Location
Washington, DC
Company
MEC Services, LLC
Position
Counterterrorism (CT) Program Analyst Level III
Duties and Responsibilities:
Must have an ACTIVE Top-Secret clearance to be considered.
Task 1: Provide up-to-date analysis of assigned areas or countries as it relates to CT issues and priorities.
- Monitor developing political situations, terrorism threats, security sector dynamics, human rights situations, and issues of administrative management that may impact the ability of the USG to implement counterterrorism assistance and/or capacity-building programs.
- Monitor intelligence community reporting and analysis on political, security, human rights, and terrorism developments in assigned countries, including reporting on individuals and units that are beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries of CT assistance, which may impact the ability of the USG to implement counterterrorism assistance and/or capacity building programs.
- Participate in cross-bureau, inter-Departmental, and interagency meetings, in Washington and at embassies overseas, where operational and strategic counterterrorism goals and objectives at the TS/SCI level will be discussed, to ensure CT programs are in alignment with said goals and objectives.
- Assess political stability, security, and threat conditions in the assigned country through analysis of reporting, briefings, as well as on-site interviews and observation.
- Monitor issue areas pertinent to the country or region maintaining currency on legislative and policy developments affecting the USG’s stance and reactions.
- Interpret the significance of events or developments to U.S. counterterrorism programs, assessing them against a broad, but in-depth knowledge of the assigned geographic area that includes its political system, security sector, language, history, and culture.
- Draft briefing papers or provide input to briefing papers on the impact of events on U.S. counterterrorism programming. Provide oral briefings on the same.
Recommend effective changes for U.S. programs in dealing directly with the country in question or indirectly through third parties or multi-lateral organizations.
Task 2: Represent the Program Office’s interests with assigned projects and assist CT/P leadership with all aspects of project planning, implementation, and execution.
- Responsible for program design and management activities for a portfolio of assigned countries. Portfolios for a PA III may be larger or more complex than those covered by a PA-II.
- Lead and facilitate interagency program planning discussions at CT’s Annual Planning Event (CAPE).
- Confer with top-level managers and senior executives to assist in defining overall goals and objectives of projects in support of assigned country/region.
- On behalf of CT/P, convene and participate in interagency working groups and meetings and make recommendations to these bodies and to Department management on new programmatic approaches or activities that will assist in achieving policy objectives.
- On behalf of CT/P, convene interagency implementing partners to discuss implementation issues/problems and to develop and propose solutions.
- Participate in meetings with agencies of foreign governments and multilateral organizations to contribute detailed technical analyses and assessments of complex programmatic-related issues and alternatives to decision-makers.
- Reconcile conflicts between basic policies and program goals.
- Brief Congressional staff on programs and related developments.
- Serve as backup Program Manager for other team members while they are out-of-the-office.
Task 3: Assist bureau-designated Contracts/Grants/Agreements Officer Representatives (COR/GOR/AOR respectively) for contracts, grants, and interagency agreements on behalf of CT for an assigned country or geographic region portfolio
- Research and assess the various available procurement vehicles for program execution and recommend the best type to use depending on the region and/or country, specific project goals and objectives, and available funding. These vehicles include Interagency Agreements, grants, cooperative agreements, broad agency agreements, and the co-creation process.
- Analyze or assess different aspects of procurement policies and programs to develop policies or procedures or provide advice and guidance to agency activities concerning a variety of procurement issues. Draft way ahead for procurement efforts for CT/P government staff review and approval.
- Maintain traceability of oversight through properly documented files that are compliant with agency standards and regulations in order to provide the COR/GOR/AOR and succeeding COR/GOR/AORs with an accurate history of contract implementation.
- Report perceived instances of implementer fraud/waste/abuse within five business days to relevant officials (CT/P leadership, GOR, AOR, etc.)
Task 4: Conduct Monitoring and Evaluation and contribute to the CT Bureau’s Program Reviews.
- Assist CT/P government staff members with the assessment of the efficacy of major programs in assigned countries/regions to inform CT principals in preparation for the Annual Program Review of major implementers and other program reviews.
- Identify program challenges and make recommendations on corrective actions to assist government managers and bureau principals during the APR process.
- Recommend specific measures to improve implementers’ work processes with regard to program implementation.
- Support the efforts of CT-funded program evaluators (provide documents, set up meetings with implementers and beneficiaries, etc.).
Task 5: Produce reporting on the current status of programs, including examples of where CT-funded programs resulted in supporting CT bureau objectives and goals in the country or region, including in preparation for Department and congressional briefings on program outcomes.
- Conduct site visits to observe CT-funded programming and draft site visit reports for CT/P leadership as well as GOR/COR/AOR.
- Serves as backup Team Lead while he or she is out of the office.
- Attends meetings on behalf of other Team Lead when he or she has a conflict and back-briefs on key topics.
- Brief team on program innovations, lessons learned, and success stories.
Task 6: Assist with the planning, development, support obligation of, and track multi-year budget for assigned programs.
- Assist with the planning and development of multi-year fiscal budgets for country, region, or functional program based on bureau goals and objectives; advise changes to government-approved plans as needed and no less than on a quarterly basis.
- Collaborate within the Department and Interagency on the country- or region-specific terrorism threats, vulnerabilities, and gaps in the countries or region’s civilian security sector capacity and develop viable programming concepts and budgets to address these threats.
- Consult with diplomatic posts, relevant bureaus, and the interagency on a specific country or regional plans and proposed multi-year budgets to obtain buy-in.
- Work closely with CT/EX to prepare congressional notifications and obligating documents for IAAs, grants, and contracts.
Task 7: Organize and execute workshops and seminars to enhance program design.
- Confer with analysts, action officers, implementing partners, and subject matter experts to develop concepts for workshops and seminars to build Bureau expertise in counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programming best practices and to co-create with experts and implementing partners new program ideas.
- Develop workshop concepts with possible implementing partners or other stakeholder organizations, including themes, an agenda, and proposed participants for government staff approval.
- Execute government-approved conference/workshop, enlisting office and bureau assistance, and the approved resources necessary.
- Ensure follow-through on any shared results and outcomes. May also perform Program Analyst support tasks including:
- CT Administrative Support
- CT Document Preparation, Review, Coordination, and Storage
- CT Program Support
- Represent the Program Office’s interests with assigned projects and assist CT/P leadership with all aspects of project planning, implementation, and execution.
- Assist bureau-designated Contracts/Grants/Agreements Officer Representatives (COR/GOR/AOR respectively) for contracts, grants, and interagency agreements on behalf of CT for an assigned country or geographic region portfolio.
- Conduct Monitoring and Evaluation of assigned projects and contribute to the CT Bureau’s Program Reviews.
- Produce reporting on the current status of programs, including examples of where CT-funded programs resulted in supporting CT bureau objectives and goals in the country or region, including in preparation for Department and congressional briefings on program outcomes.
- Organize and execute workshops and seminars to improve program design.
SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Program Analyst Level III Education
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and five-to-seven years of work experience in areas similar to those of the requirements of this task order OR a master’s degree and three-to-five years of work experience in areas similar to those of the requirements of this task order.
Qualifications
- Expert use of quantitative and qualitative techniques for analyzing and evaluating complex mission-oriented programs and projects for an organization.
- Experience with developing project and program plans, goals, objectives, and milestones involving complex programs, systems, or issues of critical importance to an entire organization.
- Experience with assessing project progress, conducting briefings, and preparing comprehensive reports with solutions and recommendations for top-level managers and executives.
- Expert knowledge of the theories and principles of political science, international relations, security policy, economics, history, geography, or other related disciplines applied in analyzing and evaluating factors and conditions involved in the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy and/or foreign assistance specific to one or more countries.
- Mastery of one or more geographic or functional specialty areas to provide expert advice and guidance with regard to the policy implications of issues/programs and developments in an assigned specialty area.
- Knowledge of current U.S. foreign policy objectives and programs to assess the relevancy and implications of global social, political, economic, geographic, and military issues, developments, and events affecting the formulation and execution of U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance.
- Knowledge of U.S. foreign affairs information sources, processes, and organizations in order to apply the full range of available information resources and capabilities in supporting the needs of the Department.
- Knowledge of Department goals, objectives, programs, and relationships to provide expert analytical and advisory services that are responsive to the specialized needs of the organizations supported.
- Experiences working within the U.S. interagency, such as Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, or Defense or USAID.
- Ability to build, collaborate within, and lead teams.
- Ability to provide advice, guidance, and consultation to officials with regard to the interpretation and application of analyses.
- Ability to establish liaison at all levels throughout the foreign policy and intelligence communities to exchange information vital to both spheres of operation.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred.
Drug Testing-Required
Background check-Required
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Education:
Security clearance:
Work Location: In person
