Senior disaster operations specialist

Background

The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) is the office within USAID that is responsible for providing emergency non-food humanitarian assistance in response to international crises and disasters. OFDA is part of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) and is organized into three divisions. The Disaster Response and Mitigation Division (DRM) is responsible for the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance through a grants mechanism to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations including the United Nations agencies, and to other partners to ensure the implementation and delivery of this assistance. This division also oversees OFDA's non-response efforts in disaster risk reduction.

Duties and responsibilities

The Senior Disaster Operations Specialist will assist DRT with planning, implementing, and managing disaster response and disaster risk reduction interventions through the following:

General Duties and Responsibilities:

- Provide training and mentoring to less experienced Disaster Operations Specialists on grant management and disaster response and mitigation issues;
- Serve as a resource for program-related planning efforts to include event and scenario-based contingency planning;
- Manage all aspects of the disaster response and disaster risk management project, including coordinating reviews and analysis of grant proposals, preparing documentation to expedite grant project approval, and evaluating and monitoring grant activities, both from Washington and in the assigned region of responsibility;
- Serve as the regional team’s representative for policy and planning efforts, as assigned by the Regional Coordinator;
- Conduct periodic site visits to the assigned region of responsibility to assess the situation and meet with stakeholders;
- Represent the regional team and OFDA in public and private fora of USG interagency, partners, International Organizations (IOs), and other stakeholders;
- Deploy on short notice to serve on DARTs or serve on the Washington-based RMTs, to including leadership positions that require staff management for operational and planning functions, as required;
- Serve as DCHA/OFDA Duty Officer on a rotational basis.

Grant Portfolio Management:

- Provide training and mentoring to less experienced Disaster Operations Specialists on grant management portfolio management to include OFDA’s business process, portfolio-specific budget and workload management, and post-award monitoring and management;
- Serve as an Agreement Officer’s Technical Representative (AOTR) for grants and cooperative agreements under portfolio of responsibility;
- Interface with implementing organizations regarding project proposals submitted for OFDA funding to ensure proposals meet OFDA’s program objectives and grant guidelines;
- Prepare all documentation to obtain timely grant project approval. This will involve properly inputting data into Office and Agency administrative and financial tracking systems for transmittal to the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA);
- Track program reports from grantees and ensure reports are received in a timely manner; review program reports to ensure that program objectives have been achieved; collate input from report for feedback to grantee, and share reports with regional team members, as appropriate;
- Upon completion of programs, close out awards according to Agency policies, identifying funds for de-obligation and/or equipment for disposition;
- Expedite the flow of programmatic and other documents through the clearance process.

Disaster Mitigation and Response:

The SDOS will be responsible monitoring threatening and incipient disasters and reviewing, administrating, and implementing emergency relief and rehabilitation programs in an assigned region of responsibility consistent with OFDA's regional/country strategy. The SDOS will be assigned a portfolio with significant complexity. In coordination with Regional Teams and Technical Assistance Group (TAG) members, the SDOS will:

- Serve a primary role in the development and implementation of OFDA’s regional and country-specific response and disaster risk reduction strategies. Continually review these strategies as the context evolves and recommend necessary adjustments to the Regional Coordinator;
- Serve as the team’s primary resource for program-related strategic forward planning efforts;
- Provide training and mentoring Disaster Operations Specialists on program-related strategic planning, internal and external relationships, and OFDA-specific best practices in disaster response and disaster risk reduction;
- Coordinate with regional team and TAG members, USAID regional bureaus, other DCHA offices, the Department of State, Department of Defense, other donor governments, United Nations agencies, Private Voluntary Organizations/Non-Governmental Organizations, and other IOs to develop an inclusive US response to the declared disaster;
- Recommend to the Regional Coordinator policy and program options consistent with USG foreign policy objectives and provide effective and appropriate response to meet the needs of the disaster victims (or potential victims);
- Ensure a timely and appropriate response to the Ambassador's disaster declaration, including reviewing Mission/Embassy recommendations for assistance, and prepare/clear appropriate guidance to the U.S. Mission/Embassy on resources and strategies to respond to the disaster situation.
- Review and monitor national disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness plans for assigned countries in collaboration with regional team.

Administrative:

In coordination with Regional Teams and TAG members, the SDOS will:

- Provide training and mentoring to Disaster Operations Specialists on administrative functions;
- Maintain standardized office files for activities that are assigned as principal responsibilities;
- Attend team, office, and other meetings as assigned by the Regional Coordinator; and, when necessary, prepare summaries of these meetings;
- As assigned by the Regional Coordinator, develop and execute official documents, including but not limited to, entries into the Office and Agency administrative and financial tracking systems, memos, cables, and information requests.

Requirements

- Bachelor’s degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including but not limited to international relations and political science, and disaster management) and at least seven (7) years of relevant work experience with the USG, PVO/NGO, IO or UN Agency.

- Master’s Degree with significant study in or pertinent to the specialized field (including but not limited to international relations, political science, and disaster management) and five (5) years of relevant work experience with the USG, PVO/NGO, IO or UN Agency.

- Such experience must have a humanitarian focus and include progressive responsibility in determining budget levels, selecting programs for funding, and managing and evaluating funded programs in a results type framework.

- Experience must include at least two (2) years in direct management of USG assistance awards.

- Experience must include at least one (1) year of on-the-ground field experience in needs assessment, analysis, emergency relief program operations, or post-emergency rehabilitation.

- Knowledge of U.S. Government budgeting processes and financial systems, or processes and systems of a similar nature

- Knowledge of international humanitarian assistance programming

- Applicant is a U.S. citizen