Democracy Fellow, Conflict - Fragility & Peacebuilding

Sep 26, 2017 | Institute of International Education
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For nearly a century, IIE has been a world leader in international education. We work to build more peaceful and equitable societies by advancing scholarship, building economies and promoting access to opportunity. As a not-for-profit with 18 offices and affiliates worldwide, IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs. This is how IIE helps people and organizations thrive in today’s interconnected world.

Job Title: Democracy Fellow, Conflict, Fragility & Peacebuilding

Organizational Unit: IIE Organization

Schedule: Full Time

Education: Master's Degree

Career Level: Specialist

Location: Client Site DC - Washington, DC 20004 US (Primary)

 

Job Description

The Institute of International Education (IIE) seeks applications from qualified individuals for a full-time Democracy Fellow for a one-year period to serve within the Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation in USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA/CMM). IIE manages the Democracy Fellows and Grants (DFG) Program for USAID. Initial appointment is for one year. The Democracy Fellow will be hired as a full-time, salaried employee, with benefits. The Fellow’s salary will be commensurate with salary history and experience.

 

Purpose

The Conflict, Fragility & Peacebuilding (CFP) Fellow will provide technical expertise and recommendations on the formulation of USAID’s policy, strategic, and programmatic approaches for the effective integration of conflict-sensitive theory and practice, fragility risk factors, and peacebuilding concepts into humanitarian assistance and development program areas, including but not limited to: democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG); economic growth; health; education; food security, media strengthening; youth empowerment; security sector reform; and the rule of law.

 

Background

DCHA/CMM provides technical advice on programs and policies to respond to the causes and consequences of conflict, fragility, and violence to all parts of USAID, other U.S. Government departments and agencies, and international partners (including other donors and civil society), with the objective of maximizing the effectiveness of USAID programs. DCHA/CMM provides leadership on designing and implementing fragility-aware and conflict-related programming through technical assistance to USAID field missions and other operating units, applied research and analysis, training and information dissemination, and donor engagement and coordination. DCHA/CMM links rigorous analysis to its assistance in strategy, program, and activity design, combining country and regional conflict assessments with practical guidance for program implementation. DCHA/CMM also spearheads policy articulation regarding the role of development vis-à-vis conflict, fragility, and peacebuilding, as well as policy application not only within USAID, but among other US government agencies and the broader international community. In addition to providing direct field-based technical assistance, DCHA/CMM manages specialized grants, cooperative agreements, inter-agency agreements, and contracts in support of country and regional programs.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

The Fellow will work with DCHA/CMM’s Policy and Technical Leadership team to evaluate and recommend cutting-edge approaches and tools to improving the effectiveness of USAID programs that directly or indirectly respond to conflict dynamics and/or fragility risk factors in developing countries, including rapidly evolving situations involving complex crises. Since the results of this work also are expected to be directly relevant for countries at risk for complex crises, they will be made available to USAID’s Complex Crises Fund (CCF) staff.  In addition, results will be made available broadly to USAID and USG personnel, other donors, implementing partners, Congress, the private sector, think tanks, academia, and the public at large.

The Fellow’s principal tasks will be to:

  • Conduct analyses and research to support technical input and recommendations on high priority and emergent policy, strategy, and programmatic issues related to conflict, fragility, and peacebuilding;
  • Support DCHA/CMM’s Learning Agenda by reviewing and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to inform the formulation of USAID policies, analytical models, and methodologies to respond to conflict and fragility (as well as to promote peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity across multiple development sectors);
  • Review, synthesize, and provide feedback and recommendations to USAID project managers on draft technical reports, analytical papers, and other deliverables related to conflict, fragility, and peacebuilding programming; and
  • Provide technical advice that would assist DCHA/CMM’s development of scopes of work (SOWs) and budgets related to conflict, fragility, and peacebuilding programs.

 

Job Requirements

Qualifications and Skills

  • U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain a Secret level security clearance is required.
  • Full-time Democracy Fellows must not have worked inside USAID as a technical professional (Direct-Hire, Non-Direct Hire, PSC) for more than five years, cumulatively.
  • Availability to travel internationally is required.
  • Advanced degree in political science, international relations, international development, conflict mitigation, peacebuilding, or a related field is required.
  • Status as a recognized expert in conflict, fragility, and peacebuilding issues is required.
  • At least five years of hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and/or evaluating international development programs involving peace and conflict theory/practice, conflict sensitivity, stabilization, security sector reform, building governance institutions, or supporting independent civil society is required.
  • Sophisticated knowledge of statistical or quantitative analytical methods and econometric regressions related to peace and conflict, and direct experience designing and implementing quantitative and qualitative research methods, including application of conflict theory to the development and use of analytical frameworks and tools is required.
  • Demonstrated skills in translating research findings into strategic or programmatic recommendations for development assistance implementing partners and related stakeholders is required. 
  • Strong interpersonal and communications skills, including the ability to foster relationships and coordinate the learning and expertise of multiple organizations engaged in work related to fragility, conflict mitigation/prevention, conflict sensitivity, and peacebuilding, are required.
  • Knowledge of computer software, including Word, Excel, and Windows (as well as general familiarity with networked computer systems) is required.
  • Field experience in developing countries affected by conflict and/or fragility is desirable.
  • Previous experience with USAID programming is desirable.
  • Working proficiency in a foreign language is desirable.

Supervision and Guidance

The CFP Fellow will serve as a member of the DCHA/CMM’s Policy and Technical Leadership Team. The Fellow will be supervised by the DFG Director at IIE, but will receive day-to-day technical guidance from the Supervisory Program Specialist in DCHA/CMM (or his/her acting designee). The Fellow will participate in relevant working groups in other parts of USAID, as needed. The Fellow is expected to exercise professional initiative, resourcefulness, and discretion consistent with USAID’s overall policy and procedural framework.

Location

The incumbent will be based at USAID headquarters in Washington, DC.  International travel (no more than 8-10 weeks cumulatively, over the 12-month period) may be required.

 

Duration of the position

Initial appointment is for twelve (12) months.

Compensation

  • The salary for this fellowship will be commensurate with the candidate’s salary history and experience. The salary cap for this position is $135,000.
  • The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm EDT on October 15, 2017. Only complete applications will be considered. Please confirm that all required components of the application are submitted.
  • IIE is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer of Females/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.