General Development Officer (Senior Agriculture Advisor) - FSL-0343-02 (U.S. Citizens only)

Agency: U.S. Agency for International Development Organization: Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) Location of Position: Washington, D.C. Open Period: April 18 - May 9, 2023 Appointment Type: This is an excepted service, time-limited appointment that is not-to-exceed two and a half (2.5) years Salary: (USD) $126,164 – $183,500 (annually) Number of Vacancies: 1

Description of Organization: The position is located in the Center for Agriculture-Led Growth (CA) in USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS). RFS partners to advance inclusive agriculture-led growth, resilience, nutrition, and access to water and sanitation to accelerate and protect progress on the Journey to Self Reliance. RFS oversees four high-level, integrated efforts in support of this mission: (1) Feed the Future, guided by the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS), (2) the USAID Multi-Sector Nutrition Strategy, (3) the U.S. Global Water Strategy, and (4) efforts to increase resilience in areas of recurrent humanitarian crisis. To deliver on this work, RFS partners with other Federal Departments and Agencies, USAID Bureaus and Missions, universities, civil society, and other public- and private-sector actors. Overseeing annual Agency investments of over $2 billion, RFS is dynamic, fast-paced, and at the forefront of the Agency.

Within RFS, the CA leads the Agency’s agriculture work. Through technical assistance, training, and curated learning products, the Center supports USAID Missions’ programming, policy, and partnership work in agriculture input systems, production systems, market systems, and finance. Through strategic engagement and partnership, the Center influences global agricultural investments and agendas. The Center also manages global research and analysis investments to generate agriculture innovations and evidence for widespread application.

Description of Position: The Senior Agriculture Advisor will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

External Engagement, Relationship Management and Communications: (60%) The incumbent will cooperate, liaise, and serve as a key point of contact with persons and groups both inside and outside of USAID on issues related to agriculture-led growth. The incumbent will coordinate communications and external messaging and engagement with other USAID Bureaus and Offices, the National Security Council, other USG agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors and philanthropies, advocates, implementing partners, and the media. The incumbent will establish and develop working relationships with external organizations, implementing partners, and the private sector, as required.

Technical Leadership and Guidance: (20%) The incumbent will provide thought leadership on agriculture programming and research that promotes the achievement of objectives as outlined in the U.S. Government’s Global Food Security Strategy. The incumbent will keep up to date on current research and best practices, critical country and regional-level sector analyses and data and assist in developing Agency-wide strategic messaging and engagement campaigns to advance USAID’s technical leadership in agriculture. The incumbent will incorporate latest evidence and research findings into strategic messaging to communicate USAID’s efforts in agriculture to external audiences. The incumbent will serve on RFS Country Support Teams, promoting cross-sectoral linkages and integration of cross-cutting issues through a nutrition lens. In addition, the General Development Officer will curate nutrition-sensitive evidence into learning products to support field programs in Feed the Future and nutrition priority countries and influence Agency policies, programs, and partnerships.

Project and Activity Management: (20%) The General Development Officer will provide high-level communication, technical, analytical, and managerial support for all stages of program design and implementation. The incumbent will manage contracts, cooperative agreements and/or grants that build the evidence base for agriculture and provide tools and resources to support agriculture field programs. Communication duties will involve synthesizing and summarizing technical products to inform the Agency, other development partners, and USG organizations. Program management duties include providing financial and administrative oversight of programs, and managing activity managers where appropriate.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level FS-3 of this position. Examples of specialized experience include: Providing advice and assistance to governments, international organizations, and to various public, nonprofit, and private agencies and organizations on matters relating to agriculture activities. Conducting studies and performing other analytical work related to the planning, development, organization, administration, evaluation, and delivery of agriculture programs. Designing, managing, evaluating, and/or implementing agriculture programs.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Secret-level security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Sectoral expertise in agricultural communications, scientific writing, or agriculture.
• Advanced degree in biological sciences, agriculture, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic communications, outreach, global engagement, and interagency coordination, with a clear understanding of communications, writing and editing, marketing, government relations, and community outreach as it pertains to agriculture in development contexts, including global agriculture events.

Interested candidates should submit a:

• Resume/CV;
• A short written statement of interest

Please submit your application package to RFSjobs@usaid.gov with “FSL APPLICATION PACKAGE: Agriculture Development Officer (Senior Agriculture Advisor), FL-0343-02, RFS/Center for Agriculture-Led Growth, PD#32673” as the subject. Application submissions are required by 11:59 pm (EST), May 9, 2023. Packages not submitted by the deadline with the specified subject line—or incomplete packages—will not receive consideration.

This notice may be used to fill additional vacancies, as the workforce needs of the Bureau may change.

EEO Policy Statement

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Any questions concerning this notice may be directed to Jerry Glover at jglover@usaid.gov.

File: Job Description_Agriculture_Development_Officer_CA_32673.pdf