Mid-Level Evaluation Specialist (Francophone Africa)

Key information

Location: Washington D.C. 

Work Authorization: U.S. Citizen

Security Clearance: Yes, will be required to obtain Security Clearance

Position Type: Full-Time 

 

Position Summary:

The Development Credit Authority (DCA) structures and issues partial credit guarantees to encourage private capital lending to creditworthy but underserved borrowers throughout the developing world. These guarantees, which typically cover 50% of realized loss, enable USAID to leverage private sector wealth for sustainable economic development.

ME&A is recruiting a Mid-Level Evaluation Specialist to lead stakeholder relationship management, guarantee portfolio performance analysis, and implementation process design and improvement activities by proactively and continuously engaging with financial partners, USAID missions and operating units, technical assistance providers, donor partners, and other development stakeholders. The overarching aim is to improve overall DCA program execution, impact, and stakeholder alignment. The Specialist will join the Africa Team to further develop the DCA Africa portfolio. Duties will require in-country travel and/or extended in-country work assignment to sub-Saharan Africa, particularly to francophone Africa.

 Education and Experience:

The ideal candidate will have relevant international development experience and strong financial sector knowledge, relationship management skills set, including:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 4+ years of experience in development /finance or relevant experience in the financial sector.
• Experience in supporting development/finance projects in sub-Saharan Africa (and/or other developing regions).
• An understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented in operating in sub-Saharan Africa.

Skills and Competencies:

• Proven business development and client relationship skills.
• Superior problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal and time management skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally, sometimes under short notice.
• High-level proficiency in French is necessary.

Job Responsibilities:

The Evaluation Specialist will specialize in proactive and continuous engagement with financial partners, USAID missions and operating units, technical assistance providers, and other stakeholders, therby leading relationship management with these actors. The overarching aim is to improve guarantee implementation monitoring and improve DCA guarantee utilization and impact. The Evaluation Specialist’s core responsibilities will be:

• Primary Knowledge Source of Portfolio Activity: Design, innovate, and maintain platforms for measurement, tracking, and presentation of portfolio performance. Maintain a fluent knowledge of historic guarantee portfolio performance and reasons behind success and failure, utilization levels, impacts achieved, etc.
• Regular Communications with Guarantee Implementation Stakeholders: Continuous and proactive communication through call, e-mail, video conference, and in-person meetings to ensure quality, consistency, understanding, and effectiveness with all stakeholders involved in guarantee implementation. Special attention will be required for partners with underperforming guarantees.
• On-boarding of All New Guarantee Partners: Support on-boarding and introductory process of new guarantee partners to ensure that that DCA process, roles, and responsibilities are understood by all relevant stakeholders. Monitoring Plans are clear, complete, and accurately reflective of expectations and realities of each unique guarantee.
• In-person Visits to the Field: The Evaluation Specialist is expected to work from the field at least 8-10 weeks per fiscal year to manage field relationships, perform in-person stakeholder meetings, hold DCA training sessions, on-board new partners, deliver advisory and technical assistance services, and support DCA’s knowledge management platforms and communication services.
• USAID Mission Technical Assistance (TA) Advisory: Create and maintain a TA resource guide and design, innovate, and maintain additional resources/mechanisms to train and advise field missions and implementing partners on both best practices and practical program design for technical assistance interventions as they relate to access-to-finance and guarantee implementation.
• Compliance Unit Collaboration: Hold weekly meetings with the relevant regional Compliance Officer providing compliance management, database management, and portfolio risk management to exchange information regarding the portfolio.
• Thought Contributor: Support the Agency at conferences and workshops on development finance and best practices related to DCA activity. Support ongoing cross-stakeholder engagements and manage networks of guarantors, financial partners, participating implementing partners, and others.

If interested, please send CV, contact information for three references and an academic or professional writing sample (preferably related to development finance and/or sub-Saharan Africa) to '; document.getElementById('cloak61819').innerHTML += '