Technical Associate, SEA

Job Description

Practice Area Summary:

Our Strategy, Evaluation and Analysis (SEA) practice area oversees all monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) projects. It is a dynamic unit within the company that strives for excellence and innovation across all activities, encompassing a range of sectors, including security cooperation, education, health, economics, democracy and governance, gender, capacity building and policy reform. SEA has 21 MEL specialists in the U.S. and more than three dozen in our field-based projects overseas.

**Please note: U.S. work authorization is required for this position.**

Position Summary:

The Technical Associate (TA) will work in MSI’s SEA practice area and report to one or more Technical Directors (TDs) on specific work assignments. The TA will work collaboratively with the team’s Technical Directors and Managers, and will also liaise with MSI’s Operations Division, Business Development Unit (BDU), and other practice areas. This role will play a key role in technical assignments, business development, and thought leadership. The TA will also provide support to short or long-term MEL, research, and strategy assignments. This role will explore new evaluation/research and learning techniques and have a unique opportunity for professional growth and learning, with potential for increased responsibility over time. The TA will be expected to travel to international locations from one to three trips per year, with most trips averaging between one and three weeks. Longer term assignments are possible, including travel to security-challenged countries.

Responsibilities:

Technical

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Conduct evaluation and draft reports for third-party monitoring activities for USAID missions and the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
• Support technical teams to design scopes of work, prepare evaluation/research designs and work plans, as well as develop data collection and analysis plans.
• Design instruments for qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed-method evaluation/research.
• Collect data at US and overseas locations using various methods and instruments.
• Design third party monitoring activities.

Strategic Planning and Analysis

• Design and facilitate strategic planning sessions.
• Support client teams to develop country and/or project strategies.
• Develop results frameworks, logic models, or log frames.
• Prepare literature reviews and final reports.

Training and Facilitation

• Design training modules on core topics in monitoring and evaluation (M&E).
• Provide training and facilitation on strategic planning, M&E, or Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) topics.
• Develop and deliver workshops.

Management and Consulting

• Maintain effective client relations and coordination.
• Provide guidance to project or evaluation teams.
• Review and prepare scopes of work for assignments.
• Write high quality reports designed to effectively respond to client needs.
• Review draft deliverables and provide constructive feedback.

Business Development

• Contribute to planning and proposal writing efforts for new business development opportunities and liaise with BDU to produce technically sound and compliant proposals.
• Conduct reconnaissance trips for upcoming proposals to meet with funding agencies, government officials, and potential partner organizations.
• Develop internal and external marketing materials, including newsletters, blogs, and white papers.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in international relations/development, political science, or economics required.
• Minimum two years of demonstrated experience (which may include academic training) in social science research, academic research, or monitoring and evaluation required.
• Experience working with an internationally focused government agency (e.g., Department of State, USAID), non-profit organization or government contractor preferred.
• Experience with basic project management practices and standards preferred.
• Experience working with statistical analysis software, such as Stata and/or R preferred.
• Experience in data visualization theory and practice, such as R, Tableau, Power BI preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively as a team member required.
• Strong written and oral communication skills required.
• Strong analytical skills preferred.
• Fluency in English required. Fluency in Arabic, French or Spanish preferred.

At MSI Tetra Tech, health and safety play a vital role in our success. MSI Tetra Tech’s employees work together to comply with all applicable health & safety practices and protocols, including health orders and regulations related to COVID-19 that are mandated by local, state and federal authorities.

MSI is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We strive to develop and maintain a culture that honors the perspectives and identities of our employees, our communities and those impacted by our work.

We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants’ and employees’ religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.

MSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities/Veterans Employer.

Pay Transparency Statement:

We are committed to taking a thoughtful, compliant, and equitable approach to employment compensation. We commit to providing a holistic comprehensive salary analysis, including reviews of individual skill sets and compensable factors related to qualifications, business needs, internal compensation data, and industry and labor market surveys. The anticipated pay range for this position is $65,000 to $73,000 USD.

Reasonable Accommodations:

MSI is dedicated to hiring an inclusive workforce. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, please visit Tetra Tech’s Disability Assistance Page. Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

About the Organization

Company Profile:

Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.