Digital Development and Connectivity Program Specialist

Candidates must be authorized and able to work daily in Bogotá.

Position Summary

The Digital Development and Connectivity Program Specialist serves as the Foreign Assistance Unit's (FAU’s) technical adviser for digital-infrastructure and connectivity programming across South America. The position provides technical analysis and recommendations to support Government officials in identifying, assessing, and structuring U.S. Government-funded digital development programs that advance U.S. foreign-policy and national-security objectives and respond to partner-country priorities. The portfolio may include information and communication technologies (ICT) deployment (fiber, wireless, satellite, and last-mile connectivity), digital inclusion strategies, cybersecurity considerations for critical digital infrastructure, and broadband/connectivity expansion planning.

The incumbent reports to the FAU’s Programs Team Lead and translate digital connectivity needs into technically credible and implementable program designs. Responsibilities include preparing technical scopes of work; contributing to program-design and acquisition or assistance documents; reviewing proposals, market studies, network designs, specifications, cost estimates, schedules, and other technical products; and providing input to the FAU on technical alternatives, implementation risks, project readiness, sustainability, and operations and maintenance considerations. The Specialist collaborates with other FAU technical and program personnel to ensure that digital infrastructure investments are appropriately incorporated into sector-specific programs.

Drawing from practices used across the U.S. Department of State and other U.S. Government agencies, the incumbent provides technical analysis and recommendations to support programming aligned with the America First foreign policy framework, including economic security, strategic competition, trusted and secure digital infrastructure, supply chain resilience, and partnerships that reinforce U.S. interests. The salary will be commensurate with an FSN 11 position within Colombia.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Digital Infrastructure Program Development (35%)

Supports the identification, assessment, and design of USG-funded digital-connectivity programs that advance U.S. foreign-policy and national-security objectives. Responsibilities include:

• Identifies potential digital-development programming opportunities based on USG priorities, partner-country needs, connectivity gaps, existing investments, and regional market developments.

• Supports programs involving ICT infrastructure deployment, broadband and last-mile connectivity expansion, digital inclusion initiatives, secure network architecture, and cybersecurity-conscious infrastructure design.

• Translates connectivity needs and policy objectives into technically credible, feasible, and sustainable program concepts.

• Supports the development of technical scopes and statements of work, program descriptions, acquisition and assistance planning documents, budgets, implementation approaches, and other program-design products.

• Develop recommendations regarding the technical scope and requirements for market assessments, network design studies, cybersecurity risk assessments, digital-inclusion needs analyses, and other project-preparation activities.

• Provides technical recommendations regarding requirements, performance standards, implementation assumptions, schedules, cost parameters, and risk-mitigation approaches in collaboration with relevant FAU personnel.

• Assesses project readiness, technical feasibility, implementation risks, operational requirements, and the capacity needed to operate and maintain proposed digital infrastructure.

• Incorporates sustainability, commercial viability, and operations and maintenance considerations throughout program design.

• Coordinates technical, programmatic, procurement, financial, monitoring, and stakeholder inputs into coherent digital-development programs.

• Supports the adaptation, expansion, or modernization of existing connectivity programs when performance findings, policy changes, or market conditions warrant revised approaches.

• Identifies technical capability gaps and provides input on potential needs for short-term telecommunications, network engineering, or cybersecurity expertise.

2. Technical Review and Quality Assurance (30%)

Provides technical review and quality-assurance support for proposed and ongoing digital-development activities. Responsibilities include:

• Reviews proposals, market studies, network designs, technical specifications, pricing structures, cost estimates, schedules, work plans, and other technical submissions.

• Conducts market research and performs technical and commercial analysis of proposals for pricing, competitiveness, and commercial viability relative to comparable connectivity solutions.

• Conducts technical assessments of proposedapproaches to evaluate if they are credible, implementable, appropriately scaled, priced, and responsive to program requirements.

• Evaluates design assumptions, technology choices, deployment methodologies, energy and energy storage requirements, equipment specifications, sequencing, and operations and maintenance requirements.

• Reviews technical products for consistency with applicable host-country, U.S., and international standards, including relevant cybersecurity and data-protection standards.

• Compares technical and commercial alternatives and provides recommendations to the FAU on their relative feasibility, risks, lifecycle implications, and expected performance.

• Identifies technical gaps and potential implementation risks—including cybersecurity vulnerabilities—and recommends corrective actions or additional analysis.

• Reviews quality-assurance and quality-control approaches, testing requirements, commissioning arrangements, maintenance plans, and other measures necessary to support reliable digital-infrastructure performance.

• Provides technical input during proposal reviews and other procurement or assistance processes, as requested and consistent with applicable procedures and conflict-of-interest safeguards.

• Conducts technical reviews for GORs (Grant Officer’s Representatives), CORs (Contract Officer’s Representatives), and FAU leadership on whether technical products appear responsive to applicable requirements while preserving formal acceptance authority for designated USG officials.

• Confirms that designs, certifications, and other regulated technical products are prepared or approved by appropriately qualified professionals when required.

3. Digital Infrastructure Portfolio Planning and Strategic Analysis (25%)

Under Programs Team Lead guidance, provides analysis and planning support to guide the FAU's digital-development and connectivity portfolio. Responsibilities include:

• Maintains visibility over proposed, active, and emerging digital-connectivity initiatives supported by the FAU.

• Develops and maintains a digital-development opportunity pipeline that captures project status, technical-preparation needs, strategic relevance, principal risks, and required next steps.

• Provides analysis and recommendations to inform prioritization of large strategic connectivity investments and community-level digital-inclusion activities based on policy relevance, feasibility, readiness, and potential results.

• Conducts technical assessments of how individual digital-infrastructure activities contribute to broader economic-security, digital-inclusion, or strategic-competition objectives, including trusted-vendor and secure-supply-chain considerations.

• Identifies opportunities to connect digital-connectivity investments with complementary programming managed by other FAU specialists, including training, sustainability, and wraparound services needed to achieve public policy goals alongside commercial viability.

• Identifies recurring technical and management risks across the digital-infrastructure portfolio and recommends improvements to future program design.

• Captures and shares lessons from completed and ongoing activities to strengthen technical quality, implementation, and sustainability.

• Prepares technical briefing materials, analytical memoranda, talking points, and recommendations for FAU and Embassy leadership.

4. Program Quality, Monitoring, and Reporting (15%)

Supports GORs and CORs in monitoring assigned programs and awards, and assessing their continued strategic relevance and performance. Responsibilities include:

• Reviews program reports, work plans, technical deliverables, deployment updates, schedules, cost information, and performance data as requested by the responsible GOR or COR .

• Collaborates with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist to gather, validate, analyze, and synthesize information from assigned programs.

• Participates alongside the responsible GOR or COR in site visits, monitoring activities, portfolio reviews, and meetings with implementers, contractors, government counterparts, private-sector partners, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders.

• Analyzes implementation progress and identifies technical, quality, cost, schedule, management, sustainability, cybersecurity, and operations and maintenance concerns.

• Reviews information on network quality, testing, contractor quality-control processes, security posture, commissioning, and readiness for intended use, as applicable.

• Provides recommendations to GORs and CORs when independent technical review, testing, cybersecurity assessment, or other specialized support may be required.

• Prepares monitoring observations, technical analyses, and evidence-based recommendations for consideration by the GOR, COR, and FAU leadership.

• Supports performance-management processes and internal reporting on program results, implementation risks, lessons, and strategic alignment.

• Supports assessments of whether programs require technical adjustment, additional analysis, specialized assistance, or revised implementation approaches.

All monitoring and award-support functions shall be performed under the direction of the responsible GOR or COR. The Specialist shall not direct recipients or contractors, approve or reject deliverables, certify technical products, modify award requirements, commit USG funds, or exercise responsibilities reserved for authorized USG officials.

Supervisory Controls

The Digital Development and Connectivity Program Specialist exercises independent technical judgment in assessing digital-infrastructure concepts, reviewing network and connectivity designs, evaluating cybersecurity considerations, developing technical requirements, and recommending approaches to address implementation challenges. The Specialist consults with the Programs Team Lead, responsible GORs or CORs, and other technical personnel when assignments involve significant policy, procurement, financial, security, or specialized technical considerations.

Work is reviewed for technical soundness, responsiveness to program requirements, compliance with applicable procedures, alignment with USG priorities, and contribution to effective program performance.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: One of the following combinations of education and professional experience is required:

• Master's degree in telecommunications engineering, information and communications technology, computer science, cybersecurity, digital development, or another closely related discipline, plus at least six years of relevant professional experience; or

• Bachelor's degree in one of these disciplines, plus at least 10 years of relevant professional experience.

Telecommunications, ICT, computer science, and digital-development degrees are equally acceptable. A professional certification (e.g., PMP, CISSP, or equivalent) is not required but is beneficial.

Professional Experience:

• Progressively responsible experience designing, reviewing, deploying, managing, or monitoring ICT and connectivity infrastructure projects.

• At least two years of direct experience with digital-connectivity projects of different sizes, technologies, and sectoral focus.

• Experience in aligning digital communications projects to social and economic development goals.

• Experience conducting market research and evaluating proposals for pricing, competitiveness, and commercial viability.

• Experience assessing cybersecurity considerations relevant to digital infrastructure and connectivity deployments.

• Experience preparing technical scopes of work and assessing project feasibility, implementation risks, quality, sustainability, and operations and maintenance requirements.

• Experience structuring subcontracted training, sustainability, and wraparound services to support public policy goals alongside commercial viability.

• Experience supporting project implementation, site monitoring, and multidisciplinary teams through clear technical analysis and recommendations.

Preferred Professional Experience:

• Experience supporting digital-development or connectivity programs funded by the U.S. Government, multilateral organizations, bilateral donors, or international development institutions.

• Experience working with the Department of State, USAID, MCC, USTDA, DFC, another U.S. Government agency, or a multilateral development institution.

• Experience with digital-inclusion strategies targeting underserved or rural populations.

Language: Level IV (Fluent) English and Level V (Fluent) Spanish required.

Comprehensive knowledge of:

• ICT infrastructure deployment and connectivity-expansion planning

• Digital inclusion strategies and approaches

• Cybersecurity considerations for critical digital infrastructure

• Program design methodologies and proposal development

• Results-based management

• Digital-infrastructure program design and project-management methodologies

• Market research and competitiveness analysis

• Technical risk identification and mitigation

Working knowledge of:

• U.S. foreign policy objectives

• Environmental and social considerations applicable to digital-infrastructure activities

• Government digital-infrastructure planning and public-investment processes

• Procurement and implementation models

• Subcontracting structures for training, sustainability, and wraparound services

Other Requirements

• Candidates must be authorized and able to work daily in Bogotá.