Senior Program Cycle Specialist

Overview of the Company

Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a Hispanic and woman-owned business emphasizing quality research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. We are a mission-driven organization that believes that superior science can improve the world. Social Solutions is dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide.

Social Solutions is a large, thriving business with a fun atmosphere that encourages creativity, new ideas, and employee health and well-being. We put our employees first and use empathetic leadership, taking a genuine interest in our employees’ lives and the challenges they face in and out of the workplace. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are integral to our company culture, and we are continuously striving to enhance our DEIA efforts across our company. You will feel like a contributing member of a growing team and company that has flexibility to enhance processes and procedures quickly to improve performance and growth. We help our employees carve out a professional pathway that has mutual benefits for them and Social Solutions. Social Solutions also offers exceptional compensation and benefits, detailed below.

Overview of the Position

Social Solutions International, Inc. is seeking mission-driven individuals that possess skills in international development strategy, program design, research, monitoring, evaluation, and organizational learning to join the USAID Program Cycle Mechanism (PCM) team. PCM Specialists are recruited for their skills in strategy, design, research, monitoring, evaluation, and organizational learning functions and are matched to requests from specific USAID Missions and Washington offices as part of the recruitment process. Specialists may relocate to an overseas location for 6 months to two years.

PCM Specialists are members of a network providing technical support and advisory services to USAID. They work across design, strategy development, monitoring, evaluation, and the set of USAID organizational learning practices (collaborating, learning, and adapting or CLA) to ensure cohesive connection between the generation of evidence and applying that learning for strategy development and project and activity design.

PCM Specialists bolster capacity in USAID Washington and Mission offices to plan for, undertake, and use high-quality Program Cycle-related products and processes to achieve better development outcomes. They do this by providing technical expertise that strengthens the capacity of USAID staff in Program Cycle-related skills and provides the Agency with improved access and capabilities to apply state-of-the-art practices.

Staff MUST be eligible to work in the US and for a Secrete Security Clearance.

Specialists hired by SSI for PCM are assigned to support USAID teams for medium- to long-term technical assistance and may be embedded with USAID teams. Staff typically occupy more than one assignment during their time with PCM, depending on the availability of requests. Opportunities for remote work, travel, and long-term overseas assignments may be available, depending on the technical assistance requests received by PCM. Housing reimbursements and other allowances may be available for overseas assignments, depending on assignment and in accord with funds and federal policies.

We are currently seeking candidates with program design experience willing to be assigned to a long-term posting of at least 12 months in Accra, Ghana.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

PCM Specialists serve in an advisory and capacity-building role for Program Cycle-related functions (e.g., strategic planning, design, monitoring, evaluation, and CLA) within operating units. They are meant to supplement rather than substitute for existing Agency capacity. PCM Specialists will fill a critical gap by working collaboratively with USAID teams to develop high quality products and processes that will serve as solid examples, models and guidance for future staff, as well as build the capacity of the staff involved in the process so that they are prepared to take the lead.

Each PCM Specialist may specialize in one or more functional areas of the Program Cycle (e.g., Strategy Specialist, Design Specialist, MEL specialist, M&E adviser, or CLA advisor), but will be expected to bridge work across these disciplines. Successful candidates will join a cohort of PCM Specialists and participate in an orientation to all the Program Cycle disciplines.

The specific role will be determined by the needs of the office to which a Specialist is matched. In general, PCM Specialists will:

• Build capacity and provide expert advice to USAID staff on cohesive implementation of the USAID programming operational guidance as reflected in the USAID Program Cycle.
• Provide technical assistance (TA) to facilitate the integration of systems thinking, local ownership, and CLA practice into the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and adaptation of USAID programming.
• Provide support to strengthen USAID internal processes, procedures, and systems to improve the generation and utilization of data and evidence for adaptive management.
• Develop and deliver materials and presentations to familiarize staff and partners with developing theories of change, developing monitoring approaches, designing evaluations, and applying CLA principles and practice.
• Convene/participate in communities of practice or working groups to share and encourage good practices.
• Document learning about Program Cycle implementation and provide feedback back to PPL on the implementation and/or challenges of Program Cycle guidance, tools, methods, and approaches.
• For more information about the Program Cycle and to understand the skills required for implementing the USAID Program Cycle, please see USAID Operational Guidance.

Requirements

• Master’s degree and 11+ years’ relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least seven years of experience with foreign assistance monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, organizational learning and/or strategic learning, preferably in an international development context.
• Experience with catalyzing programmatic learning and adaptive management in USAID or other foreign assistance agencies (including large NGOs, contractors or international organizations).
• Experience designing and implementing international development programs with USAID and/or other large development assistance agencies (including large NGOs, contractors, or international organizations).
• Experience providing advice to international development managers in the field; including working in the field or supporting field projects to achieve an operational mission or to implement a project or activity.
• Experience facilitating groups, meetings, or events.
• Ability to manage multiple clients
• Demonstrated flexibility and capacity to adapt to and operate in environments of uncertainty.
• Background in capacity-building, adult learning and/or learning facilitation or related experience
• Experience convening people in large organizations (in a work environment or as a volunteer) to build consensus and achieve a particular outcome.
• Fluent English required and additional languages desired
• Candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain a USG security clearance

Equal Employer

Social Solutions offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.socialsolutions.biz.

Social Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.