Country Director

Project Overview and Role:

Palladium International, LLC is implementing the $250 Million, 8-year USAID CATALYZE contract which offers a facilitated partnership model that will craft solutions to crowd in $2 Billion in blended finance (i.e., blended concessional and commercial finance) to USAID partner countries; it can work in any development sector or region. Launched in October 2019, CATALYZE is a buy-in mechanism that allows USAID Bureaus and Missions to efficiently deploy investment facilitation solutions that respond to the needs of specific sectors, issues, and geographies.
USAID CATALYZE Ethiopia – Market Systems for Growth (MS4G): MS4G is designed to benefit the Ethiopian people, build community resilience, and strengthen rural-urban linkages in the areas of agriculture, food security, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). MS4G invests in developing relationships with private sector players, co-investing in inclusive business models, advisory services, digital solutions, and market-based initiatives that increase the resilience and sustainability of Ethiopian enterprises and employment for women and youth. The project supports activities in Addis Ababa and secondary cities.
To strengthen the private sector in the food security and WASH sectors, MS4G uses a market-based approach to deliver business development and financial advisory services to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The project leverages Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs) and Pay-for-Results (P4R) awards and co-creates and co-funds partnerships to enhance enterprises’ performance, product/service delivery, and inclusion. The activities are designed to build institutional capacity, enhance knowledge and skill transfers through workforce development initiatives, advance the business enabling environment, accelerate digital transformations and scale best practices to increase productivity and quality. As it enters its third year, MS4G is placing an increased focus on WASH Finance, enhancing livelihoods and enterprise to shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to the food security risks related to the supply disruptions and increasing cost of agricultural production and fertilizer.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The CATALYZE: MS4G Country Director will report to the Home Office-based Activity Director (this position is comparable to a Chief of Party position.) S/he will provide technical direction to MS4G, particularly supervising program activities in the regions and ensuring they are carried out in alignment with the workplan and USAID expectations.
The MS4G Country Director will provide overall leadership and technical direction to MS4G, both administratively and programmatically, and in line with client expectations. S/he is based in Addis Ababa to enhance the opportunities to link more closely with other USAID/Ethiopia Mission-sponsored projects, other USG-sponsored cross-sector activities, private sector players and Government of Ethiopia (GoE) agencies and ministries on the urgent actions and partnerships needed to achieve the expected results.
Specific responsibilities of MS4G’s Country Director include, but are not limited to:

Client & Activity Management
- Serve as the project’s primary local representative, acting as the principal liaison with USAID/Ethiopia, the GOE, Palladium home office team, Ethiopian implementing partners, and private sector actors.
- Provide leadership, staff management and technical inputs to ensure all activities conform to project requirements, including cost, schedule, and quality.
- Hold weekly meetings with USAID, Palladium home office, and Addis Ababa-based team.
- Maintain close coordination with the Palladium home office team, providing regular updates on the project’s progress and direction.
- Oversee the development and submission of weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports to the home office team and USAID/Ethiopia.
- Ensure sound management through holding required client and team meetings, ensuring judicious use of USG resources, overseeing on-time delivery of activity reports and deliverables, and complying with USAID contract management regulations and Palladium policies and procedures.

Operational Leadership
- Oversee the Addis Ababa-based MS4G team to manage all administrative and programmatic functions and activities in Ethiopia in line with the project’s approved Performance Work Statement (PWS) and annual work plan. - - This includes providing technical support, supporting monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, supporting sound financial and operational management.
- Ensure safety and security of all Ethiopia-based personnel, resources, and visitors in line with Palladium’s security and COVID-19 prevention protocols.
- Ensure a professional, supportive, safe, and inclusive workplace, where staff are empowered to achieve project goals, as well as learn and grow in their professional capabilities.
- Support and oversee successful recruitment and onboarding of open project positions in coordination with the CATALYZE home office team.

Technical Leadership
- Support the development of strategic partnerships to mobilize capital, enhance private enterprise growth and job creation, improve workforce development, and enact improved policies.
- Ensure integration of project components through effective work planning and budgeting, project management, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
- Ensure MS4G implementation is in line with the CATALYZE umbrella contract requirements.
- Source and coordinate use of Palladium global technical and operational resources.
- Provide technical guidance in the rapid development, packaging, release, and evaluation of ongoing grants/sub-awards and other procurement as well as grants/sub-awards within new fertilizer, COVID resiliency and WASH Finance programming.
- Identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner and recommend appropriate program adjustments as required.
- Elevate technical learning among staff as a critical element to ensure increased impact.
- Other tasks as required.

Required Qualifications:

- Extensive USAID project management experience preferred in fields such as agriculture and food security, WASH, financial services, investment advisory, private enterprise development, workforce development and youth programming, and public and private sector engagement.
- Proven knowledge and understanding of Ethiopian finance, private enterprise, investment, business environment and trade issues; with a sound understanding of specific challenges and barriers facing women and youth entrepreneurs, business owners, and job seekers, preferably in agriculture and WASH contexts.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to manage and deal with diverse stakeholders.
- Evidence of strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written with professional fluency in English required.
- Experience building, managing and supervising teams, in person and in a remote manner (i.e., regional managers).
- Knowledge of USAID programming, approaches, and policy.
- Experience managing for success teams of 10+ people.
- Advanced computer skills including fluency with Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
- Sound problem solving and decision-making skills.
- Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree or post-graduate degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economic Policy, Enterprise Development, or other related fields.
- Ten years or more of professional experience successfully overseeing large, complex projects (or components therein) and diverse teams focused on financial services and investment advisory expertise, private enterprise development, workforce development, and public and private sector engagement.
- Seven years or more in the international development field including experience in a management role for a USAID-funded contract of similar scale ($40M+ / 5 years) highly desirable.
- Experience utilizing pay-for-performance incentives to achieve program objectives, and other innovative blended finance approaches.
- Amharic written and verbal fluency.

Company Overview:

About Palladium - Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.