Education Technical Advisor (USAID/Afghanistan)

Position Title: Education Technical Advisor

Work Location: Remote with On-Site or In-Country support as needed

Requesting Office: USAID/Afghanistan

Period of Performance: August 2024 - February 2025

TDYs: Doha, Istanbul, and/or Astana - 2 trips, 2 weeks each trip.

Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain secret clearance is required

Position Description:

• Serve as a Education Senior Advisor and provide expert advice on Basic and Higher Education programming.
• Provide expert-level guidance and advice to USAID/Afghanistan on the design and implementation of evidence-based higher education projects and activities that achieve a wide range of Agency goals.
• Engage in relevant USAID and USG Interagency working groups and committees, providing report outs and recommendations to the senior leadership.
• Provide cross-sectoral expertise on the links between basic/higher education and broader development outcomes such as increasing access to basic/higher education and employment in conflict settings, increasing quality and relevance of tertiary education, food security, violence prevention, civic participation, health, gender transformation, adolescent girls’ education, and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Policy and Strategy Development:

• Provide advice and recommendations towards strategy formulation for USAID/Afghanistan regarding basic/higher education and youth.
• Summarize and present cutting-edge evidence on effective investments and approaches to institutional capacity development of basic education institutions and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Project and Activity Design:

• Provide expertise to USAID/Afghanistan to develop country-specific approaches to improve the institutional capacity of HEIs, basic education institutions, and WASH to achieve effective cross-sectoral education.

External Engagement and Partnerships:

• Coordinate with others and expand and deepen the impact of USAID’s work, develop partnerships and working relationships with a range of relevant basic/higher education stakeholders: the USG Interagency, bilateral and multilateral development agencies (including the Afghanistan Coordination Group, and specifically the Education Strategic Thematic Working Group), foundations, the private sector, academic institutions, U.S.-based 2/4Higher Education associations, researchers, and implementing partners.
• Represent USAID at international conferences and deliver public presentations with agency oversight

Communications and Outreach:

• Collaborate with USAID/Afghanistan’s communications staff and management to conceptualize and produce online and print-based communications materials to inform stakeholders of USAID’s efforts and accomplishments.
• Work with implementing partners, researchers, and others to advise on the development of education-related content for Fact Sheets, Program Summaries, presentations, and speeches.
• Identify opportunities for participation in relevant events, including those related to cross-sector work in education.

Evaluation and Evidence Building:

• Support the design and implementation of project and activity evaluations.

Position Requirements:

• US citizenship is required.
• Graduate-level degree in International Education, Education Policy and Planning, Higher Education Administration, or a related field required.
• Strong knowledge of trends, discourse, policy issues, and technical experience in areas of higher education and development.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience, of which three (3) years are relevant to work experience in developing countries.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize tasks and work efficiently.
• Strong writing and editing skills for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
• Solutions-oriented team player who is also able to work independently and on their own initiative.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, the ability to collaborate among various teams in the Agency at large (Regional Bureaus, and USAID Missions)
• Ability to interact and communicate with people from different backgrounds and cultures with a high degree of diplomacy and tact.
• Demonstrated evidence of fairness in recommending selections, treatment of minority employees, and sensitivity to the development needs of all employees, including minority groups and women.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and able to receive a Secret security clearance.

Candidate expectations:

• As an employee of an Institutional Support Contractor, the Specialist shall not perform inherently governmental activities In carrying out any of the deliverables, functions, or activities described above. Inherently governmental activities may only be performed by government personnel. Among other things, an inherently governmental activity involves making binding commitments for the USG or exerting ultimate control over the acquisition, use, or disposition of United States property, including federal funds. The role of the Specialist is to guide, assist, and support government personnel and carry out assigned tasks related to developing options or implementing a course of action, with Agency oversight. Questions about whether any specific tasks or duties assigned to the Specialist may be inherently governmental activities shall be referred to the USAID Afghanistan Executive Office for review and decision.
• The Contractor shall not disclose and must safeguard all sensitive and non-public information, computer systems and data, privacy act data, and Government personnel work products that are obtained or generated in the performance of this position. The Contractor shall execute an appropriate USAID non-disclosure agreement.
• Candidate must comply with USAID Standard of Conduct and Ethics Standards by US law throughout all phases of acquisition and assistance procurement processes, as appropriate, and any in-person or travel security requirements as assigned by the Mission or Embassy while on TDY, as directed.
• The Government and the Contractor understand and agree that the services delivered by the Contractor to the Government are non-personal services and work performed under this contract The parties also recognize and agree that no employer-employee or master-servant relationship exists or will exist between the Government and the Contractor. Contractor personnel are not employees of the Federal Government and are not eligible for entitlement and benefits given to federal employees.
• Contractor personnel under this task order shall not (i) be placed in a position where there is an appearance that they are employed by the Federal Government, or are under the supervision, direction, or evaluation of a federal employee, or (ii) be placed in a position of decision, command, supervision, administration, or control over Government personnel.
• All requests for leave, annual, sick, verification of employment, or other, will be approved or denied by the Contractor’s employing organization, not the federal agency.

Legal Disclaimers

Applicants selected may be subject to a background investigation and must meet suitability requirements for eligibility.

Telework/Remote Work policies are contingent upon client needs and staffing requirements and are subject to change.

Applicants with disabilities may contact the Human Capital Team via telephone, e-mail, and other means to request and arrange accommodation. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request accommodation at any time. Please contact the Human Capital Team at HC@vistantco.com or (301) 719-2381.

Please note: Updates on applications or the general Recruiting process should reach out to recruiting@vistantco.com.