Digital Development and Connectivity Program Specialist

Colombia

Digital Development and Connectivity Program Specialist

Organization

• US Department of State

Posted 7 Oct 2026 Closing date 30 Oct 2026

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

• 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.

• 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 techni