Director, Commercial Facilities for Natural Resource Systems (NRF Hub)

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact for people around the globe; deepen access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, inclusive, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff among multiple religions, races, languages, and gender identities. 

This Opportunity:

The Natural Resource Facilities Hub is seeking a consummate professional to join us as a Director to lead our expanding initiatives to support mining and extractive companies to design and implement inclusive growth, community resilience and environmental sustainability initiatives. As a senior-level professional, the Director will bring leadership and technical acumen to business development, project delivery and thought leadership needed to structure and operate large, multi-year facilities, anchored by mining and extractive companies, that catalyze investment in community development and resilience. These initiative will require collaboration of one or more mining companies with companies from other sectors (e.g. agriculture, infrastructure services) as well as financial institutions, impact investors and government.  The objective is to help move companies from traditional sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives that are largely reactive to more proactive investments in strategies that align with the economic, social and environmental objectives of other stakeholders. The Director will also contribute to Palladium’s business development and impact investing initiatives in emerging markets.

This Director will be part of our Commercial Facilities for Natural Resource Systems (referred to as Natural Facilities Hub or NRF Hub, which, includes work around extractives, agriculture, nature-based solutions, inclusive growth and ESG strategies and private sector engagement as well as development. Staff in the firm work extensively and collaboratively with others in the company (including in other Practices/Portfolios and in other regions) to advance firm-level growth and impact goals; build relationships and visibility; develop innovative approaches and methodologies; and manage effective, dynamic teams.

The Director will lead business development efforts with mining and extractive companies as well as oversee the management of the growing portfolio of projects and their teams.

Experienced Directors will have opportunities to support (and be supported by) other units within the firm in our collaborative and agile environment, such as the Economic Growth Community of Practice, Palladium Impact Capital, and the Climate, Environment, and Natural Resource (CENR) Practice. Directors will be thought leaders within and outside of Palladium.   

Location:

This position is based in Palladium's Washington, D.C. office.

Remote work options on Eastern Standard Time hours may be considered for exceptional candidates. The position will entail overseas travel, dependent on COVID-19 restrictions and safety/security considerations.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, with expertise in extractives, food and agriculture, circular economy, sustainable value chains, and natural resources management, we are interested in hearing from you.  

We are a learning organization, providing growth opportunities from the start.  We pride ourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart a fulfilling career!

Reporting and Supervision:

The role reports to the Directors of the Natural Resource Facilities Hub.  It will involve the supervision and growth of a small corporate team as well as project teams.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

NRF Hub as an Emerging Global Business

The Director will contribute to the acceleration of the NRF Hub, and especially work anchored by mining and extractive companies, as an emerging business within Palladium. This involves collaborating with other Directors planning and managing a growing portfolio and team that cuts across nature based solutions, agricultural supply chains, inclusive growth and impact capital, where the common characteristic is commercial (non-government) clients.

Business Development

The Director will lead/contribute to strategic growth planning and opportunity identification as well as specific proposal efforts with Mining and Extractive Companies. The Director will:

• Lead the identification, assessment, and pursuit of new business opportunities and relationships and convert these to concrete requests for proposals
• Lead the preparation of technical and business proposals principally targeting private sector and blended finance opportunities in the mining and extractives space based on best practices applied to specific country contexts
  
• Ensure client satisfaction that results in follow-on, larger and multi-year engagements
  

Portfolio and Project Management

The Director will be responsible for technical and financial oversight of the portfolio of engagements related to Mining and Extractives.  On key projects, this involves serving as Project Director and leading the Project Management Unit (PMU).he management and administration of projects. The Director is responsible for achieving project objectives and financial benchmarks.

Technical Work

The Director will also participate as a technical expert on proposals and projects.  For example, the Director may:

• Provide short-term inputs and/or consultancy assignments
  
• Provide technical input into the design, planning and delivery of social and environmental impact initiatives that engage private companies, impact funders or development organizations
  
• Provide support to monitoring and quality-assuring Palladium’s services
  
• Contribute to research, analysis and publication of technical reports, case studies, policy/program approaches, and results summaries on themes related to extractives, economic development, food and agriculture, circular economy, climate, and natural resources management in emerging markets
  
• Identify, build, and maintain relationships with partners and consultants that can provide technical expertise to Palladium-managed projects
  
• Stay current on trends and tendencies in the extractives industry and related sectors to ensure Palladium’s readiness for business opportunities
  
• Work with others in the Natural Resource Facilities Hub to promote and build Palladium’s technical capability, especially regarding the extractives industry and inclusive growth solutions
  

Key Competencies Required:

• Senior-level experience in a client-facing management role on large, private sector projects, especially relating to the mining and extractives industry
  
• Experience managing teams across geographies
  
• Proven experience in or on emerging market issues and/or contexts
  
• Experience leading business development efforts
  
• Strong ability to manage multiple simultaneous tasks (ideally in all the areas of the job description) and/or complex projects/assignments as demonstrated by experience to date
  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills as demonstrated by speaking engagements and/or written documents produced
  
• Financial acumen and the ability to analyze and prepare financial reports and forecasts
  
• Fluency in English
  
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills
  
• Demonstrated commitment to encourage diversity, inclusion, and equity in teams and programs
  

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

• Senior-level experience working with the mining and extractives industry
  
• Proven ability to apply and adapt proven models and approaches to catalyzing enduring and inclusive economic growth in emerging markets
  
• Experience with conceptualizing and writing technical proposals and reports for private sector clients as well as international donors, including both PowerPoint and text documents
  
• Experience with conceptualizing and delivering presentations to small and large groups (over 30 individuals), both in-person and virtually
  
• Proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Spanish or French
  

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.   

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.  

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.