Program Specialist, Afghanistan at United States Institute of Peace in Washington, Washington DC

Job Description:

Who We Are

Peace is our commitment. The United States Institute of Peace represents the American people’s shared values and commitment to peace worldwide. We know that Peace is Security – it advances both U.S. and international security by preventing, managing, and mitigating violent conflict.

We are an independent, non-partisan institution and are actively engaged with peacebuilding efforts worldwide. Together we tackle the most challenging problems and hold fast to the possibility of a more peaceful world. To learn more about USIP programs and job openings, go to https://www.usip.org/about/careers.

If you have a passion for making the world a better place and want to have a front-row seat on the world stage, USIP is the place for you.

TARGET SALARY

Grade 10 - $75,000 - $ 77,000

The Institute uses the General Schedule salary tables for administering compensation. Offers are determined based upon candidate qualifications, related experience, internal equity, and the amount budgeted for the position.

This position will be on a full-time term basis and is expected to expire on September 30, 2025.

Summary

The Program Specialist (PS) will support USIP’s work on Afghanistan. The PS will be engaged in field programs and research activities on Afghanistan and will be responsible for coordinating reporting on the Afghanistan team’s work to interagency partners, key stakeholders and the public. The PS will also help manage program activities, provide day to day administrative and logistical support, and undertake program design, monitoring, and evaluation support for the program. The PS position is full-time, based in Washington, DC, will report to the Afghanistan and Central Asia Director and is a member of the Asia Center.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Program Planning Support and Reporting:

• Develops, edits, and updates program informational items for internal USIP staff members and external audiences (e.g., web content, project pages, event pages, etc.).


• Supports program strategy development.


• Completes special assignments, including internal research assignments on potential new programming areas, as needed.


• Assists the Afghanistan Team in identifying new programming and supporting the management of existing program activities (e.g., plans, develops, coordinates, and implements the program’s support services).


• Assists in the development of concept notes and proposals for new areas of research and programming as needed.


• Coordinates the implementation of the day-to-day operations of the program.


• Coordinates with key external stakeholders regarding the day-to-day planning and coordination of the program to support program goals and objectives.


• Assists in the review and evaluation of program goals and objectives.

Budget and Contract Management:

• Prepares requisitions, invoice and expense processing, cash requests, payment monitoring of contract services, and generating routine budget and financial reports.


• Maintains contract tracking system. Analyze and equipped to answer basic questions about any contract under the Afghanistan team’s management (e.g. contract expiration date, amount of funds remaining, latest payment, etc.).


• Serves as Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) as needed and appropriate.

Events:

• Assists in the planning and organizing of workshops and other meetings in Washington, D.C.


• Coordinates logistical arrangements for program events, including reserving rooms, drafting, and formatting event text, sending out invitations and monitoring RSVPs, ordering food and supplies, arranging room set-up, and serving as the main point-of-contact for attendees as needed.


• Drafts event text, agendas, panelist bios, etc. and develops promotional and informative descriptions of events for internal USIP staff members and external audiences.


• Liaises with panelists and/or co-sponsoring organizations.


• Creates web content for events on USIP website and Exact Target.


• Serves on USIP Events Duty Roster.

 Perform other duties as assigned.

 Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Masters preferred) in international relations or related field required.


• Four (4) or more years of relevant work experience related to Afghanistan required.


• Demonstrated experience assisting in the organization of conferences, meetings, and events.


• Excellent communication (written and spoken), organizational, administrative, and time management skills, including cross-cultural, interpersonal skills; proven ability to engage effectively with partners at the lowest and highest political, social, cultural, and economic levels.


• Competence in program administration and financial management.


• Relevant work experience on program design, monitoring, and evaluation.


• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook), and databases and/or data management tools, including Internet navigation.


• Project and task management – capacity to work on multiple, diverse and complex assignments, creatively problem-solve, and prioritize effectively with minimal supervision or collaboratively.


• Fluency in English required.


• Ability to travel domestically and overseas preferred.

CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS 04/19/24. 

All applicants must be US citizens to be considered for positions with USIP. 

All USIP contract and employee positions are contingent upon the favorable completion of a suitability background investigation.  

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this position, please submit a complete application package consisting of:

1.  Completed employment application including titles, dates of hire and salary requirements.

2.  Cover letter

3.  Resume 

Only those applicants that are selected for further discussions will be contacted.  

No Phone Calls. Interviews will be scheduled by appointment only.  

USIP is an equal opportunity employer. USIP does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.

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