Grants Assistant

Job Description

Project Overview and Role

The goal of the USAID Enterprises, Employment, and Enabling Environments (E4) Activity is to increase employment and jobs through increased private productivity and competitiveness. The theory of change is: “For the number of jobs to increase, businesses must grow; and for businesses to grow, constraints preventing growth must be removed.” Following this logic, Palladium will focus on removing obstacles to growth at the firm level and will work to develop skills identified by employers or develop entrepreneurial expertise. Additionally, Palladium will work to address legal and regulatory constraints if they are determined to be significant inhibitors of firm growth. These efforts will result in the creation of new firms and jobs and the growth of existing firms.

Work performed under the E4 IDIQ is divided into three components:

• Component 1: Enterprises – Fostering Competitive Industries
• Component 2: Employment – Developing a Capable Workforce and Entrepreneurship
• Component 3: Enabling Environments – Creating Conditions for Jobs and Investment

The E4 IDIQ regional office located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and country offices are in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

This Opportunity

Over the last four years, Palladium has been successfully implementing the Future Growth Initiative (FGI) Task Order of the E4 Activity in all five Central Asian countries. This task order works to increase the competitiveness of high-growth industries to provide jobs and incomes for Central Asia’s growing workforce, propelling the region toward self-reliance. FGI is transforming market systems in ways that help high-potential firms and sectors grow, fostering market linkages to match the demand for workforce skills with training offered to youth and women, linking entrepreneurs to high-growth markets, and building more business- and worker-friendly policy environments and institutions to sustain private sector-driven growth.

The program has recently been extended until 2026 through the awarding of the FGI 2.0 Task Order. By building on FGI’s success and lessons learned, FGI 2.0 will work to increase the competitiveness of high-growth industries through a market systems approach that incentivizes private and public sector behavior change. The new task order will facilitate the regionalization of business advisory and enabling environment ecosystems, harmonize policies and regulations, foster trade and market linkages, and align the skills of women, youth, and vulnerable populations with private sector needs.

FGI 2.0 will take a partnerships-based approach, facilitating firm-level assistance, industry association capacity building, and regulatory reform under:

• Objective 1: Drive national-level, private sector-led economic growth and inclusivity in the five Central Asian Republics (CARs).
• Objective 2: Support competitiveness and job creation in each country, serving as the foundation for regional growth and integration.
• FGI 2.0 will also facilitate domestic and regional public private dialogue (PPD), policy reform and harmonization, and investment attraction efforts to support Central Asia’s integration into the global economy of the future.

Palladium seeks a Grants Assistant for the implementation of the FGI 2.0 Task Order under the USAID E4 Activity. The Grants Assistant’s primary responsibility is to support the project’s grants administration in compliance with USAID regulations and Palladium’s policies and procedures. The Grants Assistant will support grantees during the application process and in the administration of grants through mentorship and technical assistance to ensure compliance with applicable policies and procedures.

Location

This position will be located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Duration

The performance period of the USAID E4 IDIQ Activity will end on September 30, 2026.

Reporting and Supervision

The Grants Assistant will report to the Regional Grants Manager and the Chief of Party (COP) / Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP).

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in developing grant packages for FGI 2.0 grantees, ensuring all documents are in compliance with USAID and Palladium regulations. This includes reviewing concept papers and applications; ensuring proposals are well-written and persuasive and meet all requirements; gathering all necessary documentation, such as financial statements, project budgets, and other supporting materials.
  
• Assist in conducting assessments to evaluate the grantee’s financial and internal control systems.
• Assist in monitoring the progress of funded projects and ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the grants. This may involve collecting and analyzing data, preparing progress reports, and maintaining accurate records of grant activities.
• Assist in managing grant budgets and tracking expenses related to grant-funded projects. This includes working closely with the regional and Home Office finance teams to ensure proper allocation and utilization of funds.
• Provide administrative support in managing the overall grant process. This may involve maintaining grant calendars, coordinating meetings and communication with stakeholders, and organizing grant-related documentation.
• Assist in maintaining a comprehensive database of grants, including tracking milestones, requirements, and outcomes. This helps in effectively managing and reporting on the organization’s grant portfolio.
• Collaborate with other team members, such as program managers, finance personnel, and executive leadership, to ensure alignment of grant-related activities.
• Other duties as assigned by the Regional Grants Manager and Project Management Unit.
  

Overall, the Grants Assistant role is crucial in supporting Palladium’s efforts to secure and manage grant funding, as well as ensuring compliance and effective utilization of resources.

Key Competencies Required

• Three (3) years of experience in grants management, budgeting, accounting, cost control, programmatic planning, and/or relevant field preferred.
• Basic financial management skills, including developing and monitoring budgets and financial reporting.
• Microsoft Office Suite proficiency and the ability to operate spreadsheet and word-processing programs at a high level.
• Proactive problem-solving, decision-making, and good judgment skills.
• Ability to manage confidential information.
• Attention to detail and ability to perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities effectively and efficiently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Russian.
• Ability to communicate effectively with managers, colleagues, service providers, and clients.

Competencies Preferred

• Prior experience with USAID or other donor-funded projects.
• Fluency in Uzbek.

Application Deadline

This application will close on September 15, 2023.

About the Organization

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 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

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.