Physical Infrastructure Program Specialist

Join the US Department of State as a Physical Infrastructure Program Specialist in Bogotá, Colombia, driving impactful infrastructure programs.

• Identifies potential infrastructure programming opportunities based on USG priorities, partner-country needs, infrastructure gaps, existing investments, and regional developments.
• Supports programs involving logistics corridors, ports, roads and bridges, railways, airports, navigable waterways, logistics facilities, water and sanitation systems, public and social infrastructure, health and education facilities, and agricultural infrastructure.
• Translates infrastructure 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.
• Develops recommendations regarding the technical scope and requirements for feasibility studies, engineering assessments, preliminary designs, technical assistance, specialized inspections, 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, constructability, implementation risks, operational requirements, and the capacity needed to operate and maintain proposed investments.
• Incorporates sustainability and operations and maintenance considerations throughout program design.
• Coordinates technical, programmatic, procurement, financial, monitoring, and stakeholder inputs into coherent infrastructure programs.
• Supports the adaptation, expansion, rehabilitation, or modernization of existing infrastructure programs when performance findings, policy changes, or operating conditions warrant revised approaches.
• Identifies when additional short-term engineering or specialized sector expertise is required.
• Reviews proposals, feasibility studies, engineering assessments, designs, drawings, technical specifications, bills of quantities, cost estimates, schedules, work plans, and other technical submissions.
• Assesses whether proposed technical approaches are credible, implementable, appropriately scaled, and responsive to program requirements.
• Evaluates design assumptions, construction methodologies, material and equipment specifications, sequencing, constructability, and operations and maintenance requirements.
• Reviews technical products for consistency with applicable host-country, U.S., and international standards.
• Provides technical analysis of proposed costs, schedules, and resource requirements in collaboration with financial, procurement, program, and sector specialists.
• Compares technical alternatives and advises the FAU on their relative feasibility, risks, lifecycle implications, and expected performance.
• Identifies technical gaps and potential implementation risks 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 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.
• Advises GORs, CORs, 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 engineering products are prepared or approved by appropriately qualified and licensed professionals when required.
• Maintains visibility over proposed, active, and emerging infrastructure initiatives supported by the FAU.
• Develops and maintains an infrastructure opportunity pipeline that captures project status, technical-preparation needs, strategic relevance, principal risks, and required next steps.
• Analyzes infrastructure gaps, public-investment priorities, sector developments, and implementation constraints relevant to USG programming.
• Provides analysis and recommendations to inform prioritization of large strategic investments, logistics corridors, and small-scale public or community infrastructure based on policy relevance, feasibility, readiness, and potential results.
• Assesses how individual infrastructure activities contribute to broader transportation, logistics, public-service, economic-security, or territorial-development objectives.
• Identifies opportunities to connect infrastructure investments with complementary programming managed by other FAU specialists.
• Advises on the sequencing of feasibility, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operations and maintenance activities.
• Identifies recurring technical and management risks across the 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.
• Reviews program reports, work plans, technical deliverables, construction 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, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders.
• Assesses implementation progress and identifies technical, quality, cost, schedule, management, sustainability, and operations and maintenance concerns.
• Reviews information on construction quality, testing, contractor quality-control processes, safety, commissioning, and readiness for intended use, as applicable.
• Advises GORs and CORs when independent engineering, inspection, testing, or other specialized technical support may be required.
• Prepares monitoring observations, technical analyses, and evidence-based recommendations for consideration by the GOR, COR, and FAU leadership.
• Supports follow-up on monitoring findings and tracks actions requested by authorized USG officials.
• Contributes to 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.
• Collaborates with FAU specialists to ensure that physical works associated with connectivity, health, education, agriculture, economic growth, and other sector programs are technically sound and appropriately incorporated into program designs.
• Supports the Programs Team Lead and Senior Foreign Assistance Coordinator in technical consultations with national and subnational governments, public authorities, private operators, industry representatives, and other relevant actors.
• Supports technical discussions with engineering firms, construction companies, suppliers, potential implementers, and other infrastructure-sector actors.
• Develops and maintains market intelligence on regional engineering, construction, planning, and infrastructure-management capabilities that may inform program design and acquisition planning.
• Facilitates technical consultations, workshops, and design discussions involving multidisciplinary stakeholders.
• Provides remote and in-country technical support to other U.S. missions in South America based on Post needs and FAU priorities.
• Participates in regional travel and site-based technical engagement as required.

• Master’s degree in civil engineering, structural engineering, architecture, transportation planning, construction management, or another closely related infrastructure 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. *Note: Engineering, architecture, transportation-planning, and construction-management degrees are equally acceptable. A professional engineering license is not required.*
• Experience supporting infrastructure programs funded by the U.S. Government, multilateral organizations, bilateral donors, or international development institutions.
• Experience working with the Department of State, MCC, USTDA, DFC, another U.S. Government agency, or a multilateral development institution.
• Candidates must be authorized and able to work daily in Bogotá.