Senior Associate, Economic Growth, Private Sector Development

Job Description

This Opportunity:

The Private Sector Development (PSD) Portfolio at The Palladium Group is part of a dynamic cohort of impact oriented colleagues working toward the goal of reducing poverty in the developing world. Palladium has led more than 250 economic growth projects in over 100 countries, lifting hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty. The PSD Portfolio leverages Palladium experience and innovation in enterprise competitiveness, corporate and anchor firm partnerships, trade expansion, and private capital mobilization to:

• Drive inclusive growth and job creation for men, women, youth and underserved populations across sectors and geographies in low- and middle-income countries
  
• Facilitate developing countries’ efforts to build ‘economies of the future’ through e-commerce and entrepreneurship ecosystems that foster the growth of tech-based and tech enabled enterprises
  
• Promote and advance private sector engagement as a tool and discipline to magnify impact and bring about sustainable, transformational change for our development-focused and commercial clients alike
  

Members of the PSD portfolio work closely with other economic-growth oriented portfolios including: Market Systems & Inclusive Growth, Finance & Investment, Economic Policy & Public Finance, Digital Solutions and Transformation, and Workforce Development and Youth Empowerment. Staff in the firm work collaboratively with others in the company (including in other Portfolios and in other regions) to advance firm-level growth and impact goals; build relationships and visibility; develop innovative approaches and methodologies; and manage effective, dynamic teams.

The Senior Associate, Economic Growth, Private Sector Development (PSD) will support Palladium projects across the globe, principally financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donors, in technical areas including inclusive market systems development, trade policy and trade facilitation, expanded financial access, economic policy/public finance, and/or private sector development goals and objectives.

The Senior Associate will provide business development support, inputs to project technical delivery, project management inputs, strategic communications inputs and research support at the portfolio and corporate level as needed. The Senior Associate role typically reports to a Manager in the PSD Portfolio. For assigned projects, the Senior Associate may serve as part of the Project Management Unit (PMU), which also includes a Project Director, Project Manager, and the Chief of Party. The PMU is responsible for the management and delivery of projects. The Senior Associate will also contribute to selected business development/proposal opportunities and provide technical inputs to projects or proposals as needed.

Location:

The position is based in Palladium’s Washington, DC office.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver and collaborator, with experience and interest in business development, project management, and/or technical delivery in areas such as private sector development / engagement, access to finance, mobilizing investment for development, SME competitiveness, innovation and enterprise acceleration, ecommerce, trade, digital trade, or economic policy reform, 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 Senior Associate, EG, Private Sector Development will report to a Manager or Senior Manager within the PSD portfolio.

The Senior Associate will work closely with the PSD Portfolio Managers and leadership on business development activities.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The primary responsibilities of the Senior Associate, Economic Growth, Private Sector Development are:

Technical Work:

• Support short-term inputs and/or consultancy assignments on topics such private sector development, access to finance, mobilizing investment for development, SME competitiveness, innovation and enterprise acceleration, ecommerce, trade, digital trade, economic policy reform, or private sector engagement (PSE), and other relevant topics
  
• Support technical input into the design, planning and delivery of international development projects for USAID and other international donors
  
• Contribute to research, analysis and publication of technical reports, case studies, policy and program approaches, and results summaries on topics related to expanded agribusiness growth, access to finance, and investment facilitation in developing countries to demonstrate thought leadership
  
• Contribute to Palladium thought leadership and communications to tell success stories and learnings for corporate and external audiences
  
• Coordinate PSD portfolio activities, knowledge management, portfolio-wide technical learning and communications
  
• Identify, build, and maintain relationships with partners and consultants that can provide technical expertise to Palladium-managed projects
  
• Work with others in the Economic Growth Practice to promote and build Palladium’s technical capability
  

Business Development:

• Contribute to the identification, assessment, and pursuit of new business opportunities, as well as the analysis of our prospects for winning opportunities
  
• Contribute to technical proposals principally targeting USAID opportunities in the economic growth/private sector development space based on best practices applied to specific country contexts
  
• Support capture efforts for upcoming economic growth bids, including in research, preliminary technical design, recruitment, and key stakeholder interviews
  
• Pull key approaches and successes from similar Palladium projects, and apply learnings to new proposal efforts
  

Project Management:

• Support Project Directors/Managers in the management of project teams
  
• Support the planning, implementation, and reporting on project activities as needed and requested
  
• Provide support to project work planning, budgeting, and progress/financial reporting
  
• Work with partner organizations (such as subcontractors) on the contractually compliant delivery of agreed inputs and achievement of agreed outputs and outcomes
  

Key Competencies Required:

• Fluency in English
  
• Familiarity working in developing country contexts, through both in-country and home office support roles
  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills as demonstrated in brief writing sample(s) and/or interviews
  
• Experience writing proposals, research products, marketing materials, and/or project reports and deliverables, as well as drafting high impact presentations
  
• Financial acumen and the ability to build, trouble-shoot, interpret and/or analyze financial reports
  
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills as identified in interviews or experience
  
• Demonstrated technical familiarity or interest in economic growth initiatives in developing countries
  

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

• Proficiency in Spanish is highly desirable
• Relevant work experience in several or all of the following topics: private sector development, access to finance, mobilizing investment for development, SME competitiveness, innovation and enterprise acceleration, ecommerce, trade, digital trade, economic policy reform, or private sector engagement (PSE), and other relevant economic growth topics
  
• Experience with project management involving government and/or corporate clients
  
• Familiarity with USAID regulations, strategies, and project management needs
  
• Experience in the full business development cycle, from opportunity identification, to capture and proposal development
  
• Experience in working in a project-based environment
  

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

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.

Palladium Americas

Our Americas’ business team has brilliant and passionate colleagues working in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America as well as the Caribbean, fulfilling projects and assignments for clients from institutions, corporations, governments, and foundations based in the Americas. We have offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Raleigh-Durham, NC.