Strategy Development Expert

Job Description

Background:

USAID’s Jordan Competitiveness Program (JCP) is a five-year program that aims to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness in high value added sectors, promote sustainable economic growth, and increase employment for Jordanians. It will support Jordanian private and public sector leaders to achieve competitiveness and job creation goals, focusing on real growth drivers in information and communications technology (ICT), ramping up capacity in clean technologies, and improving standards for cost-effective, high-quality healthcare and life sciences research. JCP will achieve these goals through direct technical assistance to the public sector enterprises and associations, and specialized programs working to strengthen the ties between businesses and universities, research centers, government entities and sources of finance, both inside Jordan and internationally.

Activity R&D, tech transfer and commercialization of the JCP will work with key players contributing to building the ecosystem and improve commercialization as considered being an added value contributing to Jordan’s competitiveness and job creation. To achieve this, JCP will provide technical assistance to the Industrial Research and Development Fund (IRDF), which is affiliated to the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) by preparing the Fund’s five-year strategy and three-year action plan to enable enhanced support for commercialization of research and economic growth.

Accordingly, JCP intends to engage a short term consultant with global and Jordanian Knowledge of challenges facing research funding agencies and specifically the commercialization of research, to deliver in-depth analysis based on research, consultations, workshop/s and meetings with the Fund’s steering committee and key players that will support the development of the strategy. The Short term consultant will be assisted, when needed, by the R&D, Tech Transfer and Commercialization team and the Access to Finance Component in developing the strategy and the financial model. The work of the short term consultant will initially rely on the following studies: Higher Council for Science and Technology and Innovation Strategy (2013-2017), National innovation Strategy, study report for Science, Technology and Innovation activities in Jordan, the broken cycle Universities, and Research and Society in the Arab Region.

Objective:

The consultant will provide technical expertise to IRDF to develop a Five-year strategy, including performance indicators and measurement tools, prepare a 3-year action plan, prepare the financial model as well as providing recommendations on potential extra funding to advance commercialization, innovation and talent ecosystem to foster the Fund’s contribution to economic growth

Roles and Responsibility:

• Assess the current situation of IRDF position in funding industrial research, based on quantitative analysis and extensive input form experts in the Fund’s committee and others found across stakeholders and industrial research related industries. it is also informed by past studies, and experience in other parts of the world provided by the consultant. Current situational assessment should include, but not limited to, research and innovation at IRDF, human resource, financial resources, IPR and collaboration with other entities.
• Provide a benchmark analysis of best practices that have successful models as IRDF. The best practices identified are then compared to activities underway in IRDF.
• Develop the IRDF five-year strategy to serve as a roadmap for IRDF to advance its efforts in R&D and commercialization and increase its funding sources.
• Prepare a 3-year action plan profiling the implementation of the strategy.
• Prepare a quantitative and financial planning model for sustainability.
• Prepare a set of performance measures to be tracked on annual basis.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in engineering and scientific research record
• Extensive experience in strategic planning within the ecosystem dynamics (academia, industry and research).
• Extensive experience in research funding and allocation of funds for scientific research to commercialization.
• Knowledge in Jordan’s activities in research, innovation and commercialization and funding agencies.
• Knowledge in best practices of research commercialization practices and linkage to industry where research on industry-based-demand approach.
• Previous working experience in the Middle East and preferably in Jordan in advancing scientific research in academia and other research institutions dedicated to advancing research and product development.
• Experience in fund allocation and financing research to commercialization.
• Broad science / industry understanding.
• Extensive experience in the design of short and long term goals for the development of Human Resources (training & skills and education).
• Experience of best practices and their application in Jordan based on customized approaches.
• Experience in IP management and IP applications and processes.
• Experience in crafting financial models and allocation of funds for scientific research to commercialization.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in Arabic and English
• Excellent presentation skills.

Period of Performance: May - June 2015

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Thank you.

About the Organization

About DAI

DAI is an employee-owned global development company. For 40 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governments, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 60 countries. Our integrated development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines—crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS and disease control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.