Chief of Party – USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Agricultural SMEs in Africa Activity

Job Description

Chief of Party - USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Ag SMEs in Africa

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.

This Proposal Opportunity:

Palladium is seeking a Chief of Party for an anticipated USAID-funded program across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia which is anticipated to begin in 2025. The USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Agriculture SMEs is likely to be a 5-year program focused on mobilizing private capital for agricultural small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) strengthen agriculture value chains. The activity will leverage results-based tools used in USAID’s finance and investment mechanisms – supporting a range of agricultural firms to expand investments and operations via a blended finance approach.

The Chief of Party will provide overall strategic leadership, technical leadership, and oversight to the program, ensuring an integrated vision among different components and actors, and a focus on achieving program results. The COP will coordinate and ultimately be responsible for all contract management and implementation. The COP will also be responsible for ensuring quality control and providing overall technical and management leadership under the award. This individual must identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner and suggest appropriate adjustments. This individual must act as the key liaison with USAID and all other counterparts on procedural and substantive matters, implementing partners and stakeholders. The COP must be responsive to USAID including technical direction. The position requires significant coordination skills, broad general and technical knowledge, an ability to cope with multiple interests and challenges, experience in developing countries, and skills to ensure coherence and consistency in the face of urgent deadlines.

Duration: 5 years (anticipated start in 2025)
Location: Kenya

Primary Roles and Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership for project management and implementation of project activities.
  
• Manage project partners and project staff, ensuring that they are fully engaged and participating in program implementation.
  
• Serve as the main interface between the project, country governments, United States Government (USG) entities, Palladium senior management, and other relevant stakeholders.
  
• Oversee the project budget and finances, including budget projections, project spending, and financial performance reporting.
  
• Represent the project at relevant professional meetings, working groups, and seminars.
  
• Prepare, contribute to, and provide oversight of analyses, recommendations, briefing notes, white papers, assessments, workplans, and reporting materials for internal and client use. Ensure timely and high-quality submission of deliverables.
  
• Lead strategic development and support of programming in collaboration with USAID and key stakeholders;
  
• Ensure project risk is effectively monitored and managed;
  
• Serve as Palladium’s primary liaison with donor(s), and other partners including civil society, government, and other related programs and projects;
  
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with development partners such as government institutions, private sector, other programs across East Africa, civil society, and media;
  
• Communicate and implement an integrated vision among different components and actors;
  
• Comply with USAID and Palladium reporting requirements on program impact and implementation;
  

Key Competencies Required:

• Master’s degree or higher in agriculture, economics, business administration, or closely
  related field
  
• Have at least ten (10) years of significant international experience and expertise in private-sector, trade and agricultural development to successfully achieve meaningful and sustainable results, preferably in East Africa
  
• Have at least five (5) years’ experience in management, preferably of international development assistance or finance activities. At least three (3) years’ experience in working with the private sector in East Africa will be an added advantage.
  
• Extensive experience facilitating investments and mobilizing inclusive agricultural finance through blended and supply chain financing mechanisms.
  
• Extensive experience working in the financial sector, comfort with a wide range of financial instruments (debt, equity, blended finance), private sector investments in agriculture, out-grower schemes, and agricultural corporates.
  
• Have strong technical expertise, management skills, and English technical writing and communication skills.
  
• Demonstrated experience in successfully supporting business expansion and capital mobilization.
  
• Professional level of oral and written fluency in English.
  
• Proven track record liaising with investors, financial institutions, SMEs, government, USAID, and other key project stakeholders
  
• Proactive problem-solving, decision-making and good judgment skills; attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities
  
• Ability to communicate effectively with managers, colleagues, and clients
• Microsoft office suite proficiency and the ability to operate spreadsheet and word-processing programs at a highly proficient level
• Experience with USAID and other USG funding agencies. Additional experience with other international donors
• EAC nationals are encouraged to apply. Prior work experience in the region required.

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.

About the Organization

Palladium develops and delivers solutions that create positive impact for communities, businesses, societies and economies. We transform lives and create enduring value by working with governments, corporations and non-profit organisations.


Palladium is built on the idea that progress will be supported by four key pillars: • International Development • Strategy Execution Consulting • Impact Investment • Training and Events We create positive impact through more than 100 current projects with more than 2000 employees operating in over 90 countries.