Program Officer (PO) / Senior Program Officer (SPO)

Position Summary

The Program Officer (PO) / Senior Program Officer (SPO) will backstop global agricultural development programs, focused initially on a program in the Middle East which aims to increase the adoption of improved irrigation technologies and climate-smart agricultural practices. Responsibilities include providing administrative and technical support to field staff and monitoring and evaluating field project activities and results.

General Responsibilities

The PO/SPO will be responsible for a wide range of functions, including but not limited to:

• Assist with program implementation by providing technical support that includes, but is not limited to: input toward program strategy development; assistance developing technical program materials and deliverables; monitoring and evaluation of program activities; development of strategic relationships with donors, implementing partners and other stakeholders; leadership in critiquing and reviewing project documents such as grant and project proposals; development of scopes of work for short-term assistance and other technical contributions;
• Provide technical and administrative support for the program’s portfolio of grants and procurements including but not limited to input and oversight of the development of the grants manual, review of requests for application/proposal (RFAs/RFPs) and grant/procurement packages, tracking grants and procurements in coordination with the in-country team, ensuring compliance with USAID rules and regulations and adherence to CNFA policies and procedures;
• Manage and supervise one Program Coordinator (PC) on their backstopping of the program and support the completion of PC tasks when needed;
• Backstop programs including: drafting/reviewing/editing program documents and reports, tracking deliverables and program events;
• Monitor project spending, including through management of the budget tracker;
• Maintain electronic filing system of all program documentation, stakeholder contacts and key deliverables;
• Support Program Coordinator in coordination of field travel for long-term and short-term staff – including visa procurement and processing, travel and accommodation logistics, briefings related to security and travel;
• Prepare or review project documentation that requires home office and USAID approval;
• Support the Communications Department by ensuring production and updating of high-quality project communication content;
• Monitor projects to ensure programmatic, contractual, and financial compliance in collaboration with the Finance and Operations and Compliance Departments, as well as achievement of project deliverables and impact;
• Temporary short-term international assignments will be required to conduct program site visits, to assist in field office work efforts, activity start-up and closeout support, conduct general evaluation of program progress and information collection;
• Manage sub-contractors contractual and technical deliverables;
• As required, liaise with USAID to provide timely updates on program activities and impact and engage donors on development and implementation of programs; and
• Perform a variety of other related duties as required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field (business, agriculture, irrigation, international development, or related field) required; a Master’s Degree is strongly preferred;
• A minimum of 2 years (PO), 5 years (SPO) of experience backstopping complex international economic development programs is required;
• Experience managing USAID cooperative agreements or contracts of sizeable value is strongly preferred;
• Demonstrated experience with backstopping grants programs and significant programmatic procurement required;
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills, and clear, concise written communication skills required;
• Strong budgeting and analytical capacity is expected;
• Outstanding organization skills with a high level of attention to detail;
• Ability to maintain composure and flexibility under tight deadlines and competing priorities;
• Ability to engage with organizations and individuals from various cross-cultural contexts; 
• Highly skilled in coordination and project management;
• Arabic language skills preferred;
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite;
• Ability to travel up to 25%; and
• Current US work authorization required.

CNFA IS PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER It is the policy of CNFA to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, veteran status, or on the basis of personal favoritism or other non-merit factors, except where otherwise provided by law. 

REASONABLE ACCOMODATION & CONTACT INFORMATION CNFA provides a reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please contact the CNFA Home Office Human Resources Department via email at accomodation@cnfa.org or via phone at 202-296-3920 if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job with us.