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 manage the Asia and Middle East team’s $793 million portfolio of guarantees. The Evaluation Specialist will actively engage with current DCA partners in the region, systematically and objectively assess existing or completed DCA projects, and provide environmental and social evaluation support. The Evaluation Specialist will identify trends about the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability, with responsibilities including but not limited to data evaluation, data collection and analysis, performance evaluation and impact evaluation. The selected candidate will join a team of investment officers on the Asia and Middle East Team to further develop the DCA Asia and Middle East portfolio. Duties require in-country travel and/or extended in-country work assignment to the regions, including Afghanistan and Pakistan

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 development regions
• An understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented in developing regions

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, including to Pakistan and Afghanistan
• Willingness to accommodate to business hours in Asian market

Job Responsibilities

The Evaluation Specialist will specialize in proactive and continuous engagement with financial partners, missions, technical assistance providers and other stakeholders to build a strong relationship 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:

• 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: On-board new guarantee partners to ensure that that DCA process, roles, and responsibilities are understood by all relevant stakeholders. Ensure that Disbursement Plans are clear, complete, and accurately reflective of expectations and realities of each unique guarantee.
• In-person Visits to the Field: The Evaluation Specialist will need to travel regularly (at least 8-10 weeks per 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.
• 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.
• 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 Asia or Middle East) to '; document.getElementById('cloak12693').innerHTML += '