ThaiNGO

“This is a re-advertisement of Vacancy Announcement number: USAID 2018/09.

Candidate who has applied in the first round does not need to resubmit an application."

POSITION: FSN-10

SALARY: FSN-10 ฿924,881 per annum (Starting salary)

The position is classified at FSN-10 grade. Salary will be paid in accordance with USG Local Compensation Plan. Based on the selected candidate’s overall qualifications and at the discretion of USAID/RDMA, the incumbent may be hired at FSN-9 “development” level (Starting salary: FSN-9 ฿ 699,655 per annum) for a minimum of one year.

APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok is seeking an individual for the position of Project Management Specialist (HIV Key Populations) in the U.S. Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), located at Athenee Tower, Wireless Road, Bangkok.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Project Management Specialist (HIV Key Populations) serves as a member of the Office of Public Health (OPH) HIV Team, assisting in a full range of advisory, planning, design, development, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, administrative and financial management functions critical to the mitigation of public health threats with a focus on HIV in key populations in Thailand and Laos with opportunities to provide technical assistance to other countries in the region and beyond as requested. S/he serves as the Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (AOR/COR) for direct agreements and contracts in the HIV and AIDS field and as the Activity Manager for centrally managed projects being implemented by USAID/RDMA. The incumbent serves as a source of expertise in OPH for: the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); men who have sex with men, transgender women, and other key populations; and the operationalization of new PEPFAR requirements. S/he is responsible for determining the procurement planning for HIV activities; and tracking HIV commodities procurement and logistics.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Activity and Financial Management (35%)

• AOR/COR Duties. The Project Management Specialist-HIV Key Populations serves as AOR/COR or independent activity manager. In addition, the incumbent monitors OPH’s agreements and contracts related to HIV and AIDS; performs site visits to gather information on implementation progress and providing recommendations to the HIV Team Lead, Regional Advisor for HIV and TB, and OPH Director on changes to improve performance. Review and sign vouchers, or recommend approval of the same to OPH staff. Assure timely receipt of all deliverables – reports, attainment of milestones, etc. Responsible for bringing any problems in performance to the attention of the agreement/contract officer and OPH staff and for ensuring that remedial action is taken. Maintain records of performance and AOR/COR actions. Participate in agreement/contract closeout actions ensuring that all performance has been completed satisfactorily and all property accounted for.

• Prepare the HIV and AIDS budget portion of the Annual Report and coordinate with the Program Office to ensure that budget is sent to USAID/Washington on a timely basis. Finalize budget request according to USAID/Washington and RDMA guidelines and instructions.

• Review and monitor project and Personal Service Contract budgets, identifying bottlenecks and making recommendations to resolve issues. Prepare quarterly financial status reports on the various agreements and contracts. Closely monitor financial records including earmarks, commitments, de-obligations, re-obligations, etc. in coordination with the operations management unit within OPH.

• Collect data for and complete project accruals on a quarterly basis.                                                      

2. Design and Implementation Documentation (25%)   

• Prepare the ground work (including identification and review of background documents) leading to the planning, design, and preparation of new partnerships and initiatives and other activities under the strategic objective and PEPFAR. Prepare design and activity packages, draft performance-based statements of work for contracts with local or expatriate firms or individuals for pre-design technical analyses and define and arrange for technical and/or financial assistance and logistical support from within RDMA, from other countries in the region and from USAID/Washington.

• Prepare and/or assist with the preparation and track the clearance process for program and administrative documents such as pre-obligation documents, accruals, and other acquisition documents which earmark funds for the strategic/development objective and other HIV proposed services.

• Participate in the quality control process within OPH and PEPFAR Asia Regional Program, including the review of documents such as Regional Operational Plans (ROPs), Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS), work plans, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), grant agreements, contracts, waivers, etc. for clarity, conciseness and conformance with USAID rules and regulations.

3. Representation (20%)

• Represent USAID in meetings with local partners and government counterparts. Establish and maintain working relationships with key Thai government ministries and departments, including the Bureau for AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (BATS), Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Department of Disease Control, and National AIDS Management Center (NAMC), as well as the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC).

• Represent USAID in HIV technical working group meetings and advocate for the implementation of new and cutting edge approaches to improving the HIV care cascade, or HIV prevention, testing, treatment, care and support.

• Forge strong partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders within the government, civil society and donor community. Advocate among this group for the implementation of new and cutting edge approaches to improving the HIV cascade.

4. Procurement and Logistics (10%)

• Procurement Planning: The incumbent is responsible for determining, in consultation with other staff in the OPH, the Agreement/Contracting Officers and health and program staff in USAID/Washington the type and timing of procurement, including field support, needed to achieve the HIV and AIDS Team objectives. Develop procurement plans covering goods and services and includes a reasonable timetable to put instrument(s) in place on time.

• Commodities Procurement and Logistics: Review all HIV and AIDS commodities procurement plans prepared by the implementing partners and discuss the contents with technical advisors in OPH. Take the lead in forecasting and placing new orders for condoms, antiretroviral drugs and other commodities critical to achieving the strategic/development objective. Coordinate quality control of commodities with USAID/Washington, implementing partners and beneficiaries in the region and ensure that defective products are promptly destroyed and that reports on the destruction are prepared and sent to USAID/Washington. Travel within the region and assess the commodities logistics management systems in place, draft reports and make recommendations for the improvement of the systems if necessary and ensure that best practices are shared within the region.

• Personal Services Procurement: Responsible for preparing position classification documents including drafting statements of work and other USAID documents for recruiting and reclassifying existing personal service contractors’ positions under the HIV portfolio.

• Technical Evaluation for Competitive Procurement: Maintain lists of appropriate reviewers and identify appropriate members. Participate in meetings and ensure that evaluation is done in accordance with established evaluation criteria. Utilize all available sources to verify past performance references of contractors putting together information that could be used in decision-making. Document and provide the results of evaluations to the contracting and personnel officers.

5. Reporting and Communications (10%)

• In accordance with specific instructions, prepare a series of factual and analytical background reports and HIV and AIDS program fact sheets in an assigned subject-matter.
• Participate in the preparation of PEPFAR reports, activity reports and special briefing papers.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED AND SELECTION CRITERIA:

All applications must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item in DS-174 block no.19-22. If the application submitted fails to demonstrate eligibility, the application will be marked unqualified.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide all pertinent information.

• Education: University/College Degree in the field of social work, education, public health, public or business administration or a related field is required.

• Experience (35 points): A minimum of five (5) years of professional and progressively more responsible experience in the field of public health, HIV, or development assistance is required; at least three (3) years of this experience must be with a government, development or donor organization. Prior experience in project management and budget formulation and tracking is required; prior experience working in HIV programming with men who have sex with men, transgender women and other key populations is required.

• Language: Level IV speaking/reading and writing English and Thai are required.

• Knowledge (30 points): A broad knowledge of the concepts, principles, techniques and practices of development program and project assistance and budgeting is required. The incumbent must demonstrates potential to acquire knowledge of U.S. Government legislation relating to PEPFAR & Development Assistance; USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation; and a thorough understanding of the objectives, methodology, and status of the USAID’s overall Development Objectives and HIV and AIDS goals.

• Skills and Abilities (35 points): The incumbent must have the following:
  • Ability to obtain, analyze, and evaluate a variety of data.
  • Ability to organize and present information in concise written and oral form.
  • Ability to participate fully in the planning, development, management and evaluation of projects.
  • Ability to follow oral instructions, organize, prioritize and follow through on all assignments with minimal oversight.
  • Ability to edit documents/focus on different topic details.
  • Proficient in word processing, spreadsheets, databases and other computer applications (i.e. Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Excel, ACCESS, OUTLOOK, SharePoint, PowerPoint, etc.).
  • Ability to establish and maintain contacts at levels of the host government(s) and private sector from the community level to the low senior level and with stakeholders in the non-governmental arena in order to explain USAID health specific project/program policies, objectives and procedures.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and be a self-starter.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications will be initially screened and scored for eligibility in accordance with the required qualifications and points mentioned above. To be considered for candidacy, applicants must address each criterion in their application as to how they meet the minimum qualifications for this position.  Top-ranked candidates who meet the minimum qualification will be given a recruitment test. Applicants with passing marks from the recruitment test and with a valid TOEIC score of 855 or above will be invited for an interview. The recruitment test and the interview will be structured around the selection criteria above and will be conducted in USAID/RDMA Bangkok, Thailand. Only shortlisted candidates for final interview will be notified of the selection result. Reference checks will be conducted once the applicant pool is narrowed down to the top candidate(s). Internal candidates must have successfully completed a one year probationary period of employment before being eligible to apply. USAID/RDMA will screen for nepotism/conflict of interest in determining successful candidacy.

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 thru RDMArecruitment@usaid.gov before the deadline.

Failure to follow the instructions will invalidate your application.

CLOSING DATE FOR THE POSITION: August 9, 2018