Vistant (formally PM Consulting Group), recognized as one of the fastest growing companies across the country and the region by Inc. 5000, Financial Times, Washington Technology, and the Baltimore Business Journal, is a public-sector management consulting firm serving Federal international development, healthcare, and social services agencies.

Vistant seeks a Program Analyst II on behalf of its client partner, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This position is in the Innovation division of the Innovation, Technology, and Research (ITR) Hub of USAID’s Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation. The Innovation division within the ITR Hub tests new ideas, takes strategic risks, builds evidence of what works, and advances the most effective solutions to some of the world’s greatest development problems. We open the development process by working with new, local, and non-traditional partners who are closest to the problems we aim to solve. In so doing, we support USAID’s mission to advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. Innovation division staff and partners work alongside other Agency units to:

• Source promising concepts from a broad range of partners
• Take strategic risks on new ideas
• Build evidence of what works to improve development outcomes
• Advance the most effective solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems in global development

The incumbent will join the Exploratory Programs and Innovation Competitions (EPIC) Team within the Innovation Division. EPIC uses open innovation competitions and innovative programming to identify and test ideas and scale solutions to development and humanitarian challenges.

Specifically, EPIC:

• Designs, launches, and implements results-driven, open-innovation competitions: prizes, challenges, Grand Challenges, and hackathons.
• Partners with creative thinkers and development funders to accelerate USAID’s innovation investments and enhance impact.
• Provides expertise, tools, and risk management guidance to USAID Missions, bureaus, and operating units to deploy results-based funding and inspire innovation.

EPIC is looking for a Program Analyst II who has not only experience and enthusiasm in incentive-driven design but also the ability to measure its effectiveness. Working across USAID’s sectors and geographies, the EPIC Program Analyst II provides assistance to one or more work streams in the areas of open innovation design and advisory; capacity building and training; monitoring and evaluation; and research, analysis, and reporting. Under the guidance of the EPIC team lead and in collaboration with implementing partners as well as A/CORs and Senior Activity Managers where appropriate, the incumbent will build internal and external relationships to advise on, monitor, and support progress toward the completion of programmatic goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of high-quality advisory support services to USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Operating Units, including the design and implementation of prizes, challenges, Grand Challenges, and hackathons, as needed.
• Support the collection, aggregation, and submission of data for portfolio reviews, and reports to Congress.
• Maintains/or provides assistance with administrative and MEL tracking systems and assists in the design and maintenance of spreadsheets and databases to support these systems.
• Researches, plans, analyzes, and organizes technical and/or statistical information and develops data for use in briefings, publications, and reports.
• In partnership with EPIC’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning leads, Agency counterparts, and implementing partners, develops and tests analysis and assessment frameworks.
• Identifies, suggests, and packages data, findings, case studies, and success stories as appropriate for outward-facing learning, reporting, communications, and outreach. Under the guidance of an assigned supervisor, relays those findings to Agency colleagues and implementing partner counterparts overseeing revision and dissemination.
• Help design, plan, coordinate, and deliver in-person and virtual training, workshops, brown bags, the community of practice meetings, and webinars.
• Prepares, reviews, and revises polished correspondence, reports, proposals, or other documents related to work assignments.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualification, Education, and/or Experience

• A bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in International Affairs, Economics, Public Policy, Business, or a related field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 5 years of professional experience including demonstrated work for or in support of open innovation design and advisory, incentive-driven design, and paying for results; social enterprises and/or businesses; impact evaluations; venture capital, management consulting; impact investing; and/or grant-making.
• Experience implementing, supporting, or measuring programs in low- and middle-income countries is required. Familiarity with USAID results frameworks, standard indicators, and how Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning fit into the program cycle is preferred.
• Extensive knowledge and experience working with data collection and building and/or managing data management systems for a broad range of users (specifically, Excel/Google Sheets, and possibly DIS and Tableau).
• Experience with cost-effectiveness analysis preferred.
• Experience designing and delivering facilitated meetings and training sessions, preferably both virtually, hybrid, and in-person.
• Track record of solving problems by identifying areas for improvement, iterating, and delivering results.
• Track record of working closely with colleagues on a variety of different projects and proactively consulting with internal and external stakeholders as needed.
• Experience working with a variety of key stakeholders from different countries and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to work well in teams.
• Experience clearly communicating complex information in ways that can be understood by stakeholders with varying levels of technical and sectoral expertise;
• The design sensibilities of a Chaos Muppet and the organization skills of an Order Muppet.

USAID Assumptions and Constraints:

• Staff working on this effort must possess the ability to obtain a “Secret” clearance.
• Requires compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d); USAID Graphic Standards (available at www.usaid.gov/branding), USAID Mission & Core Values (available at http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/mission-vision-values) or any successor branding/mission/core values policies.
• Requires collaboration with USAID DDI and other Operational Units.

Estimated Schedule

• Full-time

Place of Performance

• Remote eligible
• Travel - Up to 25% anticipated Domestic and International Travel

Applicants selected may be subject to a background investigation and must meet suitability requirements for eligibility. Vistant participates in E-Verify.

Vistant provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees, without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.

Vistant is an EEO employer - M/F/Vets/Disabled