Senior Learning Specialist

Job Description

This opportunity is contingent on contract award, which is expected to be awarded December 2023.

OPPORTUNITY 

This is a great opportunity for someone that enjoys a fast-paced environment supporting learning and adaptive management of a critical USAID-funded learning project supporting West Africa’s Regional Economic Growth activities. 

• Do you enjoy being engaged in a new and exciting project? 
• Can you imagine starting your day with a solid technical team and having the opportunity to regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including other USAID implementing partners and their key stakeholders? 

 If yes, please READ ON.  

PURPOSE and NEED  

The Learning Specialist will support collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) and knowledge management activities under CLAMP and facilitate strong CLA management practices across regional programming. This is a full-time position based in Accra, Ghana, and final hiring decision is subject to approval by the project prime and USAID.

The USAID West Africa CLAMP is a four-year learning project implemented by the US-based small business, Banyan Global, under the PPL Monitoring and Evaluation Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (EVAL-ME II IDIQ) contract. CLAMP will provide monitoring and collaborating, learning & adapting support to USAID West Africa’s Regional Economic Growth activities. The purpose of this activity is to advance economic growth through evidence-based CLA and monitoring. This will be accomplished by providing technical assistance and helping build the capacity of staff, implementing partners, and regional/local stakeholders of the Regional Economic Growth Office of USAID/West Africa to increase collaboration and share knowledge across activities and projects, and/or enhance existing CLA capacities by providing USAID’s knowledge management resources and expertise.

About Environmental Incentives  

At Environmental Incentives, our purpose is to create the conditions for human and natural communities to thrive. We do this by helping our partners improve the performance of conservation and development programs. Our clients trust us to design and support implementation of programs that (1) use evidence to develop effective strategies within complex systems, (2) center local stakeholder experiences and facilitate collective action, and (3) produce results that support learning about what works. Environmental Incentives is a certified B Corporation with offices located in Washington, DC, South Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Nairobi, and Lima (pending registration). Our remote staff and consultants are based in multiple states within the United States, and across five continents. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Provide technical support to the design, development, and implementation of CLA-related tasks.
• Organize multi-stakeholder learning events with USAID staff, implementing partners, and regional stakeholders.
• Help our clients advance and stay at the cutting edge of what they do, we seek to motivate employees to learn, discover, and grow.  
• Manage relationships with client teams in the region to understand USAID needs and priorities for technical support.  
• Coordinate and provide in-person or virtual technical assistance to help USAID design and implement a learning agenda.
• Provide technical support to implementing best practices in adaptive management for economic growth and utilizing evidence and learning to strengthen economic growth programming.
• Develop work plans and budget to deliver technical support, in consultation with senior management and staff and USAID. 
• Contribute to project-wide learning 
• Provide contributions to planning and executing annual pause and reflect workshops
• Ensure the lessons learned through CLAMP are documented and applied to implementation.
• Lead product, process, and workstream development teams on both internal and client initiatives, and make informed decisions through the scoping, production, and review processes. Independently scope and develop high-quality and insightful products and move workstreams or small projects from conceptualization to delivery with input from colleagues and clients.
• Take initiative in identifying value and learning across products, clients, and teams and actively promote that learning in internal and external venues.

BASE STATION  

The position will be based in Accra, Ghana.  

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

We are offering a competitive starting salary and full benefits package that goes beyond statutory requirements in many instances.  

QUALIFICATIONS 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of relevant experience; Master’s degree and 5+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience designing, managing, or implementing development activities related to gender integration and/or gender and social inclusion.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering activities and products based on CLA principles. 
• Advanced professional proficiency in English. 
  • Speaking: Able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs.  
  • Reading: Able to read fluently and accurately all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs. 
• Advanced professional proficiency in French: reading/writing/speaking.   

Preferred Qualifications 

• University degree in relevant field, graduate degree preferred.
• Experience with and/or knowledge of USAID programming, approaches, and policy, including USAID gender policy and programming.
• Demonstrated success building a trusted advisory relationship with client teams, including technical specialists, to assess needs, manage processes, deliver high quality services, and solve problems.
• Experience independently creating client deliverables, including scoping, production, and review; or experience playing a critical role in the development of products.
• Previous experience on a MEL platform or similar support contract for USAID.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Excellent planning, management, and communication skills. 
• Ability to work in teams. 
• Proactive approach to role and understanding when to be reactive. 
• Strong process management skills and ability to produce quality products as scheduled. 
• Excellent attention to detail and organization skills. 
• Ability to summarize and repackage technical information in clear, compelling language. 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities and to communicate effectively in setting and refining priorities. 
• Ability to work effectively under pressure to carry out specific, results-oriented tasks, given constraints in time, information, and logistical support. 
• Proficiency with MS Office suite and Google Apps. 

Additional Requirements

• Legally authorized to work in Ghana with no restrictions. 
• Criminal background check required. 

HOW TO APPLY 

Please submit your application no later than November 7, 2023. On a rolling basis throughout the application period, we will review applications and contact qualified candidates for additional information.  

ENVIRONMENTAL INCENTIVES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

We are committed to developing an inclusive work environment for all employees, where diversity of thought, style, culture, and skill is valued in support of individual performance and potential, as well as our business goals and mission. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

Reasonable Accommodation:

Applicants with disabilities may contact Environmental Incentives coordinators via telephone, e-mail, and other means to request and arrange for accommodations. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact Human Resources:

Patrice Gulledge

Human Resources Director

Phone: (202) 525-2450

E-mail: careers@enviroincentives.com

About the Organization

At Environmental Incentives, our purpose is to create the conditions for human and natural communities to thrive. We do this by helping our partners improve the performance of conservation and development programs. Our clients trust us to design and support implementation of programs that (1) use evidence to develop effective strategies within complex systems, (2) center local stakeholder experiences and facilitate collective action, and (3) produce results that support learning about what works. Environmental Incentives is a certified B Corporation with offices located in Washington, DC, South Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Nairobi, and Lima (pending registration). Our remote staff and consultants are based in multiple states within the United States, and across five continents.