Title: Director (Infrastructure)
Location: Washington, DC
Introduction:
Mindseeker is looking for a Director (Infrastructure) to join the Mindseeker Team and support the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC). MCC has contracted with Mindseeker for the provision of Personal Services Contractor (PSC) staffing to selected areas of the agency. The selected candidate will work as a PSC member of MCC’s Infrastructure Practice Group within the Infrastructure, Environment and Private Sector (IEPS) Division, which is responsible for the
development and oversight of MCC’s infrastructure investments, private sector development programs and partnerships, and the environmental and social performance of all MCC projects. Mindseeker will be the employer of record.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
- Directs and performs a variety of assignments associated with the management and oversight of the design, development, and implementation of infrastructure programs and projects in MCC Compacts. In particular, prepares plans for Compact infrastructure programs and projects in development and in implementation including overall project scheduling, budgeting, change management, contract administration, and project controls.
- Directs and/or works as part of multi-disciplinary country team consisting of a combination of MCC staff, consultants and contractors overseeing country programs involving projects in one or more of the following infrastructure sub-sectors: transport, water supply and sanitation, water resources, and vertical structures, etc. Works on multiple countries concurrently.
- Oversees and manages projects in context of complex political, environmental, social, and health and safety contexts or other variables and unknowns affecting planning, design and operational criteria and often present critical challenges with respect to costs and economics. Works with other sectors towards the optimal resolution of such challenges as well as satisfying the urgency or public interest of particular investments. Solutions to these projects often establish standards and are used as a model for future similar projects.
- Provides expert advice and guidance to address project challenges and pro-actively proposes options to address them, to the extent feasible, consistent with the combined needs of other sector specialists – and provides status reports to senior staff, with an emphasis on completion, integration, quality and cost risks.
- Leads the design and development of Compacts, including, but not limited to technical assessment of constraints analyses, concept papers, and proposals; collection and analysis of data and information to finalize proposals; coordination with consultants on feasibility assessments and on project appraisal; drafting portions of the internal investment memorandum and other decision documents, supporting such inputs with appropriate analyses and supporting studies.
- Works with MCC and host country MCA teams to develop project budgets for infrastructure projects and related activities at the outset of the project as well as updated estimates of costs to complete and contingency requirements during the course of project implementation.
- Directs the formulation of budgets for consultants to be hired by MCC, drafting scopes of work, serving on evaluation panels, issuance of technical directives, review and acceptance of consultant deliverables, tracking billings, in support of the COR or Project Monitor or in the capacity of the Project Monitor.
- Reviews and approves documents submitted in connection with MCC clearance of MCA procurement packages, work plans, and disbursement requests, making recommendations to management as may be appropriate, consistent with policies and procedures and technical best practice.
- Reports on project-related implementation risks, providing input to risk management plans and risk analyses for MCC management.
- In context of the development of Compacts and their implementation, works closely with the in- country counterparts and contributes to the exchange of information, co-learning, and constructive dialogue that is needed for the MCAs to fully understand MCC policies, standards, and requirements – while also considering local context, capacity and limitations. During interaction with country counterparts, contributes to their capacity building, particularly in areas of project management and implementation.
- Throughout the Compact development and implementation cycle, directs the gathering and consolidating of lessons learned resulting from the implementation of infrastructure related investments and pro-actively shares these with the broader MCC staff, other MCA countries and broader stakeholders as necessary in order to position the MCC at the leading edge of the discipline in context of international development.
- Directs research and analysis on complex issues regarding the monitoring and evaluation of long-term infrastructure projects and programs affiliated with country compacts.
- Provides independent analysis and interpretation of performance data, while considering different input from other team members. Identifies and makes recommendations regarding performance and specification compliance issues. Identifies and investigates complex problems and conflicts in assigned area of responsibility involving program and project requirements, objectives, interfaces, operations, or schedules.
- Performs administrative and human resource management functions relative to the staff supervised. Ensures a continuing affirmative application of MCC policies concerning equal opportunity. Ensures that personnel management within the organizational entity under supervision is accomplished without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.
- Provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Advanced degree (accredited Masters, Ph.D., etc.) in a relevant discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in planning, engineering design, construction, operations and maintenance of infrastructure programs in one or more of the following infrastructure sub-sectors: transport, water supply and sanitation, water resources, and vertical structures, etc.
- Broad knowledge of other non-infrastructure factors (e.g., environmental, social, political, economic, monitoring and evaluation) sufficient to provide guidance and develop solutions to Compact development and/or implementation challenges.
- Mastery of the concepts and application of current best practices of project management including principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and contractor performance, etc.
- Ability to interpret policies and best practices and provide advice and guidance on their application to development and/or implementation issues related to large, complex, multi-year infrastructure projects.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and to integrate issues across a range of related disciplinary areas.
- Exposure to international development context and cross cultural sensitively sufficient to be able to function with a view of contextual (environmental, social, gender-specific, or other) requirements which influence both the implementation and operational viability of investments in development contexts.
- Ability to independently draft comprehensive reports to inform management of progress being made, as well as successes and concerns related to on-going infrastructure projects/programs.
- Ability to effectively communicate engineering principles, concepts and requirements to peers but also to non-engineering specialists and other sectors so as to be able to effectively function within a multidisciplinary team.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to express ideas and make clear and convincing oral presentations (technical and nontechnical information) to individuals or groups.
- Candidate must be a US Citizen.
Preferred Qualifications:
Professional proficiency in spoken French and/or spoken Portuguese.
Work Environment:
- Candidate must be able to work in a hybrid office setting in Washington, DC.
- The work is primarily sedentary, although some walking, bending, or carrying of light items may be involved.
- International and/or domestic travel is required, which may include countries with limited infrastructure and physically challenging environments.
