Overall Work Planning and Execution Oversee the development and execution of an annual practice area workplan, in partnership with the Senior Vice President 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... more details
Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
**Please note: U.S. work authorization is required for this position**
Position Summary:
The Practice Area Leader (PAL) for Rule of Law and Security Sector Strengthening will work in MSI’s Democracy, Governance and Conflict (DGC) sector and report to the Senior Vice President 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 rule of law and security sector reform 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 Senior Vice President 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 Senior Vice President 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 Business Development Unit 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 drafting 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 law, criminal justice, public administration, security sector strengthening, international development, or related area required.
- Minimum 15 years of progressive management work experience supporting donor-funded rule of law and security sector strengthening related programming including in volatile, conflict-affected, and/or fragile contexts required.
- Experience leading donor funded projects within the rule of law and security sector strengthening fields.
- Experience working with USAID and other clients, such as INL, highly desired.
- Experience providing support to the design and implementation of cutting-edge approaches in rule of law or security sector strengthening fields.
- Experience supporting or leading technical writing for project bids within relevant rule of law and security sector strengthening technical areas.
- Experience developing and implementing business development growth strategies for rule of law and security sector strengthening programs with USAID and other key clients, such as INL.
- 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.
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, please visit Tetra Tech’s Disability Assistance Page. Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodations for candidates.
Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
