1.22.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

a. Technical Assistance

1. Serve as subject matter on DRG and Climate issues and provide advisory support to DRG cadre and Agency colleagues on these interconnected issues, including the impact on development goals and methods to advance both DRG and Climate goals through democratic climate action.
2. Provide technical support and thought leadership on practical ways to integrate climate in the DRG Bureau’s integration agenda, training, and temporary duty (TDY) support to Missions.
3. Analyze and review literature and evidence, develop and deliver training, and draft written guidance for USAID’s staff on DRG and climate integration.
4. Prepare briefing documents for high-level staff on the status of democracy and climate initiatives and coordinate external events and field visits for them to understand and learn from USAID Mission measures to support democratic climate action in concrete ways through USAID programming.
5. Track key events where salient crises or solutions, including both democracy and climate, should be shared as a part of understanding country contexts.
6. Advise and brief Agency and DRG Bureau senior leadership and technical office directors on relevant key or emerging issues and significant changes regarding democratic and climate trends globally.

b. Project Management

1. Manage for results, serving as overall project manager to oversee and ensure that the DRG Bureau delivers its goals outlined in its Climate Action Plan and associated work plan, including its prominent goal to provide support to USAID Missions to systematically increase leadership of critical populations in climate action.
2. Lead and coordinate with colleagues from across the DRG Bureau and Agency whose work contributes to the following workstreams:
   1. Communication and Engagement to Raise Awareness and Build Demand,
   2. Technical Assistance to the Field,
   3. Technical and Policy Guidance,
   4. Integrate Climate in DRG Mechanisms,
   5. Training and Capacity Building to Influence Agency Development Practice, and
   6. Monitoring, Evidence, and Learning.
3. Cultivate and formalize partnerships with clear roles and commitments by defining objectives and approaches to achieving deliverables.
4. Ensure deliverables are met including planning events, writing scopes of work, and overseeing consultants.
5. Design, manage, and provide technical direction to implementing mechanisms as the designated AOR/COR/Activity Manager, or adviser to the designated AOR/COR/Activity Manager, to implement current and new initiatives to advance democratic climate action.

c. Communication and Teamwork

1. Identify and develop transformational approaches to advance democratic climate action within DRG programming and as part of Agency efforts to advance systemic and transformational approaches to achieve net-zero and resilient futures across development sectors.
2. Advocate for integration of democracy and climate in compelling ways based on each case/context and create buy-in for implementing integration opportunities.
3. Envision and advocate for internal changes in processes, approaches, culture, and mindsets needed to achieve results and balance this with realism, practical considerations, and diplomacy skills.
4. Develop a network with USAID colleagues from each of the DRG Bureau offices/center and other bureaus with shared equities and interest in supporting democratic climate action.
5. Cultivate positive working relationships and maintain a network of external contacts with leaders and institutions with a shared interest in advancing democratic climate action.
6. Represent USAID and the DRG Bureau in events, meetings, and processes with the donor community, implementing partners, private sector, and other stakeholders, including in international forums, as indicated by Supervisor.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

• A Master’s degree or higher degree (Ph.D., J.D. or LLM) in a relevant subject, such as Environmental Science or Political Science.
• Eight (8) years of experience working on climate/environment/natural resources and related DRG (democracy, human rights, and/or governance) issues.
• Of those minimum years of experience, at least one (1) year of experience working in the international development field.

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: May 24, 2024 at 4:30PM EDT

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