Senior DRC Mining and Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Consultant

Job Description

Position Title: Senior DRC Mining and Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Consultant

Period of Performance: Date of Approval - on/about TBD

Place of Performance: Democratic Republic of the Congo and remote

Maximum Level of Effort: 45 days

Project Description

In partnership with Prosper Africa, Feed the Future, and other initiatives, the USAID Africa Bureau, Africa Regional Missions, and the Middle East Bureau are jointly establishing the Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Activity. The purpose of this Activity is to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including North and Sub- Saharan Africa. It will strengthen Africa’s markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the U.S. and Africa, and achieve development outcomes across all sectors in line with USAID’s Private Sector Engagement Policy and the USG Prosper Africa initiative.

Driven by market demand, the Activity will embrace innovative approaches to achieve its goals. The Activity is envisioned as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities, and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that missions, and the private sector identify. The Activity will mobilize private sector resources and expertise, in conjunction with other USG interagency partners, resulting in the increased capacity, competitiveness and availability of businesses, investors and intermediaries that will drive future trade and investment efforts on Africa’s Journey to Self-Reliance.

Overview of Job Description

USAID ATI seeks to appoint a Senior Mining & PSE Advisor that will be based in the Southern Africa region, preferably in the DRC or South Africa, to promote ATI’s in-country presence in the DRC, to effectively identify partnerships with mining houses, work closely with private sector clients and public sector stakeholders, negotiate partnerships involving industrial miners and artisanal miners, ,ensure effective communications with USAID DRC and ATI and outreach to key mining stakeholders in the DRC and ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation of activities.

The work of the Advisor will be built on the recommendations produced in Phase 1, where ATI supported the DRC Mining Week and produced recommendations as an output. That support included initial scoping to identify potential mining investment and trade deals and support services through a trade or investment scoping mission to the DRC and attendance at the Giga Battery Factories Conference in the U.S. In the second phase, the consultant will further the scoping exercise and review of the initially identified deals, developing a shortlist of preferred corporate partnerships and supporting the identification of enabling environment activities required to advance the development of the mining sector in the DRC and its effective exports and investment attraction.

The Advisor will work closely with ATI staff (both long and short-term), as well as in tandem with ATI subcontractors, to align with the overall contract and its objectives.

Responsibilities

Technical Support:

• As instructed by ATI, the consultant will provide technical assistance to DRC mining companies and artisanal miners/cooperatives on sustainable mining practices, good governance, and export policies. This support will be driven by what is needed by the private sector ecosystem, such as the artisanal sector needing access to markets or companies looking to diversify their buyers as well as their sources of raw materials.

Ongoing Deal Pipeline Management:

• In keeping with USAID/DRC’s understanding of what is required to explore and build a proper pipeline, the consultant will continue to follow-up on leads identified during the DRC Mining Week to build a pipeline of opportunities that:
• Increases investment to accelerate the green energy transition through responsible sourcing from the DRC.
• Increases processing capacity in the DRC that adds value beyond the extraction of raw minerals, such as refining, processing, and manufacturing capability.
• Integrates artisanal and small mining cooperatives into global supply chains.
• Demonstrates the USG commitment to improved governance aligning with international and national standards, and oversight of responsible minerals trade; and
• Improves livelihoods and sustainable development in mining communities, particularly for youth and women in conflict-affected areas.
• Providing technical assistance to companies operating in or seeking to enter DRC on sustainable mining practices, good governance, and export policies.
• Guiding businesses as they navigate deals to close.

Closing Deals:

• Depending on the initial work done in Phase 1 and the deals identified as outlined above, develop the next steps required to advance the strategic deals through to closure and the preconditions for closing the deals

Corporate Partnerships:

• Identify potential partnerships with U.S. corporates that would support African mining companies’ efforts to better integrate into global critical minerals value chains, improve their business practices with a focus on worker safety and environmental safeguards.
• Development of partnerships would include co-design of concepts, outline key steps for USG/USAID in the partnership, and commitments by the private sector partner
• Management of partnerships to ensure agreed milestones are met.
• Provide advisory support for cooperatives and small-scale miners

Enabling Environments:

• In alignment with the private stakeholder engagement in Phase 1 and through further corporate partnership development, the consultant will identify and prioritize key enabling environment issues that could be addressed with USG support feasibly and effectively within the prescribed period of performance.
• The consultant should be available and prepared for bi-weekly check-ins, including brief presentation materials, pipeline updates and discussion points for the USAID/DRC Mission

Anticipated Outputs/Deliverables

• Submission of MEL data, including deal trackers to indicate the deals in the pipeline, progress made, the deals values, etc.
• Private sector partnerships with USAID/DRC identified and supported
• Technical assistance for DRC companies on sustainable mining practices, good governance, and export policies
• Report on Advisory support for cooperatives and small-scale miners provided
• Facilitate Deals in the pipeline
• Facilitation of cross-border initiatives, e.g., DRC/Zambia Battery factory initiative.

Qualifications

• Post graduate degree in international business, international relations, international finance, mining or relevant university degree that demonstrates complementarity to the scope of requirements.
• At least ten years of demonstrated experience supporting, leading, designing, and/or supporting mining projects that contribute to trade investment, investment facilitation and private sector engagement, preferably with an ESG focus.
• Demonstrated experience in the business enabling environment, artisanal mining, and extractives industry, more especially in Cobalt and Battery Manufacturing
• Strong analytical, organizational, written, and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize tasks and work efficiently.
• Solutions-oriented, customer-service motivated team player who is also able to work independently and on own initiative.
• Ability to deliver results and able to manage partnerships and maintain working relationships across various organizations and initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to work across a range of private sector and public sector partners.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills, and complete attention to detail
• Preference will be given to applicants currently living in the DRC or the Southern Africa region, with the ability to speak and write French.

Reporting

This role reports to the ATI Senior Technical Director-Africa with day-to-day oversight from an ATI Activity Manager.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Select the position in the drop down list, fill out the required information, and upload CV. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions, only shortlisted applicants will receive notification on next steps.

About the Organization

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 in which 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 of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. DAI does not discriminate in employment on the basis of 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 factor.