Senior Manager, Project Delivery, CATALYZE

About Palladium:

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, 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 of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

This Opportunity:

The CATALYZE Portfolio based out of Palladium’s Washington, D.C. office is currently seeking a Senior Manager, Project Delivery to provide dedicated project management and implementation support across CATALYZE activities but focusing principally on CATALYZE Ethiopia Market Systems for Growth (MS4G).

CATALYZE is a $250 million 8-year program, designed to mobilize $2 billion in private capital, especially to underfinanced social sectors (such as education) and higher risk countries (especially low-income and post-conflict countries) around the globe, complemented by a cross-cutting inclusion of gender-lens investing. CATALYZE serves as a “platform of platforms” that provides services to many missions and bureaus that “buy in” to tap the CATALYZE investment and pay-for-results project management expertise. Our aim is for investors to explore and find commercially viable opportunities and approaches to creating jobs, developing sustainable social services, tightening, and rationalizing supply chains, and advancing inclusive growth – ultimately, reducing the need for development institutions to provide donor funding.

Global CATALYZE teams and USAID missions have spent the last two years co-designing and implementing a series of activities to significantly mobilize private capital for development that make up the CATALYZE portfolio, also known as Buy-Ins:
Asia Social Protection: Improving access to financial and social protection for vulnerable women in Asia. Focus countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines. Partners: TBD.

CATALYZE Peru: Catalyzing investment and access to finance for SMEs in the Peruvian Amazon. Focus country: Peru. Partners: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries, Private Sector Anchor Firms.
EduFinance: Mobilizing capital for non-state education, early child care development, training and workforce development, and improving and sustaining learning outcomes for children and youth, particularly those who are the most marginalized and vulnerable. Focus countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Latin America and the Caribbean. Partners: Kaizenvest, UBS Optimus Foundation, PEAS, EPG, Opportunity International.
Ethiopia Market Systems for Growth (MS4G): Fostering private enterprise growth primarily in agricultural markets to boost food security, make improvements to water, hygiene and sanitation and support COVID relief. Focus country: Ethiopia. Partners: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Transaction Advisory Service Providers (TASPs), Consultants, Associations.
Sahel Finance for Resilience (F4R): Increasing financing to support capital investment in the agricultural sector and in youth-led enterprises. Focus countries: Burkina Faso, Niger. Partners: ICDE (Burkina Faso) and SINERGI SA (Niger). Financial Facilitators/Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries, USAID Implementing Partners Yalwa, Yidgiri, Bridge Youth Connect, Sahel Collaboration and Communication Activity.
Sri Lanka Private Sector Development (PSD): Promoting economic diversification and employment opportunities for SMEs, principally women. Focus country: Sri Lanka. Partners: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries, Consultants, Business Associations.
Western Balkans Engine of Growth: Increasing SME access to private capital and using finance to drive enterprise growth. Focus countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia. Partners: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries.
Women’s Economic Empowerment: Mobilizing private capital to create economic opportunities for women. Global focus. Partners: U.S. Development Finance Corporation, BAC El Salvador, Banco LAFISE Dominican Republic.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in implementing USAID projects, overseeing project financial management, or managing field teams, we are interested in hearing from you.

We are a learning organization and provide 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 is part of the Economic Growth Practice Area and reports to the CATALYZE Ethiopia Activity Lead. Reporting requirements include:

Oversee and manage Senior Project Associates and Project Associates as assigned
As delegated, the role liaises with clients, technical area specialists, corporate services, professional service providers, and other stakeholders as required
The role carries a degree of autonomy on project management with appropriate consultation
The role is required to analyze and make sound recommendations to the line manager
The role may carry expenditure and/or signatory authority for project-related costs and documents

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Management

Under the leadership of the Activity Director, lead the Activity Management Unit (AMU) in the execution of required financial administration and management, contract compliance, procurement, reporting and other operational obligations to comply with USAID and Palladium requirements
Serve as Activity’(ie)s primary liaison with CATALYZE CORE team, corporate services, Project Delivery, Field Team
Leadership and Process Excellence teams to ensure effective and efficiency project delivery
Manage project delivery and changes including project scope, schedule, and costs to keep the project plan accurate and updated
Support development and execution of project subcontractor, grant management, and procurement procedures compliant with internal and client’s rules and regulations
Engage and coordinate with field teams to develop, execute and monitor procurement pipelines through out the procurement and project cycle
In collaboration with Process Excellence and corporate services, ensure compliance with, company policies and client rules and regulations (covering as required risk management, project planning, human resource management, monitoring, reporting, finance, procurement, logistics, IT, communications, audit support and all other project managements matters), providing training and mentorship to AMU and field staff as required
Participate in the development, implementation, and monitoring of project work plans, tracking project deliverables and monitoring project delivery against spending forecasts
Ensure project issues and risks are identified, logged, reported on, managed and mitigated; and escalate risks and issues to Practice Area and Process Excellence leadership, ensuring corrective actions are fulfilled, as required

Contract and Client Relationship Management

In coordination with the CATALYZE CORE Team, monitor and maintain compliance with head/prime contracts including agreement action requests (i.e., travel, personnel changes, grant approvals, budget realignments, etc.)
Monitor and report on overall progress against agreed targets, milestones, outputs and activities
Liaise with and respond to requests from clients in conjunction with the Activity Director and field team Country Director, including providing or giving inputs on reporting

Financial Management

Ensure company policies and processes for financial management are implemented and are compliant with the client’s rules and regulations
Leads monitoring budget progress against forecast as one metric to track project progress against its work plan; proactively seeks to solve shortages or overages against the frozen forecast as needed
Serve as a coordinator for service providers and approve (or obtain approval for) work orders and invoices; ensure the accuracy of client invoices (including monthly, milestone and performance based invoices)
Support the external audit process as needed and ensure retention of project records is compliant with company and client policy

Human Resource Management and Recruitment

Oversee project human resource planning, recruitment, contracting, and mobilization with field teams and coordinate inputs from Compliance, HR, and Talent Acquisition teams (i.e. benefits, local labor law, etc.)
Lead the mobilization and demobilization of international staff (short-term and long-term) including contracting (in coordination with HR) and travel management
Serve as primary supervisor to one or more Associate(s), Project Delivery, or Senior Associate(s), Project Delivery; or Manager (s) Project Delivery
Take a proactive role in staff development, including working with supervisees to identify professional development opportunities, and holding monthly coaching sessions to advise them on project management best practices, core competencies, and general work skills and behaviors

Technical Delivery

Coordinate with the Activity Director and field team Country Director(s) to identify workstreams requiring Home Office technical delivery support
Provide technical advice in the design, structuring and implementation of partnerships and procurements with both international and local partners
Play lead or supporting role in the implementation of activity workstreams, as assigned
Collaborates with field team and home office peers to ensure lessons learned from across Palladium and development community are integrated into task design and implementation
Leads teams to implement new work including assignment and management of staff to new activities, initiatives or projects, as required
Oversees and ensures quality of the development of technical reports, workplans, proposals and other outputs for internal and external stakeholders
Performs other duties as assigned

Business Development / Other

Contribute to company growth by ensuring assigned projects are managed well, ensuring Palladium is seen positively by clients for consideration in future business development
Participate in capture planning, providing inputs on implementation requirements
Provide input and support business development of the company as required
Complete other duties as assigned

Key Competencies Required:

Substantial work experience in one or more of the following topic areas: project management and implementation, financial management, inclusive finance, blended finance and/or impact investing in developing and emerging markets
Substantial work experience managing multiple complex projects/assignments in a time-sensitive environment
Excellent written and oral communication skills (in English) as demonstrated by speaking engagements and/or written documents
Ability to meet multiple deadlines with exceptional attention to detail and to quality
Experience on developing country issues and/or contexts
Leads problem solving initiative and implements new ways of working and processes.
Experience networking across the development community, including donors, implementing partners, and cooperating country organizations and governmental institutions
Excellent team management skills in a complex and fast-paced environment
Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff, clients, and consultants
Extensive experience with conceptualizing and making presentations to small and large groups (over 30 individuals), both in-person and virtually
Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills
Demonstrated strong financial skills for generating, interpreting, and analyzing financial reports and forecasts
Extensive experience implementing USAID and/or other donor funded projects
Proven experience identifying and applying complex program management processes
Ability to travel and work in developing countries for extended periods of time (20-30%)

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

PMP certification
Experience working in a developing country
Professional working proficiency in another language, with priority given to Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Arabic