The Project Management Specialist (Governance) serves as the principal program manager for governance, decentralization &/or local governance activities managed by USAID/Haiti’s Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Office (DRG) Office. Manages activities to advance democratic governance on the central & local levels, & efforts to strengthen the Government of Haiti’s implementation of decentralization, service delivery, anti-corruption measures & civic participation in governance.

The Governance specialist is responsible for providing highly specialized expert technical advice and leadership of the USAID/Haiti central and local governance programs and activities. The incumbent gauges political will and domestic support for democratic governance on the central level, local governance and effective decentralization reforms, and citizen participation at the local level. S/he is knowledgeable of GOH governance priorities, structures and processes and provides guidance on relevant constitutional and legal frameworks, central government oversight mechanisms, and local governance management practices.

S/he provides expert technical leadership in designing and managing governance programs that: advances democratic governance and more transparent and accountable utilization of resources; enhances Government of Haiti (GOH) capacity to deliver decentralization public services; increases citizens’ engagement with government on the quality of public services; improves GOH led donor coordination; and aligns U.S. Government (USG)investments with GoH strategic plans. The incumbent gauges political will and domestic support for democratic governance on the central level, local governance and effective decentralization reforms, and citizen participation at the local level. S/he is knowledgeable of GOH governance priorities, structures and processes and provides guidance on relevant constitutional and legal frameworks, central government oversight mechanisms, and local governance management practices.

S/he provides highly specialized advice to the GOH human resource development, financial management for governance activities, and governance-related policy issues. The incumbent also provides advisory services on the local resource mobilization activities. S/he collaborates and guides technical specialists in DRG and other technical offices on maximizing prospects and cross office synergies for improved central and local governance in all relevant areas of the USAID portfolio. The incumbent is responsible for data management in the governance sub-sector, maintains a library of documents, publications, files, records, and media and stays up to date on governance issues and state of the art knowledge management strategies. The Governance specialist provides technical analysis on governance trends and recommendations for programming to the DRG Office Director, USAID/Haiti senior management, the Ambassador and U.S. Embassy counterparts, and USAID/Washington counterparts, as needed

The incumbent also provides advisory services on the local resource mobilization activities. Collaborates and guides technical specialists in DRG and other technical offices on maximizing prospects and cross office synergies for improved central and local governance in all relevant areas of the USAID portfolio. The incumbent is responsible for data management in the governance sub-sector, maintains a library of documents, publications, files, records, and media and stays up to date on governance issues and state of the art knowledge management strategies. The Governance specialist provides technical analysis on governance trends and recommendations for programming to the DRG Office Director, USAID/Haiti senior management, the Ambassador and U.S. Embassy counterparts, and USAID/Washington counterparts, as needed.

The Governance specialist leads designing, assessing, managing, evaluating and reporting USAID/Haiti’s strategies, programs and activities that advance democratic governance (DG) at the central and local levels. The Governance specialist serves as the key member of the DRG office to advance coordination and communication between USAID, the Embassy, and other U.S. Government (USG) agencies. Specifically, the incumbent leads in communicating effectively and coordinating activities with USAID senior leadership, other USG agencies, Haitian partners, NGOs, third-country partners, stakeholders and other interested parties, on USAID’s central & local governance programs in Haiti.

The incumbent collaborates with counterpart offices on technical, programmatic, procurement and reporting to USAID in Washington and provides governance inputs into the Operational Plan, Performance Plan and Report, pipeline analysis, and decisions on budget allocations. S/he strategically coordinates USAID-funded governance activities with those of other USG agencies, and advocates expansion of DRG activities that positively impact on conditions in Haiti. Leads coordination of USAID pillar programs, all of which have democratic governance components at the local level.

Education: Completion of a bachelor’s degree related to political science, public administration, public policy, law or related field is required.

Evaluations: Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. Candidates meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed candidates. If the interview is conducted, the interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

Experience: At least 7 years of professional experience designing, managing, implementing and/or evaluating democracy, human rights and governance activities promoting democratic governance on behalf of an international organization, the USG, or a civil society organization is required--including at least 2 years of specific work experience on decentralization, central and/or local governance, government capacity building, anti-corruption, and/or and public service delivery. Must have technical experience in public administration in a municipal context, local governance, decentralization, municipal service delivery, or citizen participation on behalf of an international organization, the USG, the Government of Haiti, the private sector or an NGO.

Professional experience must include core program areas: democratic governance, government capacity-building at local and national levels, anti-corruption, transparency and accountability reform; local governance, decentralization, service delivery, or civic participation in governance. Experience in project design, program operations, and performance monitoring, including experience in the analysis and interpretation of data is required.

Experience maintaining contacts, advising, and collaborating with high-ranking officials such as GOH agency heads, Congressional representatives, top congressional staff officials, legislative leaders, and/or executives of comparable private sector organizations on international development programs dealing with vulnerable populations is required. Experience presenting developments and trends from the sector, findings from studies and recommendations to senior leadership and managers is also required. Experience managing and/or working successfully with teams is a must.

Job Knowledge: In-depth technical knowledge of Haiti, and in particular its democratic institutions, political and governance systems, especially central and local governance entities and decentralization is required. S/he must have a strong understanding of Haitian governance priorities and operating structure at the central and municipal levels, governance trends, decision-making processes and political decisions at the national and regional levels. S/he must also have knowledge of international best practices in public administration; public finance; decentralization; local governance; public service delivery; anti-corruption; accountability; civil society engagement; and related democracy, human rights and governance topics. The incumbent must have advanced technical skills and knowledge of managing teams and providing oversight.

Skills: Technical knowledge of governance trends in Haiti, programming and best practices is required. Prior experience managing USG-funded or similar development institution contracts and grants and the ability to provide expert technical direction and management oversight is a must. The specialist (or job holder) must possess clear and effective communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills, and have the ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds with tact, diplomacy, respect and resourcefulness. S/he must possess the ability to work collaboratively in a cross-cultural environment with diverse teams, USG and host country agencies, institutions, high-level officials, and grassroots organizations and civil society contacts. Strong written and oral presentation skills in French and English, and oral presentations in Creole are required.

The incumbent must have outstanding coordination skills, the ability to handle multiple activities concurrently, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines. S/he must manage highly complex and politically sensitive information within the governance, decentralization and anti-corruption sub sector. The incumbent must also manage highly complex technical and budget processes to comply with USAID policy, State/F, USAID/W and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and requirements, and Congressional mandates, earmarks and legislation. The incumbent must understand Haiti’s complex political dynamics, governance trends, laws, policies, regulations, economic developments, and social issues. The ability to understand and articulate complex central and local governance, decentralization and anti-corruption issues and identify solutions for navigating Haiti’s complex political landscape is required.

Ability to manage programs for achieving planned results and strong problem-solving skills in complicated situations is essential. The incumbent is required to have advanced interpersonal skills, the ability to work well on a team, strong leadership skills, and the capacity to work independently with minimal supervision. S/he must address management issues and resolve problems with implementing partners, relationships with Government of Haiti (GOH) stakeholders and foreign donors in a variety of challenging situations. The ability to plan, organize and manage complex negotiations and meetings is required. Must adhere to high ethical standards of professional conduct and maintain strict confidentiality in all areas, including acquisition and assistance.

The incumbent must manage and stay up to date on highly complex tasks within the established framework of USAID policy, and ever-changing requirements and guidance from Mission Management, State/F and USAID/W and adjust the DRG portfolio to meet the priorities of both USAID and the Government of Haiti.

The incumbent must possess advanced proficiency for Internet, Google, Google Mail, Microsoft Office Applications including Word, PowerPoint and Excel IT applications.

Language: Fluent Proficiency (Level IV) written and spoken English and French, and spoken Haitian Creole are required.

Post Entry Training: Basic orientation followed by USAID COR/AOR certification training, training in the USAID program cycle, GLAAS, and financial management.

1- Current Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume

2- A Cover Letter or summary Statement Addressing the evaluation factors

3- Copies of Educational Certificates

4- List of a minimum of three (3) professional references with accurate telephone and e-mail information.

Eligible applicants are required to complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)] on the closing date of this announcement.

If applying on-line poses an extreme hardship, you must contact the human resources office no later than [e.g., two, three, etc.] business days prior to the closing date of this vacancy announcement. An alternative application method will be provided upon approval of the hardship notification. After this time, requests to apply via alternative methods will not be granted.

Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date, via online or alternative methods, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.