USPSC – Country Representative – Ecuador (GS-14)

The OTI Position Title is a full-time/intermittent Personal Services Contract (PSC) position at the GS-14 equivalent level and located in Ecuador. Offers for this position are due no later than May 30 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. For full information about this position, as well as instructions on how to apply, please read the entire solicitation at www.OTIjobs.net.

The Country Representative is a member of the Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS)/OTI Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Team, reports to the OTI Latin America and Caribbean Regional Team Lead or designee, and is based in Ecuador. The incumbent may be required to travel regionally as necessary. The Country Representative’s principal responsibility will be development, oversight and management of CPS/OTI’sEcuador country program. The incumbent will be called upon to represent OTI’s mission and programs to senior-level government officials, in-country visitors, senior officials from other international organizations, bilateral donors and local government officials.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The work of the Country Representative requires teamwork, the exercise of discretion, judgment, and personal responsibility. As a member of a highly operational office, you are willing and able to perform a wide range of administrative functions to help ensure programmatic success. You have a high level of integrity and attention to detail to ensure the use of OTI systems and procedures to maintain effective and efficient management of funds, programming, and monitoring and evaluation. You are highly flexible and willing to work under conditions of ongoing change, and remain professional and respectful of colleagues and authority in a diverse workforce. You place a premium on the building of positive relationships with your respective team in Washington, D.C., colleagues in the field, and with key stakeholders both in and outside of USAID. You are able to prioritize and complete tasks without follow-up by the supervisor, while also filling in gaps as needed to ensure the responsiveness of the team. You are a strategic thinker, articulates innovative ideas, presents solutions, and are a positive role model for colleagues both in and outside of OTI. You are also committed to upholding USAID/OTI’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility’s (DEIA) Vision and Values as outlined in the background.

Under the direct supervision of the Washington-based CPS/OTI Regional Team Leader for Ecuadoror their designee, the Country Representative will perform the following duties:

• Manage a high-profile program in a dynamic environment and provide strategic, programmatic, and operational guidance to OTI’s implementing partners (contractors and/or grantees) while leveraging critical local staff input, and the partner’s role in strategy co-creation, to ensure that activities are contributing to OTI’s program objectives;
• Conceptualize and design program strategies and objectives in close coordination with OTI staff in Washington and in the Field, the Embassy, Host Country Government, implementing partner staff and local civil society actors based on political and context analysis and U.S. Government policy; Initiate strategy reviews as needed in line with changes in context and policy;
• Analyze, synthesize and report on current political developments, security concerns, and other pertinent information required to achieve OTI’s program objectives; Monitor local and regional political developments and regularly brief OTI and partner staff on their potential programmatic impact;
• Responsible for managing program effectiveness; ensuring strategic accountability; setting realistic intended program results and program achievements by utilizing OTI’s programming principles and processes and regularly engaging with the resources available to support and measure program effectiveness;
• Articulate program strategy, as well as communicate and coordinate OTI’s in-country activities between OTI and its implementing partners, USAID, the Embassy and other donor organizations; prepare and disseminate programmatic, financial and periodic reports to the USAID Mission, OTI/Washington and other organizations as appropriate;
• Serve as OTI’s primary liaison with USAID Mission personnel, U.S. Embassy staff, Host-Country Government Officials, UN Organizations, Indigenous and International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholder organizations. Develop and maintain collaborative relationships to ensure close coordination at the field level, identify the widest range of potential local partners and opportunities, and achieve maximum synergy with other programs;
• Build, lead, supervise, and motivate a team composed of USPSCs and a significant number of implementing partner staff in Ecuador. In close coordination with the Implementing Partner, continuously review and design staffing plans to meet overall program objectives; Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate the performance of in-country OTI staff. Maintain staff morale in a difficult security and work environment;
• Provide recommendations to the Washington-based Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or the Regional Team Leader on implementing partner performance, budgets, contract modifications, among other partner related issues;
• Provide USAID concurrence on all implementing partner activities, including final approval of grantees for grants under contract, in accordance with the USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS);
• Ensure the use of OTI systems and procedures to maintain effective and efficient management of funds and programming;
• Ensure that OTI’s programs and activities are monitored and evaluated and that lessons learned are applied to ongoing or future activities;
• Prepare operational plans in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, including logistics and property use guidelines, closeout and hand-over, security procedures, and contingency and evacuation plans; Review and concur on OTI program budgets for field operations;
• Ensure that all OTI field staff adhere to in-country security guidelines set by the U.S. Embassy Regional Security Officer and other organizations such as the United Nations or host government, as appropriate; Coordinate closely with Implementing Partner senior management to provide relevant security related information from the Embassy;
• Travel within the country/region to monitor and assess political conditions, and implementing partner operational platforms, meet with potential grantees, senior host-country government and other program counterparts, and develop recommendations to respond to evolving dynamics; and,
• Serve on temporary details within OTI, other USAID bureaus/offices, or other U.S. Government (USG) agencies under this scope of work for a period not to exceed six (6) months. Duties performed while on detail must be directly related to the scope of work. Contracting Officer (CO) approval is required for the temporary detail. Any extension past the six (6) months requires CO approval.

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP:

The Country Representative – Ecuador will report to OTI’s Washington-based Team Leader for the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Team or their designee. The Country Representative is expected to take initiative, act independently, and manage their tasks with minimal supervision. Though this is a senior field-based position, the incumbent is expected to actively and proactively collaborate with OTI/Washington leadership, and to fully utilize, embrace, and become an expert on OTI systems and processes. Failure to adequately perform the scope of work above and/or failure to take direction from the supervisor may result in corrective actions, including denial of step or grade increases, extension of contract probationary periods, performance improvement plans, and/or termination for the convenience of USAID/OTI.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

At the GS-14 level, the supervisor provides administrative direction in terms of broadly defined missions or functions. The incumbent independently plans, designs and carries out projects, studies, and programs. Results of the work are considered technically authoritative. There is no higher level official technically responsible for administering the program/project.

12. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While in Ecuador, the work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands. However, the position may require travel throughout the country of assignment, which may involve some additional physical exertion, including long periods of standing, walking over rough terrain, or carrying of moderately heavy items (less than 50 pounds).

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position. See detailed instructions for demonstrating Education/Experience under “Submitting an Offer”)

Please direct questions about this position or the offer process to the OTI Recruitment Team at otijobs@usaid.gov.

At a minimum, the Offeror must have:

(1) A Master’s Degree with seven (7) years of work experience;

OR

A Bachelor’s Degree with nine (9) years of work experience;

OR

An Associate’s Degree with ten (10) years of work experience;

OR

A High School diploma/equivalent with eleven (11) years of work experience;

AND

(2) Six (6) years of project management experience with a U.S. Government foreign affairs agency, domestic or international assistance organization, or non-governmental organization in community development, economic development, mediation/arbitration, conflict resolution, democracy and governance, international law, political analysis, and/or human rights activities;

(3) Two (2) years of overseas field experience (in person or virtual). A virtual temporary duty (TDY) is defined as work that would have been conducted in an overseas location;

(4) Three (3) years of supervisory experience with at least one direct report;

(5) Demonstrated experience using Spanish in a professional setting.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the education and experience factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

The Government may award a contract without discussions with offerors in accordance with FAR 52.215-1. The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish

a competitive range of offerors with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to

FAR 15.306(c). In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of offerors in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated

offers. FAR provisions of this solicitation are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

SELECTION FACTORS:

(Determines basic eligibility for the position. Offerors who do not meet all of the selection factors are considered NOT qualified for the position.)

• Offeror is a U.S. Citizen;
• Complete resume submitted. See cover page for resume requirements. Experience that cannot be quantified will not be counted towards meeting the solicitation requirements;
• Supplemental document specifically addressing how the candidate meets each of the Evaluation Factors submitted;
• Ability to obtain a SECRET level security clearance (NOTE: Dual citizens may be asked to renounce second-country citizenship);
• Ability to obtain a Department of State medical clearance;
• Satisfactory verification of academic credentials.

A USAID Secret level security clearance and Department of State medical clearance are required prior to issuance of the contract for this position.

NOTE: If a full security investigation package is not submitted by the selected within 30 days after it is requested, the offer may be rescinded. If a security clearance is not able to be obtained within four months after the selected submits the initial security clearance documentation, the offer may be rescinded.

NOTE: The selected must obtain Department of State medical clearance within four months after offer acceptance. If medical clearance is not obtained within this period, the offer may be rescinded.

Due to anticipated program needs, individuals should be able to travel to post within 60 days after a contract is awarded.

EVALUATION FACTORS:

(Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. The factors are listed in priority order from highest to least.)

Offerors should cite specific, illustrative examples for each factor. Responses will be rated using the point system described below. Failure to fully respond to each element of each Evaluation Factor will result in a reduction of points awarded. Responses must be limited to 500 words per factor. Any additional words above the limit will neither be read nor scored.

Factor #1 Demonstrated experience in the management of political transition, political reform, or similar programs in high-pressure environments such as non-permissive crisis or conflict zones

Factor #2 Demonstrated experience developing strategies for programs that will respond to at least one of the following problem sets: violence prevention, post-conflict, political transition, democracy-building, and/orhumanitarian assistance.

Factor #3 Demonstrated experience using political analysis to inform programming policy, strategies, and objectives, especially in conflict-prone environments.

BASIS OF RATING: Offerors who clearly meet the Education/Experience Requirements and Selection Factors will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factor responses. Offerors are required to address each of the Evaluation Factors in a separate document describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received that are relevant to each factor. Be sure to include your name and the announcement number at the top of each additional page. Failure to specifically address the Selection and/or Evaluation Factors may result in your not receiving credit for all of your pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The Offeror Rating System is as Follows:

Evaluation Factors have been assigned the following points:

Factor #1 – 25

Factor #2 – 25

Factor #3 – 20

Total Possible – 70 Points

Interview Performance – 30 points

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned)

Total Possible Points: 100

The most qualified offerors may be interviewed, required to provide a writing sample, and demonstrate an ability to operate commonly used office applications. OTI will not pay for any expenses associated with the interviews. In addition, offers (written materials and interviews) will be evaluated based on content as well as on the offerors writing, presentation, and communication skills. In the event that an offeror has fully demonstrated their qualifications and there are no other competitive offerors, OTI reserves the right to forgo the interview process. Professional references and academic credentials will be evaluated for offerors being considered for selection. Offerors must submit at least three (3) professional references, one (1) of which must be a current or former supervisor. OTI reserves the right to contact previous employers to verify employment history. If the offeror had a previous position with USAID, the TEC and/or CO are encouraged to obtain reference checks from the previous supervisor(s) or CO(s). See ADS 309.3.1.11.a.4

13. WORK ENVIRONMENT:

While at post, the work is generally performed in an office environment. However, the position also requires travel throughout the region, which may additionally involve special safety and/or security precautions, wearing of protective equipment, and exposure to severe weather conditions.