What we learned at USAID's Management Bureau job fair

On Monday morning, a flurry of suits, ties, and CVs streamed through the doors of the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C. — attached to some 200-plus agency hopefuls at the Bureau for Management’s first-ever hiring fair. The job candidates were there for 35 opportunities, many of which have typically been hard for the agency to fill. For years, USAID leaders have spoken of a “staffing crisis” centered around the agency’s contracting officers, the employees who award and administer USAID’s grants, agreements, and contracts. It’s a critically important role — but in recent years, the agency has struggled to retain that workforce. “I don’t think anyone ever raised their hand in kindergarten and said, ‘Mommy, I want to be a contracting officer when I grow up,’” Jami Rodgers, director of USAID’s Office of Acquisitions and Assistance, told the room of candidates on Monday. “I know I certainly didn’t.” And yet, the career fair was absolutely buzzing with people eager to get a job at the agency, including those hoping to become contract specialists. Before the event even started, 1,000 resumes had already been submitted to USAID, the agency said. Dozens more waited in line to do the same while many other pre-approved candidates had been teed up for interviews that afternoon. It wasn’t the only day to apply, as the agency will be accepting applications on a rolling basis for the next few weeks. But those who attended the job fair got the opportunity to meet the agency staff in person, and ask questions about what they were looking for. “It’s really wonderful so far,” said one career fair attendee, Danielle Carpenter-Davis. “So we’ll see what happens.” The hiring fair’s focus was on veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities, with digital fliers advertising same-day interviews and job offers on the spot. And clearly, the outreach had worked. Brian Gordon, a veteran currently contracting with the U.S. Navy, was after one of the agency’s program management positions. Olubunmi Osinubu, who now works in banking, wanted to learn more about the agency’s humanitarian aims. And Carpenter-Davis, who works in financial services, felt like she’d be the perfect fit for one of USAID’s accounting positions. Still, USAID wasn’t just looking for those with business, accounting, and finance backgrounds. While speaking on a panel, Rodgers told candidates that his best boss ever was actually a flute major — and that while the Office of Acquisition and Assistance looks for people with at least 24 business credits, they are also interested in hiring from across backgrounds. “We really look for folks that have business acumen and can be trained,” Rodgers said, mentioning that contract-specific information can be picked up through on-the-job training. “They’re good at relationship management skills, and they’re analytical thinkers that can bring accountability and the right attitude and aptitude to the job.” “We want people who are flexible, that drive accountability, and have a can-do attitude and a collaborative posture,” he added. Open roles for Rodgers’ office include those as a contract specialist, senior contract specialist, and procurement analyst. But within USAID’s management bureau, many other open roles are still pending, from emergency management specialists to budget analysts to information technology officers and beyond. During a panel conversation, Ruth Buckley, USAID’s deputy assistant administrator in the Bureau for Management, focused on roles within the Office of Management, Policy, Budget and Performance. Most of the positions available within that office — which include openings for an administrative officer, budget analyst, management and program analyst, and supervisory budget analyst — are more junior positions, Buckley said. “We’re seeking to bring in young people and grow their careers. The agency has quite a lot of senior people in it, and we really want to be attracting more people who are just beginning their careers,” Buckley told the crowd. “We want people who aren’t going to be looking at how it’s always been done.” Other roles include those within USAID’s office of the assistant administrator for the Bureau for Management, such as an administrative assistant opening and a senior adviser role, and those within the office of the chief financial officer, which includes multiple accountant roles, financial management specialist roles, and a management program analyst opportunity. There are also roles within the office of the chief information officer, such as eight IT specialist opportunities, a supervisory IT specialist role, and a senior contract specialist opening. While there are nine opportunities at the office of management services, from management and program analyst openings to that of a Freedom of Information Act team lead. All the open roles across the Management Bureau have flexible working arrangements, with the contract and information technology specialist openings offered as remote positions, and all others requiring the employee to be in office three days a week. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.