• Agency: U.S. Agency for International Development
• Organization: Office of the Chief Economist (OCE)
• Location of Position: Anywhere in the U.S.
• Telework: Employees have the option of up to four days per pay period (two days per work week)
• Remote: The position is remote-eligible.
• Open Period: March 21, 2024-April 5, 2024
• Appointment Type: This is an excepted service, a time-limited appointment that is not to exceed five (5) years with the potential for two 2-year extensions.
• Salary: $132,860 – $191,900 (annually) (Washington, DC locality only)
• Number of Vacancies: Two

Description of Organization: The independent Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) supports USAID in improving the effectiveness of its programming by bringing stronger economic evidence, theory, and tools to bear on the Agency’s work. Toward this end, OCE (1) promotes the use of high-quality evidence of “cost-effectiveness” (i.e., how much impact does an intervention deliver per dollar spent) in Agency decision-making; (2) promotes the generation of more cost-effectiveness evidence that the Agency is uniquely placed to catalyze; and (3) provides analysis and advice to Agency leadership on pressing macroeconomic issues.

Description of Position: As a senior member of OCE’s Evidence Use team, this FSL position will be a key part of OCE’s efforts to promote the use of cost-effectiveness evidence in Agency programs to improve the Agency’s impact per dollar on a variety of development outcomes. Specifically, the incumbent will:

• Field Support: Provide direct support (virtual or TDY) to USAID Missions to advance the use of cost-effectiveness evidence in program design and implementation..
• Program Cycle Management: Guide USAID Operating Units that OCE is supporting (including Missions) in using and generating cost-effectiveness evidence in USAID activity design and implementation and in collaborating with OCE and PLR colleagues on roll-out of revisions to the ADS 201 Program Cycle chapter.
• Activity Design: Lead or assist in the design and development of USAID activities, supporting Operating Units to bring cost-effectiveness evidence to bear throughout the design process. Includes, for example, serving on Activity Design Teams in other Operating Units as an embedded evidence advisor throughout the process, serving as a Subject Matter Expert to Activity Design Teams on bringing a specific body of cost-effectiveness evidence insights to bear in the design process, supporting an Operating Unit in drafting solicitation language that builds on cost-effectiveness evidence, and serving on Technical Evaluation Committees,
• Budget and Resources: Provide expertise for budgeting of foreign assistance resources, including advising on relatively more and less cost-effective programmatic approaches for achieving development outcomes with limited resources.
• Development Cooperation and Partnering: Support and advocate for donor and host government strategic engagement on cost-effective approaches to improving development outcomes of mutual interest. Includes supporting ongoing collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral donors on synthesizing cost-effectiveness evidence and advancing the use of cost-effectiveness evidence.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA): Advise USAID Operating Units on bringing a cost-effectiveness lens to monitoring and evaluation of activities. Support Operating Units to use cost-effectiveness evidence in adaptive management.
• Outreach and Communications: Coordinate outreach and communication with various internal and external groups to support use of cost-effectiveness evidence and shared understanding of cost-effectiveness. Includes supporting an ongoing high-priority OCE-led effort to socialize “cost-effectiveness” across the Agency, including through internal webinars, conferences, and other fora, as well as contributing to the development of official Agency documents on cost-effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To qualify for the position of Program Officer (Senior Evidence Officer) – FL-0343-02, you must possess the required specialized experience (see below) specific to the series and grade you are applying to.

Specialized experience: Candidates for this FL-02 (GS-14) position MUST have one (1) year of specialized experience at the FL-03 (GS-13) grade level or equivalent. Specialized experience for this position is defined as ALL of the below (A-D):

1. Demonstrated mastery of impact evaluation methods and evidence in development economics, public policy, or a related field sufficient to identify, critically assess, and form conclusions about the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and success conditions for development or humanitarian programs. Close familiarity with evidence in at least one sectors in which USAID works required, including up-to-date knowledge on methods and trends in research.;
2. Proven track record of using impact evaluation evidence to identify interventions that are likely to be cost-effective for improving particular development outcomes, to explore the conditions under which they may be cost-effective or not, and also understand areas of significant uncertainty about interventions and their effectiveness. Ability to understand and communicate uncertainty about expected cost-effectiveness, particularly across contexts, and to identify research agendas and designs which would address key areas of uncertainty in current cost-effectiveness evidence;
3. Demonstrated mastery at delivering evidence-based recommendations in complex, multi-stakeholder settings, by understanding the interests and evidence needs of different actors, mapping out critical paths towards evidence-informed decisions. Experience creating shared understanding, based on evidence, among stakeholders from different functional and sectoral specialties. Proven capacity tailoring recommendations for different audiences, and shaping the value stakeholders see in using evidence, to drive significant changes in program design and management based on evidence; AND,
4. Proven track record successfully influencing one or more large-scale development or humanitarian programs to make better policy or program decisions on the basis of global cost-effectiveness evidence. Demonstrated ability to understand barriers to or opportunities for evidence use in large organizations, and helping shape complex systems to deliver evidence and inform decision-making. Experience developing and managing long-term partnerships with counterparts in other teams, building their capacity to use and generate evidence as part of their routine work.

Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge, skills and abilities possessed by the preferred candidate include:

• Prior collaboration with academic researchers, particularly on randomized evaluations (i.e., randomized controlled trials);
• Experience conducting economic evaluations, including cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis, as part of an impact evaluation; and,
• At least one year directly advising implementation teams, including at NGOs, country governments, or local CSOs.

Conditions of Employment:

• Must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates must indicate whether or not they are a US Citizen. If citizenship is not stated, application will not be considered.
• Must be eligible to obtain facility access (no security clearance is required).

Required Documents: All interested candidates must submit:

• Cover letter: A short written statement of interest.
• Resume/CV: Candidates must include month, year, and the number of hours worked per week for each position listed.
• U.S. Citizenship: Candidates must indicate whether or not they are a U.S. citizen. If citizenship is not stated, the application will not be considered.

Other applicable documents: Candidates should submit the following documents as applicable:

• Veteran’s Preference: Applicants claiming Veteran’s Preference must submit all appropriate documentation (DD-214, Service Disability Letter, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, etc.).
• Political Appointees: Applicants serving as a current/former Political Appointee must submit all appropriate documentation (SF-50s, appointment letter, etc.)

Optional documents:

• Transcripts: Candidates may submit official or unofficial transcripts.

Please submit your application package: OCE@USAID.GOV. Please use the subject line “FSL APPLICATION PACKAGE: Economist (Senior Macroeconomist), FL-0110-01.” Application submissions are required by 11:59 pm (EST), April 5, 2024. Packages not submitted by the deadline with the specified subject line—or incomplete packages—will not receive consideration.

This notice may be used to fill additional vacancies, as the workforce needs of the Bureau may change.

For more information on Foreign Service Salaries, please visit Foreign Service Salaries – Careers (state.gov).

For more information on Federal Health Benefits, please visit Healthcare & Insurance – OPM.gov.

USAID DEI Commitment
USAID envisions a world where all individuals are valued, have equitable access to opportunities, and are included, respected, and safe in their societies. USAID embraces diversity as outlined in USAID’s EEO Statement. We seek to elevate and include the voices of the USAID workforce, recognizing and valuing the unique contributions of all stakeholders. USAID also strives to improve equity for underrepresented communities that have historically been denied fair and just treatment and improve accessibility in all facets at USAID.

• EEO Policy Statement
• Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Any questions concerning this notice may be directed to:

— Office of the Chief Economist (OCE), oce@usaid.gov