Background
The USAID Project Management Specialist (Environment) provides technical and program expertise to the General Development Office (GDO) and to the Mission. The GDO is responsible for providing leadership in developing and implementing programs in natural resource management, including sustainable landscapes/forestry, biodiversity, pollution reduction, and nature-based solutions to climate change. GDO also covers portfolios related to water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and Tibetan refugees.
Objective
The primary responsibility of the Specialist is to identify, develop, describe, and implement programs/projects/activities in environmental management, environmental degradation mitigation, pollution mitigation (air, water, and plastics), climate change mitigation and adaptation and a variety of related areas. Programs developed and managed are designed to improve the ability of India and the region to manage, improve, and sustain environmental resources in a time of increased land use, and by extension such improved environmental management will lead to improvements in the lives of the urban and rural poor. The Specialist collaborates with other offices throughout the Mission to identify activities that are candidates for an environment management component, such as those related to agriculture, water, energy, climate change, disaster preparedness and resilience, etc. The work includes serving as a Contracting Officer’s Representative/ Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) for USAID programs/projects/activities implemented by contract, cooperative agreement, or grant, participating in the design of programs/projects/activities, and the evaluation of ongoing programs, advising on best practices, participating in technical working groups, and helping to integrate environmental management programs/projects into other areas of the GDO portfolio. The Specialist keeps abreast of current publications and information on development issues, concerns, and practices, and their programming in developing countries, in order to advise the Mission on a variety of issues related to managed activities.
The Specialist will establish and maintain contacts with appropriate national and sub-government agencies, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and private sector national representatives in India and the region. The job holder works under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director, GDO. S/he is required to perform work-related travel.
Statement of Duties to be performed
A. Program Management and Strategic Design (50%)
The Specialist for environment serves as a COR/AOR for selected implementing partners (IPs), coordinates programs/projects/activities to facilitate implementation in a wide variety of circumstances, and ensures high USAID ’quality results are being provided in accordance with s Environment and Natural Resources Management (ENRM) framework. The Specialist monitors and evaluates the programs/projects/activities s/he manages through site visits, reporting, and trends analysis; works in close collaboration with the other Specialists in the Mission; facilitates the development of IP work plans and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plans, and coordinates preparations for IP portfolio reviews; and, reviews IP progress reports, and requests or participates in the preparation of other reports as needed. S/he also directs and performs analysis of project related problems (both financial and technical) and recommends appropriate remedial measures, drafts necessary documentation and leads reviews related to project amendments and project contracting. The Specialist coordinates with host country counterpart institutions including respective national and state level ministries conceptualizes and develops potential activities for support and, when necessary, arranges appropriate reviews by the concerned agencies and committees. The assignment requires regular site visits and other travel to priority areas where projects are implemented. In addition, the Specialist coordinates VIP visits and other Temporary Duties (TDYs) as per office and Mission requirements.
B. Technical advice and advocacy (30%)
The Specialist works with colleagues across all GDO portfolios, the Office of Program Support (PS), and with other Technical Offices to strengthen USAID programs and help achieve the Mission’s and the Agency’s development objectives, with special emphasis on implementing best practices in environmental resources management. The Specialist participates in developing opportunities to integrate awareness of recognized best practices in program/project/activity implementation across all offices, including increasing the impact and awareness of GDO activities on overall Mission management of health, women’s empowerment, energy, education for the most vulnerable, disaster management, and other activities. The Specialist assists senior U.S. Government (USG), Mission, and Office staff in representing USAID to IPs, NGOs, Government of India (GoI) agencies, and other national and international groups and bodies, in order to develop effective and sustainable strategies for implementing environmental management related programs, including activities in environmental management, environmental degradation mitigation, pollution mitigation (air, water and plastics), and climate change, assuring activities meet national and international standards. The Specialist collaborates with other GDO team members and other technical and support offices in the preparation and presentation of deliverables and assists in monitoring Mission and USG progress toward meeting overall Mission objectives.
C. Portfolio-wide Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation (20%)
The Specialist leads portfolio-wide monitoring and reporting of results including quarterly pipeline and portfolio reviews, annual performance planning and reporting, USAID/Washington (AID/W) report requests and outreach and communication. S/he ensures data is properly collected, and that each indicator is an appropriate measure of its corresponding result; and reports proposed and actual achievements of results in required templates. The Specialist works with implementing partners to ensure their understanding of the Performance Management Plan (PMP) system and process, their role in the process, and develop strategy for project evaluations in consultation with the PS. S/he will also perform sector-wide assessment of outcomes which can be attributable to USAID/India’s natural resource security and governance, and air pollution control interventions, and feed learnings into future programming. The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the United States, or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
a) Education: The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, or a related field such as environmental engineering, climate science, ecology, pollution sciences, or environmental sustainability.
b) Prior Work Experience: This position requires a minimum of five years of related progressively responsible experience in environmental management related programs, including activities in environmental management, environmental degradation mitigation, pollution mitigation (air, water and plastics), and climate change in India.
c) Language Proficiency: Fluency (Level IV) in English and Hindi language proficiency, in speaking, reading, writing, is required
d) Job Knowledge: The candidate must be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the policy, regulatory and organizational issues that are involved in areas such as natural resource management and pollution mitigation. Required knowledge includes:
i) in-depth knowledge of causes and impacts of pollution and knowledge of policy, regulatory and technological options to mitigate pollution;
ii) knowledge of climate change mitigation and adaptation principles, concepts, and practices;
iii) knowledge of private sector business practices pertaining to project development, market and business transformation, financing and implementation; and
iv) knowledge of public-private partnerships in environment, natural resource management, and pollution mitigation.
e) Skills and Abilities: The incumbent must have excellent communication (both verbal and written) and state-of-the-art computer skills (Word, Excel, Power Point). S/he must have the:
i) ability to organize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate scientific data to solve environmental issues;
ii) ability to organize, analyze, interpret and evaluate information regarding environmental policies and programs;
iii) ability to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively with all levels of personnel, both within USAID and outside;
iv) ability to prepare effective written reports and make presentations to a variety of audiences;
v) ability to work independently with minimal supervision or guidance. This position requires significant interaction with other USAID offices, Missions and governments; therefore, the incumbent must also have excellent interpersonal skills. S/he must be able to work in multidisciplinary teams and in an environment in which there may be team members with varying backgrounds and skill levels.
SELECTION PROCESS
Phase-I: Offerors who meet the Education / Experience minimum qualifications will further advance to evaluation phase-II. Offerors who do not meet the Education / Experience minimum qualifications will be eliminated from further evaluation process.
Phase-II: The Applications of those Offerors who meet the Education / Experience minimum requirements will be further evaluated based on the evaluation factors below. The most highly rated Applications will further move to phase-III.
Candidates will be evaluated and ranked on the following criteria to a maximum score of 100 points:
• Technical Knowledge (50)
• Work Experience (50)
Phase-III: The Offerors determined to be most highly rated will be interviewed and asked to complete a written exercise. The interview and written exercise performance will be evaluated based on the evaluation factors given below to determine the most highly rated Offerors.
Candidates will be evaluated and ranked on the following criteria to a maximum score of 100 points:
• Technical Expertise (30)
• Work Experience (20)
• Skills (leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills) (20)
• Witten and oral communications (30)
Additional Information:
Probationary Period: This is the initial period of employment with the U.S. Mission during which Locally Employed Staff (including Cooperating Country National) demonstrate their qualifications for continued employment. The probationary period for Mission India is one year. Staff may be separated without notice or with appropriate notice, during or at the end of the probationary period, with or without specific cause.
The internal employees currently serving their probationary period are not eligible to apply. The internal employees who have moved to a new position (any time after completing their initial probationary period) are required to be in their present position for not less than one year before applying for another USG position.
Relocation and Housing: Applicants living outside New Delhi / NCR must note that if selected for the position, no resettlement travel or housing benefit/allowance is associated with the position. It would be the candidate’s responsibility to make his/her own arrangements to travel to New Delhi in a timely manner for the mandatory pre-employment clearances and subsequently for joining.
Age Requirement: As per the Mission policy, the mandatory retirement age for Cooperating Country National employees is 63 years.
Equal Employment Opportunity: It is the policy of the United States Government to ensure equal employment to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, caste, sex, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
Due to a high volume of anticipated applications, only short-listed candidates will be notified.
Deadline: October 24, 2022
