Senior Policy Analyst - Highlight Technologies

Come join a dynamic team at the forefront of shaping evidence-based policies to advance specific development and humanitarian objectives. The fast-paced, collaborative teams within USAID’s Office of Policy Implementation and Analytics need a sharp, clear-eyed advisor to oversee a policy portfolio focused on a range of international development and humanitarian assistance priorities, including global health issues. Help ensure continued leadership in policy issues and advance USAID’s essential humanitarian and development mission.

We are seeking an analytic, strategic, action-oriented, Senior Policy Analyst to support USAID’s Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management (PLR). PLR leads policy planning to advance USAID’s global development and humanitarian mission and in support of broader U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. You will support PLR’s Office of Policy Implementation and Analytics (PLR/PIA), in coordinating policy development processes within USAID, ensuring that they produce guidance that is grounded in evidence, embodies good development practice, and aligns with higher level policy priorities; and institutionalizing policy implementation to ensure coherence and impact on development programming. Specifically, you will help manage a portfolio of work related to USAID’s internal (and interagency, as needed) engagement on high-priority policy issues, which may include those related to a range of development issue areas such as democracy, economic growth, global health, etc. You will both manage processes related to this portfolio and develop substantive policy products, working with other experts in PLR, across other USAID bureaus, and in other departments and agencies. You will provide expert advice to and be involved in briefing, presenting to, and teeing up decisions for senior leadership. While the Senior Policy Analyst may not have substantive subject matter expertise across all given policy priority issues s/he oversees, the incumbent is expected to rapidly orient to the issue area assigned and key technical sub-issues, its strategic importance within the agency, USG, and broader development field. The Senior Policy Analyst should subsequently be able to translate this knowledge into sharp, coherent, policy language and recommendations, and facilitate effective policy development processes in uncertain, fast-paced, and potentially sensitive multi-stakeholder environments. The Senior Policy Analyst may also train and/or mentor junior staff to the extent possible given other responsibilities.

In addition, the office engages in foreign policy efforts related to development and humanitarian affairs to bring development expertise into wider national security and foreign policy deliberations and to translate higher-level U.S. policy priorities into recommendations and action for U.S. foreign assistance programs and other development efforts worldwide. You may be responsible for a range of policy analysis, coordination, and communications activities spanning a range of high-priority and/or emerging policy issues and global development trends.

• Takes initiative and manages critical working level and senior/leadership relationships on priority policy issues, in both USAID and the interagency, to effectively and rapidly respond to assignments and undertake other tasks.
• Develops clear, timely, thoughtful policy products that help advance USAID policy leadership in meaningful ways, such as policy papers, briefing memos, talking points, reports, summaries, and other written documents, as needed.
• Demonstrates advanced facilitation and both formal / informal leadership skills to manage multi-stakeholder policy development processes to achieve desired results.
• Develops other analytical and communications products that advance PLR and broader USAID thinking on high-priority issues.
• Advises principals in a clear, compelling, actionable manner to advance policy objectives and communicates opportunities, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Engages collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepares and reviews documents, as required, for consistency with broader USAID and USG policy priorities and positions.
• Deepens technical expertise and knowledge to enhance USAID's policy development and thought leadership, particularly in the interagency.
• Proactively manages competing priorities with a clear sense of purpose.
• Adapts to shifting tasks and evolving priorities, as needed.

• Masters degree with 10 years of experience.
• Familiarity with, interest in, and experience studying or working on development, foreign affairs, or broader national security policy issues, particularly in priority areas such as democracy, governance, human rights, conflict and fragility, humanitarian aid, localization, public health, and/or poverty reduction.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong writing skills and the ability to communicate complex policy concepts in clear, concise written documents and oral presentations required.
• Ability to work effectively both individually and as a member of a team.
• Ability to plan, organize, and use time effectively.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and work within tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of the organization, the broader foreign policy architecture, and the global development field.
• USAID experience preferred.
• US citizenship with the ability to obtain a secret clearance is required; active secret clearance is preferred.

For over ten years, Highlight has provided Development and Modernization, Secure IT, and Mission Solution services to our federal government customers. Our team knows the technology; we understand how our customers and their stakeholders work; and we know how to implement industry best practices to deliver high-quality, end-to-end solutions that minimize risk and maximize results.

Since our inception, Highlight has had an employee-first mindset. Our mission is to provide employees with rewarding and impactful career opportunities. In 2021, Highlight’s founder, Rebecca Andino, implemented an Employee Stock Ownership Plan to embody and expand our culture of transparency, teamwork and rewarding the work of our employees. By becoming an ESOP, our employee-owners share in the success of the company through their ownership stake. To learn more about ESOPS, check out: www.esopinfo.org. 

We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) that empowers our people to fearlessly drive change - regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics. Our team is dedicated to foster diversity within our teams to promote creativity, innovation, and teamwork to deliver the best solutions for our customers.

To receive compensation and benefits information for this role, contact us or email us at Recruiting@HighlightTech.com  Please include the Req ID (this is at the top of the posting under the position title) in the subject line of the email.

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