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 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. 

Project Background

Palladium International, LLC is implementing the $250 Million, 5-year USAID CATALYZE contract which offers a facilitated partnership model that will craft solutions to crowd in $2 Billion in blended finance (i.e., blended concessional and commercial finance) to USAID partner countries; it can work in any development sector or region. Launched in October 2019, CATALYZE is a buy-in mechanism that allows USAID Bureaus and Missions to efficiently deploy investment facilitation solutions that respond to the needs of specific sectors, issues, and geographies.

USAID CATALYZE Market Systems for Growth (MS4G) focuses on creating transformative outcomes in the food security and WASH sectors to benefit all Ethiopian people. To achieve these goals, the activity engages youth, mobilizes capital, increases access to finance, connects enterprises to markets, and supports stakeholders to self-advocate towards policy change which will promote opportunities for the private sector community. The project supports activities in Addis Ababa and secondary cities.

To strengthen the private sector in the food security and WASH sectors, MS4G uses a market-based approach to enhance enterprises’ performance, product/service delivery, and inclusion. The activities are designed to build institutional capacity, enhance knowledge and skill transfers through workforce development initiatives, advance the business enabling environment, accelerate digital transformations and scale best practices to increase productivity and quality.

This Opportunity:

CATALYZE MS4G is expanding its activities in the conflict-affected areas of northern Ethiopia to support economic recovery and re-integration. It is expected that the Regional Coordinator for Eastern Amhara (North Wollo, South Wollo, Wag Hamra and other conflict-affected areas as directed by the MS4G Country Director) and Afar would be based in Kombolcha, Woldia, Dessie or Samara; but Palladium will consider highly qualified candidates in other locations in North Wollo zone (Amhara) or Afar region.

 Estimated Start Date:  

This assignment is expected to commence in September 2023.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in supervising program activities, 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 Regional Coordinator will report to the USAID CATALYZE MS4G Director of Program Integration. S/he, working closely with the technical team, will be responsible for leading and managing programmatic and operational planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities in North Wollo, South Wollo, Wag Hamra and Afar. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Specific responsibilities of MS4G Regional Coordinator include, but are not limited to:

• Project Planning and Implementation. Ensure that detailed planning is continuously carried out and adjusted in a timely and effective manner in accordance with project requirements. Ensure regional context is considered in design and planning.

• Continuously assess relevant and potential private sector actors across MS4G focus sectors.

• Coordinate and provide oversight of MS4G’s third party service providers, including business advisory service providers (BASPs), digital service providers, financial services partners located in the region and ensures effective delivery of project interventions in coordination with technical and procurement staff based in Addis Ababa.

• Support the country office team in organization of regional and local events including business to business meetings, learning events, and job fairs.

• Lead and or participate in various regional level visits, meetings, forums, and workshops organized by USAID delegation and other development partners/ stakeholders on behalf of MS4G.

• Closely monitor project performance and make necessary decisions using appropriate means and methods that support continuous improvements.

• Continuously monitor and assess regional security and safety issues that may affect MS4G’s operation in the region and provide updates to the Country Office.

• Support and facilitate establishment and operation of youth advisory boards/councils in the region.

• Support country office in identifying and engaging partners operating across MS4G priority sectors and cultivate relationships with stakeholders of MS4G, assuring credibility and visibility.

• Communicate continuously with the regional and or the international office staff to describe program progress and proposes alternatives/ solutions in case of poor performance or any obstacle in the implementation of the project.

• Responsible for coordinating, organizing, and formulating required reports in accordance with project and donor requirements.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to social and economic re-integration of conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia.

• Experience planning and coordinating private sector led development initiatives in Ethiopia

• Demonstrated understanding of SME challenges in Ethiopia and specific awareness of business challenges in the conflict-affected regions in northern Ethiopia

• Prior experience in at least one of MS4G priority sectors

• Demonstrated understanding of market systems development approaches

• Understanding of the specific challenges facing women and young people

• Experience working on donor-funded projects, prior USAID experience preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain working relationships with collaborators and colleagues of different backgrounds.

• Hands on experience with budgeting, project management, monitoring and evaluation processes.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and other local languages.

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with key stakeholders at sub-national and district levels.

• Demonstration of critical professional traits: analytical, paying attention to detail, and results-orientation.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in conflict-affected situations preferred.

• A minimum of eight years out of which two years of experience in USAID funded projects directly implementing large complex projects.

• Master’s Degree from a recognized University in Agriculture, Economics, Developmental Management, Project Management, or any relevant discipline.

How to Apply

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.

How to Apply

Please apply using the following CLICK HERE