USAID Project Management Specialist (Health)

I.       GENERAL INFORMATION

1.      SOLICITATION NO.: 72066324R10007

2.      ISSUANCE DATE: 02/04/2024

3.      CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: 02/18/2024, no later than 5:00 p.m (EAT) (close of business).

4.      POINT OF CONTACTS:  James Cerwinski, Supervisory EXO and Fekadu Tamirate, HR Specialist, e-mail at addisusaidjobs@usaid.gov.

5.      POSITION TITLE:  USAID Project Management Specialist (Health Supply Chain)

6.      MARKET VALUE:  $ 24,124 – $ 43,420 yearly i.e., equivalent to FSN - 11. In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Ethiopia. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.  Salary will be paid in local currency at the exchange rate in effect when the payroll is processed.

7.      PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:  Five (5) years. The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature through a series of sequential contracts, subject to continued need, satisfactory performance, and the availability of funds. 

The expected period of performance will be from 06/17/2024 – 06/16/2029.

8.      PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: US Embassy, Entoto Road, Addis Ababa, with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.

9.      ELIGIBLE OFFERORS:  Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs). “Cooperating country national” means an individual who is a cooperating country citizen, or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.

10.  SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: Facilities access.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General Statement of Purpose of the Contract

The USAID Project Management Specialist - Supply Chain (the “Specialist”) serves as an advisor and provides strategic, technical, analytical, and management support on health logistics and supply chain management. S/he will serve as a Contracting Officer’s Representative/Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR/AOR) and/or Activity Manager supporting health logistics and supply chain activities. The Specialist provides senior-level technical guidance to Health Office staff and leaders, the broader USAID Mission, implementing partners (IPs), the host government, and represents USAID with the interagency, in technical working groups, and other fora.

The Specialist is a key member of Health Office, Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) Team. The incumbent reports to the designated Team Leader and has no formal supervisory responsibility.

 Statement of Duties to be Performed

Program Management

• Serves as a COR/AOR and/or Activity Manager for health logistics and supply chain programs/projects/activities awarded through the Health Office, providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results, and are linked to and enhance attainment of the Health Office, Mission, and USG objectives.

• Conducts site visits as required in order to monitor progress, and to provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and judicious use of U.S. Government (USG) funding.

Technical Guidance and Leadership

• Stay abreast of state-of-the-art knowledge, programming and best practices related to supply chain management and utilize this information to improve host country supply chain management.

• Coordinate exchanges and sharing of best practices among USAID, USG and other stakeholders to strengthen health logistics and supply chain systems improvement.

• Provide technical guidance and leadership to the host country government in coordinating health supply chain systems support, supply planning, forecasting, quantification and programming.

• Guide USAID and host country government on strategic decisions and policy formulation to strengthen supply chain management, including transparency and accountability.

• Provide technical guidance and coordination to Health Office colleagues to ensure development of key systems that effectively integrate across the entire health portfolio.

• Provide guidance to Health Office colleagues to monitor the achievement of milestones of IPs supporting health logistics and supply chain system implementation.

• Support host country efforts to ensure health supply chain systems fully integrate with key commodity management and information systems that will allow end to end data visibility.

Representation and Reporting

• Represents the Health Office, Mission, and USG at national and/or international technical and programmatic meetings, within various working groups, and in consultations with other social sector donors, government officials, and IPs.

• Represents supply chain issues in interagency discussions involving senior leadership from USAID, CDC, other interagency partners, the PEPFAR Coordination Office and the U.S. Embassy.

• Represents supply chain issues to senior host country officials to ensure strong coordination and accountability by all relevant actors in the supply chain system.

• Provides technical and strategic leadership in the preparation of key annual and mid-term planning reporting documents including the Country Operational Plan, Operational Plan, Congressional Budget Justifications, Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual Progress Reports.

• Prepare ad hoc reports as required for the Mission, USAID/Washington, Office of Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC), donor coordination groups, and others.

• Drafts talking points and/or speeches for the Office Chief, Mission Director, Ambassador and others, as required, and prepares briefing papers, presentations, and coordinates site preparations for VIP site visits.

• Coordinate with USG agencies in on HIV and related commodities management to guide and oversee procurement via the current USG supply chain mechanism. This includes forecasting, quantification, and procurement of commodities, such as antiretroviral and anti-tuberculosis medicines, male circumcision kits, devices and supplies, and HIV test kits, as needed for the implementation of the overall health portfolio and to ensure adequate stock monitoring at site and above-site levels.

• Participate in workshops, special committees, and other fora as a technical advisor on logistics and supply chain management.

The contractor is eligible for travel to the U.S., or to other locations abroad, for training, for temporary duty, or to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.

 Supervisory Relationship

Works under the general supervision of the designated Team Lead. The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of program/project/activity goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Health Office and Mission portfolio. Some technical direction may come from other professionals in the Office; in general, however, the Specialist will be expected to exercise considerable autonomy and best judgment in discharging the duties of the assignment.

 Supervisory Controls

Continued supervision of other Mission staff is not contemplated.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

Job Requirments

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION

a.    Education: Completion of a US-style University Master’s Degree in a field related to social science, statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, epidemiology, health informatics, public health, infectious disease, zoonotic disease, biology or other quantitative discipline, or the local equivalent, is required.

b.    Prior Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible, professional-level experience in developing, implementing, and/or monitoring and evaluating health supply chain performance improvement activities, including supply chain management, logistics, health commodities management, rational drug use, and/or other closely related area. Experience collaborating with and/or working for key donors, development partners, or NGO is required.

c.    Language:  English and Amharic at Level IV. Language competence may be tested.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

The Government may award a contract without discussions with candidates in accordance with FAR 52.215-1.  The CO reserves the right at any point in the evaluation process to establish a competitive range of candidates with whom negotiations will be conducted pursuant to FAR 15.306(c).  In accordance with FAR 52.215-1, if the CO determines that the number of offers that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of candidates in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated offers.  The FAR provisions referenced above are available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

Rating factors are used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified candidates in comparison to other candidates. Candidates must demonstrate the rating factors outlined below within their resume, as they are evaluated strictly by the information provided. The rating factors are as follows:

EVALUATION FACTORS:

EDUCATION (10 points):  Points will be given for (1) education above the minimum level and/or (2) specialized education pertinent to the position. and/or (3) specialized training pertinent to the position.

WORK EXPERIENCE (40 points): Points will be given for (1) experience above the minimum levels required, (2) specialized experience pertinent to the position, (3) experience in pertinent development assistance activities, (4) experience in development organizations that are large and/or international.

KNOWLEDGE (30 points): Knowledge of national supply chain management systems and Health and HIV/AIDS service delivery in the host country, including but not limited to procurement, warehousing and distribution, receipt and ordering of commodities, supply planning, quantification, and/or use of supply chain management information and management systems. Knowledge of donor engagement in supporting health systems strengthening efforts and health commodities.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES (20 points): Project management skills, including data and information management, administrative, and monitoring skills used to track the performance of implementing partners and activities. Excellent communication skills both orally and in writing, especially in being able to present information, analyses, and recommendations to individuals with nontechnical background. Ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations in order to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Ability to negotiate difficult issues and build consensus to achieve results with a wide range of individuals. Excellent computer and software skills including ability in excel, SPSS, STATA, R and/or other analytical databases.

INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE (70 points)

WRITTEN TEST (30 points)

BASIS OF RATING: Candidates who meet the Minimum Qualifications will be evaluated in accordance with the Evaluation and Selection Factors.

Candidates should address these factors in the offer package, describing specifically and accurately what experience, training, education and/or awards they have received as it pertains to the factors. Failure to address the Evaluation and Selection Factors may result in not receiving credit for all pertinent experience, education, training and/or awards.

The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview and writing test. Interviews may be conducted either in person or by telephone/video call at USAID’s discretion.

Final TEC recommendations for the candidates will be based on the initial evaluation of the applications, interview performance, and written test. USAID/Ethiopia will not pay for any expenses associated with interviews.

Satisfactory Professional Reference Checks – Pass/Fail (no points assigned). Reference checks will be conducted only for the first-ranked candidate.  Please be advised that references may be obtained independently from other sources in addition to the ones provided by an offeror. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the candidate’s cover letter, and USAID will not contact those references without contacting the candidate.

How to Apply

 SUBMITTING AN OFFER

Eligible Offerors are required to complete and submit:

1. The offer form DS-174 (Application for U.S. Federal employment) can be found online using THIS LINK or the U.S. embassy website using THIS LINK or A resume in English

2. Letter of application (cover letter) that describes your experience with the evaluation criteria (Section III: Evaluation and Selection Factors), and

3. Contact information for a minimum of three and a maximum of five references, including at least two references with direct knowledge of the offeror’s past performance.

Further Guidance:

To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation Number in the offer submission.

Application must be submitted ONLY via addisusaidjobs@usaid.gov and the email subject must say – solicitation 72066324R10007, USAID Project Management Specialist (Health Supply Chain). Be sure to include your name and the solicitation number at the top of each page.

Please do not submit more than one application; and

The application must be submitted before or on the closing date at local Ethiopia time 5 p.m. (Local Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Time, or EAT).  Late and incomplete applications will not be considered.

WE DON'T ACCEPT APPLICAITIONS/OFFERS BY ethiojobs.net. Strictly follow the application guideline i.e. "SUBMITING AN OFFER".