Back Senior Policy Advisor

Come join a dynamic team at the forefront of shaping evidence-based policies to advance specific development and humanitarian objectives. The fast-paced, collaborative teams within USAID’s Office of Policy need a sharp, clear-eyed advisor to oversee a policy portfolio that includes some of the most consequential topics of the moment. Help ensure continued leadership in policy issues and advance USAID’s essential humanitarian and development mission.

We are seeking an analytic, creative, action-oriented, Senior Policy Advisor to support USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL). PPL’s Office of Policy (PPL/P) works hand-in-hand with other technical and regional teams throughout the Agency to formulate, implement, and promote coherence within USAID development and humanitarian policies. In addition, the office engages in foreign policy related to development and humanitarian affairs; to bring development expertise into wider national security and foreign policy deliberations, and to translate higher-level U.S. policy priorities into recommendations and action for U.S. foreign assistance programs and other development efforts worldwide.

In this position, you will be responsible for a range of policy analysis, coordination, and communications activities. Specifically, you will help manage a portfolio of work related to USAID’s internal and interagency engagement on the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the agency’s approach to the People’s Republic of China, and other high-priority and emerging issues. You will both manage processes related to this portfolio and develop substantive policy products. You will work with other experts in PPL, across other USAID bureaus, and in other departments and agencies. You will provide expert advice to and be involved in briefing, presenting to, and teeing up decisions for senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Takes initiative and manages critical relationships on priority policy issues, in both USAID and the interagency, to effectively and rapidly respond to assignments and undertake other tasks.
• Develops clear, timely, thoughtful policy products that help advance USAID policy leadership in meaningful ways, such as policy papers, briefing memos, talking points, reports, summaries, and other written documents, as needed.
• Develops other analytical and communications products that advance PPL and wider USAID thinking on high-priority issues.
• Advises principals in a clear, compelling, actionable manner to advance policy objectives and communicates opportunities, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Engages collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepares and reviews documents, as required, for consistency with broader USAID and USG policy priorities and positions.
• Deepens technical expertise and knowledge to enhance USAID's policy development and thought leadership, particularly in the interagency.
• Manages competing priorities with a clear sense of purpose.
• Adapts to shifting tasks and evolving priorities, as needed.

Qualifications

• US citizenship with active secret security clearance is required
• Masters degree with 10 years of experience.
• Significant experience studying working on development, foreign affairs, or broader national security policy issues. Background on PRC and/or PGII a plus.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong writing skills and the ability to communicate complex policy concepts in clear, concise written documents and oral presentations required.
• Ability to work effectively both individually and as a member of a team.
• Ability to plan, organize, and use time effectively.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and work within tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of the organization, the broader foreign policy architecture, and the global development field.