Development Assistance Specialist

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About the Organization

USAID leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance and help people progress beyond assistance.

President John. F. Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development by executive order in 1961 to lead the US government’s international development and humanitarian efforts.

Job Description

The USAID Development Assistance Specialist (Innovation and Partnerships) works in the USAID/India Development Partnerships and Innovations Office (DPIO). The job holder reports to the Office Director and, if delegated, to the Deputy Director. The job holder may occasionally serve as the Acting Office Director or Acting Deputy Director.

The Specialist will work with a team of six others including one Foreign Service Officer (FSO), one U.S. Personal Services Contractor (USPSC), and four (Foreign Service Nationals) FSNs in DPIO. In addition, the incumbent will work with technical officers throughout the Mission, in other Missions, and in Washington DC. The job holder will serve as Chair or member of Mission and Interagency committees related to innovation and partnerships. The Specialist will not have direct supervisory authority but may oversee work performed by others regarding initiatives and activities.

The job holder has overarching responsibility for identifying, developing, and leading partnerships, innovations, programs and activities that advance shared Indo-U.S. objectives, which include disaster preparedness and response, food security, health, global health security; natural resources, energy, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); critical emerging technologies; information technologies; and education. The Specialist is responsible for identifying innovative organizations, technologies, processes, business models, and partnerships that promote effective, efficient, and sustainable interventions that impact people’s lives and transform institutions and systems. These interventions occur across the innovation process; they may be new seed stage ideas or proven interventions that require replication, distribution, and/or scaling-up. The job holder helps monitor, evaluate, and disseminate information about the innovations to stakeholders and the public. The job holder continuously monitors global and local innovation trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in development to inform strategic decisions and adapt the innovation strategy to changing contexts.

The job holder has overarching responsibility for identifying, developing, and leading partnerships, innovations, programs and activities that advance shared Indo-U.S. objectives, which include disaster preparedness and response, food security, health, global health security; natural resources, energy, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); critical emerging technologies; information technologies; and education. The Specialist is responsible for identifying innovative organizations, technologies, processes, business models, and partnerships that promote effective, efficient, and sustainable interventions that impact people’s lives and transform institutions and systems. These interventions occur across the innovation process; they may be new seed stage ideas or proven interventions that require replication, distribution, and/or scaling-up. The job holder helps monitor, evaluate, and disseminate information about the innovations to stakeholders and the public. The job holder continuously monitors global and local innovation trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in development to inform strategic decisions and adapt the innovation strategy to changing contexts.

Externally, the incumbent communicates strategically and diplomatically to senior representatives from private sector corporations, U.S. and Indian partners. The Specialist establishes and strengthens alliances with Indian and U.S. private sector stakeholders, and those of other countries, primarily throughout South and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, Central Asia and Africa. The partnerships are to be based upon U.S. policy and strategic Page 4 of 10 objectives and compatible with the interests of the partners. The partnerships themselves should help to inform and undertake programming and non programming. The job holder also leads groups and dialogues in a variety of fora to communicate their understanding of critical issues affecting innovation including partnership formation, policy, finance, technological change, economic growth, cross-border commerce and trilateral development. The job holder is required to perform work-related travel.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Master’s degrees in relevant field(s), including math, physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, computer science, business administration, finance or related fields are required.

Prior Work Experience:

• Demonstrated experience of seven (7) years in technology and systems innovation management, design, product development and manufacturing, commercialization, and /or business development is required. The job holder must have extensive and varied backgrounds in large established innovative businesses and start-ups or spin-offs, having formed effective, profitable and enduring partnerships with corporations, NGOs, and/or public enterprises. The Specialist must have professional experience in the creation and deployment at scale of effective technologies that are either predominantly information technologies or IT enabled in the telecommunications, software, energy, health, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and bioscience industries.
• Language Proficiency: Strong written and oral proficiency (Level 4) in English and another language common to business within India is required.
• Job Knowledge: Expert knowledge and points of contacts to identify and track international and Indian technology innovations which will address global development challenges, especially in food security, health, energy/climate change, natural resource management, recycling, information technologies, and education sectors.

 Skills and Abilities:

• Diplomatic communication and negotiation skills.
• Innovation facilitation, leadership and management for products and services
• Technology and product/service portfolio management
• Program management
• Ability to understand innovation finance for projects and firms
• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies, programming policies and procedures.
• Excellent communications skills, verbal and written.
• Ability to work successfully in a team environment.
• Ability to successfully coordinate with an array of stakeholders.

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