Responsibilities
This is a Foreign Service announcement. Worldwide availability is a requirement of the position. All potential applicants are strongly urged to read this entire Vacancy Announcement to ensure that they meet all the requirements for this position before applying.
USAID provides development assistance in close partnership foreign governments and their people, both directly and through a variety organizations including private voluntary organizations, universities, American businesses, trade and professional associations, faith-based organizations, and others.
USAID Foreign Service (FS) Contracting Officers (COs) serve in Missions/US Embassies worldwide and are responsible for a wide range of activities throughout the Agency’s Program Cycle covering all USAID implementing activities. However, about 80% of the agency’s development assistance implementation is through Acquisitions (contracts) & Assistance (grants/cooperative agreements) mechanisms, and most of the day to day work centers on these mechanisms.
As a result, well-developed expertise in USAID Acquisition & Assistance (A&A) tradecraft (i.e., the techniques, methods and technologies used in planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of development assistance) is mission critical and indispensable for ensuring effective planning, adaptive implementation, maximized development impact, and accountability. This is a highly specialized skill set that takes years to fully develop, is characterized by ongoing learning and professional development, and requires advanced proficiency in a variety of technical competencies (e.g., public procurement/government contracting, federal financial assistance, USAID A&A regulations and policies) and professional competencies (e.g., leadership, management, teamwork, interpersonal skills).
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Qualifications
Education and Experience: A Doctorate level degree (PhD, JD) in a relevant area including business administration, public administration, law, banking, international affairs and/or political science, operations research, procurement and contracting or finance with an emphasis on commerce, trade, or materials management PLUS three (3) years of relevant work experience such as: government and/or commercial contracting or regulatory affairs, international development, finance with an emphasis on cost analysis and pricing, management consulting, or public and/or nonprofit administration WITH a minimum of two (2) years overseas in developing countries and/or in a diverse domestic environment is required.
OR a Master’s level degree in a relevant area including business administration, public administration, law, banking, international affairs and/or political science, operations research, procurement and contracting or finance with an emphasis on commerce, trade, or materials management PLUS four (4) years of relevant experience such as: government and/or commercial contracting or regulatory affairs, international development, finance with an emphasis on cost analysis and pricing, management consulting, or public and/or nonprofit administration WITH a minimum of two (2) years overseas in developing countries and/or in a diverse domestic environment is required.
