Activity Manager – Liberia

BACKGROUND

The USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Activity is a five-year, flexible buy-in mechanism jointly managed by the USAID Africa Bureau, Middle East Bureau, and Africa Regional Missions. It was designed to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including North and Sub-Saharan Africa. It strengthens Africa’s markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the United States and African continent. It also works to achieve development outcomes across all sectors.

Driven by market demand, ATI embraces innovative approaches to achieve its goals. ATI is designed 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 USAID Missions and the private sector identify.

In support of Prosper Africa’s goals, USAID funding through the Africa Trade and Investment activity, is implementing a $20 million Liberia Agribusiness Incubator and Development Activity from March 2023 to June 2026. This activity will strengthen the commercial agricultural sector by incubating new ideas from promising entrepreneurs, increasing access to finance, fostering an improved network of business service providers, strengthening agricultural value chains, creating jobs, and improving the overall business-enabling environment in Liberia.

The activity is also working with at least three existing incubators that will support and provide Business Development Services (BDS) to a targeted local agribusiness, women and youth-led business with ideas to strengthen the commercialization and performance of the Agricultural sector in Liberia.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Activity Manager will be responsible for managing Liberia buy-in activities with support from the Country Team Leader, Activity Specialists, associate(s) and other technical team members the team might onboard or work with based on the needs during implementation process. The Activity Manager will also interphase with other lifeline teams including, MEL, Finance, Gender, Grants and Communications. Responsibilities include providing oversight as well as technical and management support to buy-in activities, working with the technical and operational teams to identify and mobilize resources in support of implementation, and supporting USAID clients. The Activity Manager is also responsible for buy-in activity budget management and financial forecasting, in close coordination with the Operations/Finance team and with support from other team members. The Activity Manager will also be responsible for generating buy-in activity scopes of work, supporting the design of procurements and grants programs, and tracking budgets across ATI’s portfolio. S/he will report to a Country Team Leader or designee and will also liaise with the client as needed.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Activity Implementation

• Manage and track buy-in activity implementation progress by partners i.e. grantees, sub-contractors, consultants and ATI team members. The activity manager will also steer the implementation of the activities and ensure they adhere to the approved workplan and deliverable schedule and seek guidance and provide solutions to deviations.
• Support development and review of technical deliverables and contribute to development of communication outputs in liaison with the communications team onward sharing and subsequent learning.

Collaboration, Learning and Adapting

• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation plans for activity.
• Collect and analyze data to track activity progress and impact.
• Identify and mitigate risk, and develop corrective actions as needed.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with USAID, government Stakeholders, private companies, NGOs and other development stakeholders to ensure activity alignment and buy-in.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to facilitate activity implementation and impact.
• Manage relationships with clients and implementing partners and serve as a project point of contact for the duration of the assigned buy-in activities.
• Lead on all matters related to the buy-in, including but not limited to contractual, operational, MEL, reporting, and financial matters.
• Ensure assigned buy-in activities are managed in accordance with USAID regulations and DAI Procurement policies.
• Liaise with implementing partners to ensure proper M&E data capture and data quality to contribute to overall ATI project M&E reporting; and
• In tandem with relevant technical staff, generate buy-in scopes of work and budgets as needed.
• As needed, support the project’s procurement and operational staff.

Communication & Project Reporting

• Prepare and submit regular activity reports to the Country Team Leader in Liberia.
• Ensure that activity reports are accurate, timely, and effective in communicating project progress and impact.

Technical Support:

• Provide technical support to project staff, contractors, and grantees as needed.
• Ensure that activities are implemented in accordance with USAID policies, procedures, and regulations.

Reporting:

The Activity Manager will report to the Country Team Leader or designee in Liberia.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, economics or related field required, Master’s degree in a relevant subject area preferred.

• 9+ years of project management experience, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in agribusiness development, with focus on smallholder farmers and value chain development.

• An extremely well organized and self-driven individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus. Ability to identify time-sensitive demands & inquiries and respond effectively.

• Demonstrated record of providing technical expertise to governments or international organizations, with experience in the technical aspects of climate finance within the context of climate change and/or sustainable development. Advantageous experience in establishing partnerships and collaborative arrangements with a wide range of stakeholders.

• A background in project management, particularly in the context of grant-funded activities and demonstrable experience working with Private Sector Enterprise (PSE) actors in the Agriculture, natural resource management space activities.

• Exhibited experience in budget, operational, and process management. Demonstrated experience in managing complex budgets and multi-year programs preferred. Knowledge of internal controls and audit processes (e.g. procurement, local subcontract agreements, etc.)

• Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations regarding project management, including procurement and grants.

• Proven project management, communications, writing and interpersonal skills including strong experience with client management.

• Experience supervising staff and working in teams is preferred.

• Demonstrated report writing skills in English are required.

• Previous experience with DAI policies, procedures, and systems recommended.

• Fluency in spoken and written English required especially on technical write-ups such as briefs, SOW, reports, policy/technical papers/policy; additional language skills recommended.

• Ability to work in a fast-moving, fluid team setting with multiple stakeholders.

  ABOUT DAI

• 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 our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.