DESCRIPTION/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Who We Are
Peace is our commitment. The United States Institute of Peace represents the American people’s shared values and commitment to peace around the world. We know that Peace is Security – it advances both U.S. and international security by preventing, managing, and mitigating violent conflict.
We are an independent, non-partisan institution and are actively engaged with peacebuilding efforts around the world. Together we tackle the toughest problems and hold fast to the possibility of a more peaceful world. To learn more about USIP programs and job openings, go to https://www.usip.org/about/careers.
If you have a passion for making the world a better place and want to have a front-row seat on the world stage, USIP is the place for you.
JOB BRIEF
The Program Officer will support the Learning, Evaluation, and Research (LER) team’s efforts to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), strategic planning, and project design across the Institute. The Program Officer will function as the subject matter expert on evaluation designs and quantitative data analysis at the Institute, and work to increase the number of projects that use rigorous methods to evaluate and ground-test the effectiveness of their efforts. The Program Officer will also lead the team’s efforts to engage with external audiences through a number of efforts, ultimately geared towards drawing on other successful practices to strengthen internal processes for MEL and to promote the LER brand. The Program Officer will serve as the focal point for the team in capturing and applying best practices from the broader field to USIP programming. The Program Officer position is based in Washington DC and reports to the Director, Learning, Evaluation & Research.
TARGET SALARY RANGE
Grade 13 - $103,000 - $107,000
The Institute uses the General Schedule salary tables for administering compensation. Contractor offers are determined based upon candidate qualifications, related experience, internal equity, and the amount budgeted for the position.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Project-level - monitoring, evaluation, learning, and design:
• Work collaboratively with LER colleagues and with programmatic teams to lead, support, and improve monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and project design processes.
• Oversee effective implementation of tools for M&E, and post-project learning of these efforts, and ensure that the data is valuable and utilized to test and improve programming.
• Conduct and lead the training activities with staff in DC and operational countries to improve their capacity to conduct MEL activities. Help maintain and update the online ‘LER Handbook’, which further empowers staff to conduct MEL independently.
• Lead or support internal evaluations, including the development of evaluation designs and management of evaluation processes.
Play an integral role in rigorous, large-scale evaluations, either as USIP’s representative in technical conversations with external evaluators, as lead on methodology and design for evaluations, or review of evaluation reports
Program/center- level - strategy and program-level measurement systems:
• Support program teams – with an emphasis on priority country programs – to develop their program strategies.
• Develop or improve rigorous measurement systems at the program level and support teams to use the systems to ensure that progress can be effectively tracked at this level.
• Liaise with centers in the development of their center-level strategy, ensuring that it aligns with program-level plans and USIP’s Strategic Plan.
Institute-wide monitoring, evaluation, and learning:
• Ensure the effective implementation of the USIP Strategic Plan through monitoring, evaluative and reflective efforts.
• Facilitate cross-Institute learning activities, including all programmatic centers, to share lessons learned from USIP programming and M&E efforts.
External engagement:
• Co-develop LER’s strategy for engaging with the broader field of MEL experts and academics to ensure we are learning from innovative approaches and best practices.
• Advance LER’s brand as a leader on MEL in the peacebuilding field through the facilitation of speaking engagements and presentations to and publications for practitioners and funders. Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
• A Bachelor's degree with seven (7) years of experience in political science, conflict resolution, public policy, or a related field is required. A Master's degree with five (5) years of experience is preferred.
• Superb knowledge of MEL concepts, evaluation design, survey design, and data analysis. Knowledge of advanced statistical concepts desired.
• Expert knowledge of quantitative methods and statistical software packages-STATA or similar.
• Substantial practical experience applying design and MEL concepts to programming in conflict zones.
• Significant experience training peacebuilding practitioners on design, and MEL concepts.
• Proven ability to support or manage a complex peacebuilding MEL project.
• Proven ability to support the development of programmatic/center-level strategy.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate with internal and external audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively with a variety of teams and build trust throughout the organization. Comfortable leading change management processes.
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting to carry out assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices.
All USIP contract and employee positions are contingent upon the favorable completion of a suitability background investigation.
USIP is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of USIP to offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, political affiliations or belief, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.
To apply for this position, please use the following URL:
https://ars2.equest.com/?response_id=4b1b4c60f44372e0ee07513cd12e8fad
How to apply:
HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:
- Completed employment application including titles, dates of hire, and salary requirements.
- Cover letter
- Resume
For questions about this position please email recruitment@usip.org. Do not send resumes or attachments to this email address.
Only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.
No Phone Calls. Interviews will be scheduled by appointment only.