CALL FOR CVs
USAID RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT AND TRADE ACTIVITY
Private Sector Director
Job Title: Private Sector Director
Reports to: Chief of Party
Location: Remote anywhere in Southeast Asia or a comparable timezone
Duration: Full-time one-year contract with possible yearly extensions through July 2025
Activity Background
DAI is seeking to hire a Private Sector Director (PSD) for its five-year USAID Responsible Investment and Trade Activity (the Activity) in Myanmar. The Activity will work with a broad range of international and domestic private sector firms and civil society actors to promote civilian ownership of the Myanmar economy, with a particular focus on microenterprises. Through a facilitative and ecosystem-strengthening approach, the Activity helps increase responsible investment in Myanmar, and supports firms operating in or entering the market in Myanmar to improve corporate governance, business transparency, and competitiveness. The Activity contributes to USAID’s Development Objective 2 “Inclusive economic growth strengthened” and Intermediate Result 2.2 “Responsible and transparent private sector expanded,” as well as to USAID’s Private Sector Engagement Strategy, Indo-Pacific Strategy, and the Integrated Country Strategy. The Activity’s objectives include:
· Increase fair and responsible trade and investment in Myanmar.
· Improve corporate governance, business transparency, access to finance, and competitiveness of local firms.
· Promote economic integration, investment, and trade for the benefit of Myanmar citizens living in non-urban areas (i.e., outside of Yangon and Mandalay).
· Empower women to participate in the economy more fully.
Overview of the Position
DAI seeks a highly organized and capable Private Sector Director (PSD). The PSD is a full-time position based in a mutually agreed upon Southeast Asia location and will report directly to the Activity’s Chief of Party (COP). The PSD will support the COP to develop a strong fact-based strategy and implementation of the program and lead a team of Myanmar professionals and international consultants to achieve the Activity’s objectives. The PSD will be responsible for the day-to-day management of technical staff and provide mentorship and training to staff in the areas of micro-enterprise, and business and community support organization development and access to finance. He/she will collaborate closely with the managers of the Activity’s Investment and Technical Assistance Facility (ITAF) and back-office team to ensure the efficient and effective execution of the Activity’s program. The PSD will provide guidance into the design and management of the grants and subcontracts and progress reporting and ensure the overall quality of technical assistance. The PSD will contribute to knowledge management and monitoring the progress of activities against targets.
Roles and Responsibilities
· The Private Sector Director will have the following roles and responsibilities:
· Coordinate and work cooperatively with other Activity senior management team members.
· Lead other staff and consultants as assigned and lead in ways that help the Activity to achieve its objectives.
· Serve on various ad hoc committees (e.g., vetting, and various grant committees), when required.
· Ensure that the front office technical team are efficiently and effectively implementing the following tasks:
· The Activity’s vetting team vets grant applicants.
· Review and clarify information in NOFO application.
· Obtain internal approvals for the Activity’s internal program design for NOFO grant applicants.
· Guide NOFO grant applicants through the Activity’s Request for Application process.
· Finalize grant program description for the grant approval request.
· Lead technical grant implementation including grant kick-off meeting, provide technical guidance, site visits, etc.
· Review milestone payment documentation for compliance with grant agreements.
· Manage project promotion tasks for assigned Activity grantees.
· Ensure assigned Activity grantees provide the required monitoring and evaluation data.
· Other pre- and post-grant tasks as required.
· Lead, supervise, or support technical staff with managing other workplan tasks.
· Engage with business support organizations, community support organizations, microfinance institutions, donor organizations, and other organizations to meet the Activity’s objectives.
· Lead or support the designing of workshops, tools, training, or other knowledge products geared towards improving the capacity of business support organizations, community support organizations, and microfinance institutions to serve micro-enterprises and build resiliency in non-urban and ethnic areas.
· Engage with other Activity stakeholders such as USAID implementing partners and other development projects.
· Manage and monitor other project activities as the Chief of Party assigns and as needed.
· Develop detailed terms of reference, scopes of work, and budgets for consultants.
· Manage consultants, including reviewing and editing consultant reports.
· Contribute to yearly work plans and quarterly/annual reports, and weekly summaries.
· Supervise other Activity staff if required.
· Conduct research in support of Activity’s work with conclusions and recommendations.
· Maintain files and documentation for project activities.
· Other tasks as the Chief of Party assigns.
Qualifications
The successful candidate must be a private MSME (micro-, small medium sized enterprise) development and/or financing professional with a minimum of 10 years of senior management experience in many of the following areas for micro-, small and medium sized companies: access to finance, training and capacity building, grant making, improving competitiveness, operational improvements, gender equality and inclusion, livelihoods and resiliency, microfinance institutions, financial literacy and management, corporate governance and/or management consulting in developing countries across a variety of industrial sectors. Other qualifications include:
· Master’s degree in economics, finance, business, or other related fields.
· Experience with emerging and/or frontier markets, ideally substantial Southeast Asia or Myanmar work experience.
· Myanmar private sector experience, particularly in non-urban areas, is preferred.
· Experience with managing teams in South and/or Southeast Asia.
· Experience with MSME development and financing, MSME incubation and acceleration, and business support organization development and capacity building.
· Demonstrated results in incorporating gender equality and/or women’s economic empowerment programming into MSME financing or development projects.
· Demonstrated success in mentoring and training nationals toward improving their knowledge and technical skills and assuming more project management responsibilities.
· Strategic planning work in an emerging markets context.
· Excellent English oral and written communication skills.
Application Instructions
The position is open to Myanmar nationals, U.S. citizens, and third-country nationals. If interested in the position, submit a CV and a one-page cover letter to the link below. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible; interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of applications, we receive and the urgency to fill positions, only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps.
DAI Organization and Values
DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.
DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries where we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.
DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are, therefore, subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.
DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to diversity. DAI does not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, veteran status, or other non-merit factors.
