USAID Project Management Specialist (BHA Humanitarian Advisor) At US Agency for International Development

The Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) is the lead USG coordinator for international disaster assistance, harnessing the expertise and unique capacities of other U.S. government entities to effectively respond to natural disasters and complex crises around the world. BHA provides life-saving humanitarian assistance—including food, water, shelter, emergency healthcare, sanitation and hygiene, and critical nutrition services— to the most vulnerable populations. The Southern Africa Regional Office, located in Pretoria, South Africa, covers 14 countries, with a regional budget of over $289 million in FY 2021. As a key member of the USAID/BHA Southern Africa Regional Office, the BHA Humanitarian Advisor will provide support and oversight of programs in 14 countries including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. They will monitor humanitarian conditions and needs in areas of responsibility in conjunction with BHA, other USAID, and/or U.S. Embassy staff present in those countries, will recommend when conditions have been met to declare a disaster and an appropriate BHA response, as well as monitoring and reporting on ongoing BHA portfolio of emergency, risk reduction, and/or resilience activities in areas of responsibility. This position requires up to 50% of time spent in the field monitoring BHA emergency, risk reduction, and resilience programs and assessing multi-sectoral humanitarian conditions across the region.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT MONITORING (40%)

● Participates in multi-agency, multi-sector assessments of humanitarian needs, and assists in the development of funding and programmatic recommendations for BHA and USAID Missions. ● Recommends to the BHA Regional Office the appropriate response for initiating or adjusting emergency and resilience assistance programming based on field findings on multi-sectoral emergency needs. ● Identifies and reviews technical reports and documents related to humanitarian assistance and resilience to remain current about general knowledge and advances in the fields of emergency assistance and risk reduction, and others’ findings related to his/her geographic zone of responsibility, in particular. ● Reports on all field monitoring trips and assessments. Provides information for additional reporting to the BHA Regional Director, USAID Mission Directors, and BHA Washington, as necessary. ● Builds local relationships, liaises and remains in close contact with representatives from the host governments, UN agencies, resident local and international NGOs and other local institutions. ● Regularly attends and represents BHA at humanitarian-related meetings and forums as a part of the international humanitarian response architecture to provide leadership, guidance, monitoring, and accountability of the humanitarian community in meeting the urgent needs of disaster-affected populations. Represents USAID to a wide range of government officials at the national and provincial/district level and representatives at the technical and administrative levels. Engages with beneficiaries, community members and leaders related to BHA’s emergency and resilience programs.

ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT (40%)

● Devises an annual monitoring plan outlining the sites to be visited and timeline, and conducts regular field monitoring visits, in accordance with the monitoring plan, spending at least 50% of time in the field, often in austere conditions, collecting data on the implementation of BHA programs. Advises on any issues arising that need to be addressed, including immediate reporting of any actual or suspected diversions of USG resources, missed implementation targets, and non-compliance with USAID regulations. Makes recommendations for addressing and solving any problems that are discovered. ● Lead the design and performance management of a BHA’s humanitarian activities, as assigned. Serve as Activity Manager working in close coordination with the BHA Humanitarian Assistance Officer in USAID/Washington to provide strategic management and oversight of all activities in his/her portfolio and ensure complete alignment of all BHA activities with BHA and Mission policy. ● Ensure that partners are in compliance with all relevant USAID regulations, policies, and procedures. Apply specific and in-depth knowledge of applicable USG laws, legislative directives, and regulations, particularly regarding the allowable use of BHA resources. Ensure humanitarian commodities are properly and effectively utilized as approved in program documents and that resources are distributed to the intended beneficiaries. Monitor resource utilization, pipelines, and dispatch and distribution status of activities. ● Arrange and participate in program evaluations. Review performance reports to ensure that Implementing Partners are in compliance with the performance expectations outlined in their work plans and in their contract(s)/agreement(s) and host-government agreements. ● Participate in activity and project design as needed, including the preparation of Scopes of Work and Requests for Applications, and serve on Technical Evaluation Committees. Write key portions of theabove documents.

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP (20%)

● Serve as the humanitarian technical advisor on strategies, activities, and approaches to address humanitarian crises and/or disaster risk reduction initiatives. Guide strategic and technical decision making on best use of BHA emergency resources, with a focus on vulnerable populations. ● Prepare humanitarian technical and program documentation, such as briefing papers, fact sheets, letters, cables, and memos for information and action, staying abreast of host government and donor priorities in the field of disaster response. ● Provide strategic guidance on best practices and approaches for humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction in chronically vulnerable settings. ● Organize and host training workshops, providing technical, implementation, and training support to BHA, USAID staff, and implementing partners on best practices and innovations on disaster response programming. ● Complete BHA trainings and certifications as necessary to participate in Response Management Teams (RMT) and Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, food security, agriculture, economics, community organizing, disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, social sciences or technical fields relevant to humanitarian or resilience activities is required. • Prior Work Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience overseeing or implementing humanitarian and/or disaster risk reduction activities is required. Significant relevant experience must include working with vulnerable populations in low-resource environments, humanitarian activities, including but not limited to experiences with related private sector entities and/or research entities, USG, other donor organizations, NGOs, and/or host governments. At least two years of the Specialist’s professional experience must be in a technical or program management capacity within the field of humanitarian assistance. This must include experience within the sectors of maternal and child health and nutrition, food security, livelihoods, protection, public health, agriculture, or WASH in humanitarian contexts. • Language Proficiency Fluency in English (Level IV speaking / Level IV reading) is required.