Vistant (formally PM Consulting Group), recognized as one of the fastest growing companies across the country and the region by Inc. 5000, Financial Times, Washington Technology, and the Baltimore Business Journal, is a public-sector management consulting firm serving Federal international development, healthcare, and social services agencies.

Vistant seeks a Technical Expert - Research on behalf of its client partner, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This position is located in the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Office of Humanitarian Budget and Management Operations (HBMO), Acquisition and Assistance (A&A) Division, Quality Assurance (QA) Team (BHA/HBMO/A&A/QA). As a USAID pillar Bureau, BHA leads and coordinates the U.S. Government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas in response to natural disasters and protracted crises. The Bureau also supports early recovery efforts that restore and protect basic systems and services and invests in risk reduction programs that prevent or reduce risks associated with chronic and recurrent hazards.

The A&A Division serves as a single point of contact for all BHA offices on the acquisition and assistance procurement process. The teams are responsible for developing internal and external award process guidance, systems, and training; designing internal tools and resources including Abacus to streamline business processes; providing technical support while ensuring compliance with federal and agency regulations (e.g., 22 CFR 216); and quality assurance on acquisition and assistance procurements, mechanism selection, and internal documentation. The Technical Expert - Research (hereafter, Technical Expert or Expert) will report up and be informed of strategic senior management priorities through the Team Lead of the Quality Assurance Team.

The A&A Division includes the USAID decision-making authority to ensure the environmental and climate safeguarding of BHA programs. The civil servant Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) and Climate Integration Lead are leading the Bureau to uphold compliance with USAID environmental impact assessment (per 22 CFR 216) and climate risk management (ADS 201 mal.) BHA supports this compliance in emergency response, early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience programs that target communities that are marginalized and most vulnerable to climate crises.

As an integral part of the team, the Technical Expert will contribute to BHA’s implementation of USAID policies for climate as well as inclusive development and locally-led humanitarian assistance. Under the mentorship of the civil servant BEO, the Expert will help support implementation at the intersection points of the USAID Climate Strategy 2022-2030 and USAID Equity Action Plan Policy to address the issue of racial justice and the climate crisis in USAID operations and programs. To support the implementation of intersecting policies, the Technical Expert provides assistance to several or more Bureau and broader Agency work streams in the areas of research, analysis, reporting, programming, policy, planning, and/or internal program operations. Critically, the Expert will be in support of the USAID Climate Strategy Special Objective instructing USAID and its partners to “Do Our Part” to fight the climate crisis using what USAID Administrator Samantha Power calls the “power of procurement”.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Reviews project analyses and reports for environmental impact and climate risks, in support of BEO civil servant compliance portfolio.
• Reviews procurement documents (solicitations and awards) to integrate environmental and climate equity.
• Provides assistance to technical staff research and leads stakeholder discussions on climate equity and justice in development and humanitarian assistance programs in support of USAID climate change policies.
• Reviews programs and gain multi-stakeholder input to refine policies to tailor the implementation of the climate strategy and climate risk management principles to BHA programs.
• Mentors students in climate and social justice e- internships
• Supports Missions and BHA field programs to utilize accessible, inclusive, and empowering processes through which all affected communities—especially local communities—are meaningfully engaged as critical agents for climate change success due to specialized knowledge and networks.
• Supports USAID programs with knowledge management events to raise awareness of a climate equity approach in USAID programming.
• Develops lessons learned and stories for communications and training.
• Collaborates across the Agency/USAID to develop and refine agency guidance on climate and DEIA
• Supports drafting briefing memos for principals attending multilateral climate and HA global conferences
• Sets agenda for scheduled climate equity meetings with key stakeholders from across the bureau and agency, including regular monthly meetings with senior management officials.
• Develops and gains input from stakeholders on policy position papers on how climate equity improves climate change work by engaging with actors both within USAID and with external partners.
• Reviews deliverables from a multi-million dollar resilience and food security activity in Africa and Latin America to enhance equitable climate adaptation interventions
• Supports coordination with key internal USG equities, NGO sector (conservation and humanitarian), universities, and multilateral development organizations (including the United Nations and other country Donors) who are pursuing solutions at climate, environment, and DEIA interface.
• Support the BHA Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) teams to assess the monitoring and implementation of climate equity in adaptation and humanitarian assistance activities.
• Travels to field sites (Africa, Latin America, Caribbean) to provide technical review of the equitable implementation of environmental safeguards in the USAID humanitarian assistance programs, learning lessons from country-based NGOs and experts.

Required Qualification, Education, and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) in natural, biological, or physical (chemistry, geology) sciences or environmental disciplines, including social sciences (including geography, social ecology) or a related field.
• 5+ years relevant professional experience in an advanced relevant science and technology discipline with academia (including graduate school education), private industry, public sector, etc.
• Demonstrated interest (minimal) and specific leadership (preferred) in DEIA.
• Excellent English writing and oral communication. Additional languages preferred but not required, especially those that are relevant in international development contexts (e.g., French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Swahili, etc.)
• Demonstrated understanding of USG foreign policy priorities and programming.
• Strong project management skills, including experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively engage with a diversity of stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, including the ability to multitask well in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to creatively problem solve, and a passion for impact.

USAID Assumptions and Constraints

• Staff working on this effort must possess the ability to obtain a current “Facility ” clearance.
• Requires compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d); USAID Graphic Standards (available at www.usaid.gov/branding), USAID Mission & Core Values (available at http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/mission-vision-values) or any successor branding/mission/core values policies.
• Requires collaboration with USAID DDI and other Operational Units.

Estimated Schedule

• Full-time

Place of Performance

• Washington, DC - 555 12th Street, N.W. On-site support with approved telework.

Travel

• Limited International and Domestic Travel

Applicants selected may be subject to a background investigation and must meet suitability requirements for eligibility. Vistant participates in E-Verify.

In order to ensure the health and safety of Vistant's employees and families, all employees are required to receive vaccinations as determined by the President’s Executive Order No. 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, issued on September 9, 2021, and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors, which require COVID-19 vaccinations for all Vistant employees regardless of work location unless a medical or religious accommodation is granted by Vistant. Vistant requires all newly hired employees to be fully vaccinated (meaning two weeks after the employee receives the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine or the second dose of the Pfizer/Moderna vaccines) or have an approved medical or religious accommodation by December 8, 2021, or by their start date if it is after December 8, 2021.

Vistant provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees, without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

Vistant is an EEO employer - M/F/Vets/Disabled