Program Officer – PROGR002291-00001

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 worldwide. 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 worldwide. Together we tackle the most challenging 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.

Summary

The Program Officer (PO) position is to strengthen the institutions and practices for rigorous project design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning at USIP and contribute toward USIP becoming a true learning organization. This position is based in Washington, DC, reports to the Director of Learning, Evaluation and Research (LER) and is a member of the Center for Thematic Excellence (CTE).

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Assistance:

* Provides technical advice to program teams across USIP on program design, developing and implementing monitoring frameworks and data collection strategies, advising teams on analysis and interpretation, and designing rigorous evaluation strategies.

* Provides guidance to USIP leadership on strategies for improving program design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems at the organizational level.

* Lead Institute-wide effort to strengthen project design by acting as the primary liaison with the Strategic Partnerships Team, coordinating project design reviews for Inter-Agency Agreements, and providing technical support ensuring the coherence of project design and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks.

Leading and Managing Evaluations:

* In close collaboration with program teams, designs, manages, and conducts internal evaluations of programs as needed, including developing data collection tools, conducting field visits and writing evaluation reports. Manages external evaluation processes (e.g., thematic evaluations) as required, including identifying qualified evaluators, drafting request for proposals and scope of works, collaboration across the Institute, and interrogating theories of change through qualitative methods.

* Responsible for internal and external dissemination of evaluation reports, including (when appropriate) strategizing about posting reports to the USIP website.

Training, Learning and Research:

* Responsible for increasing capacity of USIP staff in program design, monitoring, and evaluation, including developing resources and tools for project design, monitoring, and evaluation.

* Helps the team strengthen the links between evaluation, research and learning by managing post-evaluation learning processes, and specifically developing actionable recommendations for practitioner audiences, and contributing to planning and activities for internal learning sessions including the facilitation of sessions and writing lessons learned reports.

* Develop and edit material for the USIP’s intranet (MyUSIP) to share design, monitoring, evaluation, learning and research best practices and lessons learned throughout the Institute.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

* Contributes, at the enterprise-level, to data collection and analyses, including development of indicators and strategies for data management. Leads the development of materials for presentation of results to staff at all levels.

* Represents USIP and LER at internal and external events as required. Liaises with M&E partners to ensure USIP remains connected and contributes to the peacebuilding field.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

* Bachelor’s degree required with six (6) years of experience in peacebuilding or similar field, such as democratization and governance, civil society, youth development, etc.

* Master’s degree with four (4) years of experience preferred.

* Experience designing, managing and/or implementing programs in post-conflict and transitional environments is preferred.

* Demonstrated ability to manage and analyze data, work with data management systems, and effectively present the results of data analysis. Knowledge of Excel and Quick Base preferred.

* Experience in managing contracts for external evaluation and managing relationships with external evaluators and program teams.

* Excellent writing skills required, including ability to write in a variety of formats for a variety of 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.

* Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and lead multiple initiatives while employing knowledge and skills to think strategically and problem-solve creatively.

* Be a dynamic thinker both in regard to how to creatively and credibly monitor and evaluate complex programming in unstable environments and in regard to how to lead change within organizations.

* Be pluralistic and flexible in their approach to methodology, comfortable with both qualitative and quantitative data, and comfortable with conducting monitoring and evaluation in data poor environments.

* International travel required (typically 1-2 short visits per year to USIP country offices).

All applicants must be US citizens to be considered for positions with USIP.

All USIP contract and employee positions are contingent upon the favorable completion of a suitability background investigation.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:

1. Completed employment application including titles, dates of hire and salary requirements.

2. Cover letter

3. Resume

Only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.

No Phone Calls. Interviews will be scheduled by appointment only.

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.