Please note : U.S. work authorization is required for this position

Position Summary :

The Practice Area Leader (PAL) for Government Accountability and Transparency will work in MSI’s Democracy, Governance and Conflict (DGC) sector and report to the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Programs, DGC.

The PAL will work collaboratively with the sector’s Practice Area Leaders, Senior Technical Directors, Technical Directors, and Technical Managers.

The PAL will also liaise with MSI’s Operations Division, Business Development Unit (BDU), and other Practice Areas.

The PAL will be responsible for 1) overseeing the technical work of field implementation projects and supporting effective operations;

2) ensuring the practice area is innovative and is associated with technical excellence; and 3) driving market and business development.

The PAL will also hire and oversee staff who are home-based in the Practice Area and support their assignments, work quality, and professional development.

The successful candidate should have strong leadership skills, technical knowledge of and work experience in the government accountability and transparency field, strong analytical skills, proven ability to develop and manage a growth strategy, experience leading and / or contributing significantly to business development, and excellent written and oral communication skills.

The PAL should be result oriented and able to work effectively in a team environment. The PAL will have an ardent desire to learn and explore new implementation approaches and research and learning techniques.

The PAL must be based in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan (DMV) area and be able to travel to international locations when needed.

Responsibilities :

Overall Work Planning and Execution

• Oversee the development and execution of an annual practice area workplan, in partnership with the SVP of Programs, DGC.
• Coordinate with other relevant Practice Areas in developing the plan and in implementation of shared objectives and tasks.
• Coordinate the Practice Area to ensure high staff performance and satisfaction and hold regular meetings with an agenda and objectives for the Practice Area members and take the lead in moving the group forward.
• Ensure the technical and financial health of programs under the Practice Area portfolio.
• Keep the SVP of Programs, DGC abreast of progress, problems, and other important developments.

Business Development

• Develop Practice Area pursuit plans to effectively position and prepare MSI for anticipated solicitations and / or new areas of growth and new clients.
• Serve in leadership positions on bid solicitations including as lead technical writer and / or honcho (bid coordinator) as needed.
• Ensure effective coordination with MSI’s BDU in the lead up to and during the proposal preparation process.
• Support field-based reconnaissance, recruitment, and research in support of proposal preparation in the subject country, as needed.
• Provide technical expertise and oversight in the design, development, and draft of proposals.
• Provide mentorship, management, and oversight to technical staff in designated proposal development tasks and assignments.
• Ensure staffing and resources are adequate and performance is strong by all technical staff on Practice Area bid teams.
• Support staff competency development in business development.

Thought Leadership

• Keep abreast of technical developments in the rule of law and security sector strengthening field.
• Support staff development of new tools and approaches, innovations, etc. and make sure these are produced in usable format and shared.
• Gather market intelligence and apply it in Practice Area planning.
• Support staff in extracting learning from existing projects in the Practice Area and ensure learning is shared broadly across the practice area and its projects.
• Market capabilities and experience at conferences, seminars, presentations, and in publications and market directly to potential clients.

Client Engagement

• Form relationships with potential and actual clients, partners, and host country counterparts.
• Seek and develop new clients for work in the practice area.

Portfolio Execution and Oversight

• Provide direct support to select projects in alignment with other PAL tasks and responsibilities.
• Ensure projects are meeting deliverables and performing high quality work, including superior technical and financial performance.
• Assist with problem solving on projects as needed.
• Conduct routine health checks to stay abreast of project progress and performance and conduct client check-ins at designated intervals.

Team Management

• Support the professional development of staff.
• Coordinate to share staff resources with other relevant Practice Areas as needed.
• Support recruitment and hiring of new staff as needed.
• Conduct performance assessments at periodic intervals for staff and supply feedback on performance.

Qualifications :

• Master’s degree in international development, public administration, or related area required.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive management work experience supporting donor-funded government accountability and transparency related programming (e.

g., good governance, civil society engagement, anti-corruption, and public financial management) including in volatile, conflict-affected, and / or fragile contexts required.

• Experience working with key clients including USAID and Department of State required.
• Experience leading donor funded projects within the government accountability and transparency field (e.g., good governance, civil society engagement, public financial management, and anti-corruption).
• Experience leading the design and implementation of cutting-edge approaches in government accountability and transparency fields (e.

g., good governance, civil society engagement, public financial management, and anti-corruption).

• Experience supporting or leading technical writing for project bids within government accountability and transparency technical areas.
• Experience developing and implementing business development growth strategies for government accountability and transparency programs with USAID and other key clients.
• Experience developing and managing a growth strategy.
• Experience leading and / or contributing significantly to business development.
• Experience supervising diverse teams.
• Ability to travel when required.
• Strong leadership and analytical skills.
• Strong written and oral communication abilities in English. Skills in French, Spanish, or another relevant language (e.

g., Arabic) highly desirable.

At MSI Tetra Tech, health and safety play a vital role in our success. MSI Tetra Tech’s employees work together to comply with all applicable health & safety practices and protocols, including health orders and regulations related to COVID-19 that are mandated by local, state and federal authorities.

MSI is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We strive to develop and maintain a culture that honors the perspectives and identities of our employees, our communities and those impacted by our work.

We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law.

In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants’ and employees’ religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.

MSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Affirmative Action / Americans with Disabilities / Veterans Employer.

Pay Transparency Statement :

We are committed to taking a thoughtful, compliant, and equitable approach to employment compensation. We commit to providing a holistic comprehensive salary analysis, including reviews of individual skill sets and compensable factors related to qualifications, business needs, internal compensation data, and industry and labor market surveys.

The anticipated pay range for this position is $185,000 to $195,000 USD.

Reasonable Accommodations :

MSI is dedicated to hiring an inclusive workforce. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates.

Additional Information

• Organization : 216 MSI

Last updated : 2024-05-17