Acquisition and Assistance (A&A) Specialist-A&A/Policy Guidance and Training (PGT) Team

Supporting the Most Exciting and Meaningful Missions in the World

MacFadden, an Amentum company, is seeking a mid-level Acquisition and Assistance (A&A) Policy, Guidance, and Training (PGT) Specialist to support USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). BHA leads and coordinates the U.S. Government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas in response to natural disasters and protracted crises. The Bureau also supports early recovery efforts that restore and protect basic systems and services and invests in risk reduction programs that prevent or reduce risks associated with chronic and recurrent hazards.

The A&A PGT Specialist reports to the PGT Team Lead or designee in BHA’s Office of Humanitarian Business and Management Operations (HBMO) A&A Division, with formal supervisory and evaluation functions performed by a MacFadden contract supervisor.

The A&A PGT Specialist will perform the following responsibilities in direct support of the PGT team:

• Support translation of assistance and/or acquisition policy, guidance, and processes into business processes and data management recommendations, interventions, and Bureau implementation strategies.
• In collaboration with other BHA teams, support analysis to identify gaps and make improvements in office-level award management systems and processes.
• In coordination with other stakeholders, support the creation and revision of formal and informal in-person and/or virtual training for BHA staff and/or training for potential applicants.

In support of the overall A&A Division:

• Provide guidance to BHA staff on Federal and USAID award making and management issues based on regulations and policies such as the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulations (AIDAR), USAID Automated Directive Series (ADS) and Bureau-level policies.
• Upon direction from the supervisor, research, review, analyze, and/or interpret acquisition and/or assistance statutes, regulations, policies, or procedures to ensure consistent adherence to US Government (USG) and USAID requirements.
• Provide support in the identification, creation and execution of short- and/or long-term solutions to address assistance and/or acquisition challenges.
• Support the development of BHA-specific assistance and/or acquisition tools, policies, guidelines, and resources to manage procurements in collaboration with other key BHA stakeholders, including but not limited to the two A&A Division teams (Quality Assurance and Policy, Guidance, and Training), as well as teams across USAID.
• Communicate BHA policy guidance, templates, memos and resources to BHA staff in a manner easily understood to ensure compliance.
• Support the documentation of best practices and lessons learned to strengthen internal office pre- and post- award processes/systems.
• Support capacity-building of BHA staff to understand applicable USG and USAID regulations and policies for more effective award making and management.
• Provide support in the creation, publishing, disseminating, and archiving of assistance and/or acquisition award management documents and information products such as but not limited to policies, procedures, briefings and presentations, guidelines, policy papers, thematic briefs, talking points, job aides, user manuals, newsletters, and other forms of documentation.
• Contribute to internal strategies and work plans and participate in BHA and USAID working groups as needed to ensure that BHA assistance and/or acquisition needs are reflected in deliverables.
• With the Team Leader, identify ways to actively build and sustain an equitable and inclusive work environment where cultural diversity is celebrated and valued.
• Support the Team Leader in creating an environment oriented to trust, open communication, creative thinking, strong team cohesion and workplace collaboration, and promoting and cultivating high team morale.
• Support division activities to advise, guide, and train staff on team processes, templates, and standard operating procedures.
• Support quality assurance on final work products. Ensure accurate and error free work products of the team. This includes information associated with data calls with short turnaround times and complex reports created and used to track the flow of work related to the team’s portfolio.
• Contribute to other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Education and Experience

• Bachelors degree and 8 years of experience or Masters degree and 6 years of experience.

Required Skills

• Familiarity with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), USAID Automated Directives System (ADS), Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars, or other directives governing Assistance Awards.
• Understanding of current best practices and tools related to federal acquisition and assistance procedures.
• Experience working with U.S. Government Agencies.
• Knowledge of award making or management processes, including use of information management systems.
• Ability to support the creation and translation of policy and guidance into business processes as well as support the capture of information in data management systems and training materials.
• Ability to support the identification of gaps and help make improvements in office-level award management systems and processes.
• Ability to support the presentation of information both through formal training and informally to different stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret, communicate and summarize acquisition and assistance findings and recommendations to non-technical professionals.
• Ability to participate in consultative processes involving a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to prepare products independently with appropriate content and minimal errors in a timely manner.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and consistently meet deadlines.
• Ability to contribute to a collaborative team environment, respectful of diversity and that promotes inclusion.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in writing reports and analyzing data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a minimum of a Facility Access Clearance (FAC) or Secret Security Clearance issued by the US Government for the duration of your employment on this contract.

Preferred but Not Required:

• Understanding of BHA, the USG Interagency context and international humanitarian community.
• Understanding of information management, data and systems tools and platforms.

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, national origin, age, United States military veteran’s status, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, family structure, medical condition including genetic characteristics or information, veteran status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law.

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