Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and Innovative Grant Specialist - USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Ag SMEs in Africa

Job Description

Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and Innovative Grant Specialist - 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 Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) 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 Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will lead the technical team to implement the COP’s strategic leadership and vision of the activity. They will have depth and breadth of technical expertise and experience, a solid professional reputation, interpersonal skills, and professional relationships to fulfil the requirements of the activity description, and close working relationships with key stakeholders across East Africa. The DCOP must have experience managing large, complex activities and demonstrated experience working with and through the private sector.

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

Primary Role and Responsibilities:

• Serve as a member of the senior leadership team of the program, including day-to-day management of technical activities and coordination of partners.
  
• Oversee programmatic functions to support the COP’s strategic vision for the program, , i.e., development of work plans, budgets, quarterly/annual reports, and ensure effective implementation of program strategy with integrated lessons and best practices
  
• Serve as a bridge between the technical and operational teams to develop innovative and compliant approaches for structuring agreements with subawardees to reach the objectives of this project.
  
• Maintain effective and open communications with consortium members, coordinating inputs and aligning sub awardees’ activities with the needs of the project.
  
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders and partners, ensuring they are on track to achieve outcomes and utilizing adaptive management to correct issues.
  
• Maintain effective and open communication within the technical team.
  
• Serve as Acting Chief of Party when s/he is unavailable
  
• Identify program opportunities and potential local partners in collaboration with staff as needed.
  
• Ensure the technical team supports strategic learning and communications in data collection, generation of lessons earned, and implementation of pause and reflect and other CLA activities.
  
• Participate in and/or prepare project reports, including presentations and white papers.
  
• Use analytical and evaluative techniques to identify, consider and resolve issues or problems.
  

Key Competencies Required:

• At least 10 years’ experience managing large and complex activities, preferably in the Eastern African region and preferably experience with agricultural finance, and private capital mobilization
  
• Advanced degree in business administration, project management, public policy and management, or finance related fields
  
• Must demonstrate commitment to market-led, private sector engagement approaches
  
• Excellent managerial experience, preferably in managing large donor projects involving coordination with multiple implementing partners or institutions in the region, and sub-recipient / complex partnering relationships.
  
• Experience with activity design as well as development and management of projects, preferably including both community-level and national-level activities.
  
• Experience with a donor, contractor or international NGOs in agriculture and finance and investment.
  
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in developing activity work-plans, budgets, managing implementation, staff, and short-term technical assistance.
  
• Knowledge of USAID policies, procedures, and reporting requirements preferred
  
• Experience working for large donor organizations such as USAID preferred
  
• Excellent communications, organizational, and interpersonal skills
  
• Professional level of oral and written fluency in English

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.