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Please visit https://th.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/jobs/usaid-job-vacancies/ to submit your application.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

 1. SOLICITATION NO.: 72048624R10015

 2. ISSUANCE DATE: June 14, 2024  

 3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: July 13, 2024/11:59PM Bangkok, Thailand local time

 4. POINT OF CONTACT: RDMArecruitment@usaid.gov

 5. POSITION TITLE: REO Project Management Specialist (Environment), FSN-12

 6. MARKET VALUE: THB 1,927,889 – 3,373,801 per annum equivalent to FSN-12 in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/RDMA. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

 7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:  Five (5) years initial contract. The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through a series of sequential contracts, subject to continued need of the position and availability of funds.

 8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: The United States Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), Bangkok, Thailand with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

 9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: This position is opened to Cooperating Country National (CCN). Thai citizen or other country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent Thai residence is eligible to apply. Please note that USAID is not able to sponsor offerors for a Thai residency permit.

10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED:  The successful candidate shall be required to obtain a Security Certification for Employment from Regional Security Office.

11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES

 11.1. General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The Project Management Specialist (Environment) serves as a member of the Regional Environment Office (REO), USAID/RDMA. A primary focus area for this position is addressing development challenges focused on energy and transportation infrastructure, natural resource management, and high-profile US Government (USG) initiatives related to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Lower Mekong Region. In addition, the incumbent will serve as the Mission Environment Officer (MEO) or deputy MEO to backstop environmental compliance review of USAID activities. Another focus area is improving environmental and social governance of infrastructure projects in the region through policy reform, institutional strengthening, and more effective enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, which involves activities in the Lower Mekong and more broadly Southeast Asia. The incumbent will coordinate program activities with other RDMA and USAID staff to ensure effective program implementation and compliance with USAID policies and procedures, with a particular focus on programmatic activities that contribute to sustainable development within the Mekong River Basin. S/he will guide and/or supervise contractors and grantees to increase program impact, enhance sustainability, and ensure compliance with USAID policies. The incumbent will both lead and support activities, depending on the delegation of responsibilities among REO team members for specific activities and programs. The incumbent will also develop and maintain productive working relationships with key partners, including USG agencies, regional forums, national ministries, local governments, international development agencies, donors, NonGovernment Organizations (NGOs), and private sector firms.

 11.2. Statement of Duties to be Performed 

A. STRATEGY FORMULATION, PROGRAM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT: 20%

• Leads effort to assess development challenges and manages programming relating to energy, infrastructure, and natural resource management (NRM) and highprofile US Government (USG) initiatives related to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Lower Mekong Region. Identifies and assesses the response from other development agencies to these problems and issues. These responsibilities may include oversight of regional activities in Southeast Asia.
• Identifies key opportunities and challenges in increasing adaptation capacity and resilience to the negative consequences of climate change at the regional and national levels in Asia. Advises Mission staff on proposed actions to respond to these challenges and achieve the greatest development impacts within the available resources. Again, this is a Southeast Asia wide responsibility.
• Analyzes and promotes policy options aimed at strengthening regional, national, and sub-national environmental and social governance in Southeast Asia.
• Formulates the RDMA’s strategies in the aforementioned areas, including goals, objectives and activities required to reform policies, build capacity, strengthen institutions, and promote regional networking. Strategies will be coordinated with donors, regional programs, national government counterparts, NGOs, and the private sector to identify possible areas for collaboration and to avoid duplication.
• Operationalizes strategies by developing new initiatives and program activities to address key development challenges in energy, infrastructure, NRM and related program areas, proposes approaches that promote and scale up innovation, incorporates science and technology, and provides for robust monitoring and evaluation. Ensures new initiatives are consistent with USG priorities and the strategic objectives of RDMA.
• Prepares studies, concept papers, statements of work, USAID program/project activity design documents and bilateral and multilateral agreements related to the design of energy, infrastructure, NRM, and related programs. Program design requires ongoing and regular contacts with officials in the regional forums, national governments, NGOs, private sector, and international donor agencies to ensure that there is no conflict or duplication between planned USAID assistance and that of other donors.

B. PROJECT/PROGRAM MANAGEMENT: 40%

• Serves as an activity manager, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), or Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) for assigned contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants aimed at achieving planned results aligned the RDMA’s Regional Development and Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) and related Project Appraisal Documents (PADs).
• Provides administration and oversight for energy, infrastructure, NRM and related programs and activities, including monitoring activities through site visits and the review of work plans and progress reports; tracking expenditures and financial accruals against obligations; making recommendations to implementing partners to increase program impacts and enhance sustainability; facilitating coordination among implementing partners where synergies exist; and reporting program results.
• Maintains up-to-date records of the financial status and performance of contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants assigned to the incumbent and reports this information upon request to RDMA Management and USAID/Washington (USAID/W).
• Coordinates financial tracking and reporting with other RDMA units, and USAID/W. Drafts official USAID documents required for approval of new awards and/or reporting changes in the status of activities, such as Action and Justification Memos, Congressional Notifications, Annual Reports, and related Acquisition and Assistance Documents. Processes actions related to developing new or modifying existing contracts, agreements, or grants using USAID’s Global Acquisition and Assistance System (GLAAS).
• Facilitates the development of work plans and performance monitoring plans (PMPs) by advising contractors and grantees on expected program performance indicators, targets, and results, and contributing to data collection and synthesis. Ensures program implementation achieves planned results, and developmental impacts are well-documented and reported.
• Provides strategic direction to contractors and grantees to ensure their activities support the strategic objectives of RDMA and are consistent with the REO priorities. Guides and monitors activities of contractors and grantees to ensure compliance with the terms of their contracts and agreements as well as with established USAID guidelines, policies, and procedures, including USAID’s environmental compliance requirements. Resolves any implementation issues in an efficient and professional manner.
• Coordinates activities with appropriate personnel in USAID/W, USAID bilateral Missions and US Embassies in the Asia region.
• Develops, maintains, and strengthens working relationships with key partners, including national ministries, local governments, international organizations, other donors/development partners, private sector, NGOs, universities, and/or the media to identify and implement efforts to increase synergy among the key stakeholders and leverage resources. Ensures national and local governments are regularly apprised of activity implementation. When appropriate, works with national and local governments to overcome barriers to activity implementation.
• Oversees the organization of meetings and workshops to facilitate regional cooperation and dialogue on priority issues related to focus program areas. Identifies appropriate participants and facilitators, develops agendas, plans, and facilitates working group breakout sessions, documents proceedings and results, and follows up on recommended action steps.
• Prepares and disseminates, on a regular basis, to RDMA Mission staff and program partners information on issues, accomplishments, worldwide best practices in energy, infrastructure, NRM, and related program areas. Documents success stories in achieving progress toward expected results. Contributes program updates to the REO weekly reports, as well as USAID and U.S. State Department briefing reports.

C. ADVISORY SERVICES: 25%

• Prepares for meetings and/or presentations by identifying key challenges in energy, infrastructure, NRM, and related program areas, and providing appropriate technical or country-level responses. Represents RDMA and presents on its behalf key issues relating to RDMA activities, priorities, initiatives, and achievements.
• Researches the state of energy, infrastructure, NRM, and related program areas, including the relevant institutional, policy and legal frameworks in the region.
• Represents the RDMA at meetings, workshops, and conferences organized by various organizations, including other donor/development partners and international organizations. 
• Advises REO, and, as needed, Mission Management, on issues associated with energy, infrastructure, NRM and environmental and social safeguards. Provides briefings to visitors to the RDMA and prepares materials for the press on relevant environmental topics and on USAID’s programs. Prepares and delivers presentations on the same issues at national, regional, and international workshops and conferences.
• Provides technical advisory services to other USAID Mission staff and partners in the Asia region on incorporating energy, infrastructure, NRM and related programs into current Mission portfolios and/or in the design of new programs. Provides technical office coverage as requested.

D. ENVIRONMENT COMPLIANCE: 15%

• Serves as MEO or deputy MEO and advises mission staff on environmental compliance consistent with relevant sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) for four operating units: RDMA, Laos, China, and Thailand. These procedures are USAID’s principal mechanism to ensure environmentally sound design and management of development activities; compliance with these procedures is mandatory and apply to every program, project, activity, and amendment supported with USAID funds.
• Provides support on annual reports on the status of environmental compliance within the four operating units.
• Serves as a core member of design teams and throughout the program cycle to help identify potential adverse impacts resulting from proposed activities, to prepare necessary environmental analyses, and to monitor implementation of approved environmental mitigation measures.
• Serves as a liaison between programs, projects, and activities and the Regional Environment Advisor and Bureau Environment Officer, as needed, to obtain additional or specialist expertise. Serves as an environmental resource to the mission to better integrate environmental issues in program and activity design and implementation.
• Helps Mission staff meet USAID’s climate risk management (CRM) requirements, including explaining and tracking compliance with USAID’s CRM processes.

The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.

 11.3. Supervisory Relationship

The incumbent reports directly to the Sustainable Energy and Safeguards Team Lead or his/her designee.

 11.4. Supervisory Controls

Full supervision of other USAID staff is not contemplated.

12.  PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

 1. Education: Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences; environmental or civil engineering; disaster risk management sciences; natural resources management (which can include forestry, marine, and coastal); urban and/or regional planning; public policy or economics, or related fields.

 2. Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in program or project management in addressing environmental issues, with at least three years of this experience in energy, natural resource management, environmental and social governance and/or related fields.

 3. Language: Level IV – Fluent in Thai and English with a valid TOEIC score of 855 is required.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Application Rating System

The application rating system factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified offerors in comparison to other offerors. offerors must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their application and/or resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

1. Experience: (30 points)

Additional points will be given for relevant experience above the minimum requirement stated in Section II which may include experiences working for international developmentfocused organizations, addressing sustainable development challenges within the Mekong River Basin, and partnering with multilateral bodies such as ASEAN and the Mekong River Commission.

2. Knowledge: (35 points)

• Demonstrates solid knowledge of the countries with the region and social-political landscape.
• Demonstrates knowledge of viable approaches for identifying critical environmental challenges and opportunities for addressing emerging energy, infrastructure, and NRM issues in Asia, including analyzing policy options and promoting the implementation of improved policies.
• Demonstrates knowledge of challenges in the energy, infrastructure, NRM, and environmental issues related to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Lower Mekong Region as well as cross-cutting issues (gender, private sector engagement, ecosystems & biodiversity, and disaster risk reduction) and effective approaches in mainstreaming environmental issues into the regional and national development agendas.
• Demonstrates knowledge of effective approaches in ensuring the sustainability of development efforts.

3. Skills and Abilities: (35 points)

• Demonstrates an ability to design and implement environment programs in a development context and to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and partners.
• Demonstrates an ability to provide both technical and administrative aspects of project management.
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills (both verbal and written), strong presentation skills, and the ability to persuade and mobilize stakeholders to support efforts to improve use of appropriate technologies, institutions, and policies.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills, and the ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with a broad range of development partners and program stakeholders.
• Demonstrates an ability to use computer and office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel PowerPoint, e-mail, and Google applications. Ability to learn and use Agency specific software related to the work area with efficiency.
• Demonstrates an ability to prepare professional quality reports and presentations.
• Demonstrates an ability to learn and apply knowledge of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation.
• Demonstrates an ability to be a self-starter, highly motivated and committed to addressing environmental issues.
• Demonstrates an ability to travel domestically and internationally.

1. Application Score: 100 points

2. Recruitment Test: 100 points

3. Interview Performance: 100 points

Total Possible Points: 300 points

SELECTION PROCESS: 

Applications will be initially screened and scored in accordance with evaluation factors and points mentioned in Section III, item 1-3.  Offerors in a competitive range will be given a recruitment test. Offerors with passing marks from the recruitment test and a valid TOEIC score mentioned in Section II, item 3, will be invited for an interview. The recruitment test and the interview will be structured around the evaluation factors mentioned above. The successful offeror will be selected based on a review of his/her qualifications, work experience, knowledge, skills and abilities; a written test; an interview; and the results of reference checks. References may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror.

IV. TO APPLY

Please follow the check lists and submission guidelines, posted on the official website: https://th.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/jobs/usaid-job-vacancies/ carefully and submit complete application package before the deadline.

Failure to follow the instructions will invalidate your application.