Activity Specialist (STTA) – 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 is 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 program, 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 Specialist will support Liberia buy-in activities with support from the Country Team Leader, the Activity Manager and the ATI team. S/he will possess both technical and administrative skills and capabilities to help drive DAI’s processes for grant and subcontract design, structuring & implementation management as well as budget management and financial forecasting. The specialist plays a pivotal role in evaluating, overseeing co-design and implementation of funded activities, with a focus on trade, investments, and improved business environment. Responsibilities include different facets of the activity implementation process, ensuring efficiency and success, encompasses prioritizing and reviewing applications, collaborating on with existing and potential grantees as well as subcontractors throughout the application and implementation phase of the activities. The Activity Specialist will directly contribute to the co-design of grants applications, monitoring and evaluation of partners’ work, and communicating with ATI internal and external clients about implementation progress, results, and accomplishments. This role requires a proactive individual with experience working with private sector firms in facilitating trade and/or investment, it also requires a deep understanding of market trends, strong project management skills, and the ability to cultivate relationships with key stakeholders.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Managing the grant application process by reviewing incoming applications for technical soundness and alignment with overarching ATI objectives and ensuring completeness of submission materials.
• Offering technical and process guidance to potential grantees on the application, eligibility criteria, and required documentation, supporting them to navigate the submission process effectively.
• Collect, analyze, interpret, and correlate industry/sector data to generate insights and recommendations for decision-making.
• Coordinate and facilitate biodiversity and community-based natural resources management meetings.
• Support USAID to establish long term relationships with key Government of Liberia stakeholders at national and county levels as well as with not for profit and for-profit private sector stakeholders in the agriculture and natural resource management/environment management space.
• Assist in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track project progress, outcomes, and impact.
• Monitor the progress of existing and new partnerships by collecting and analyzing project reports, tracking milestones, and ensuring compliance with grant requirements. Liaise with grantees and subcontractors to ensure proper M&E data capture and data quality to contribute to overall ATI project M&E reporting; and
• Assist in organizing and compiling all documentation provided by grantees to facilitate the evaluation of grant applications. This includes collating, reviewing, and verifying the completeness of the submitted documents and managing the overall submission process.
• Support knowledge management efforts for lessons learned, best practices, and success stories from the project implementation activities; Support development and review of technical deliverables (both contractual and from partnerships) and contribute to subsequent learning.
• Liaison between ATI and grantees, facilitating communication, addressing inquiries, and providing support as needed throughout the project lifecycle.
• Travel to review and monitor field activities as required.

REPORTING:

The Activity Specialist will report to the Activity Manager or designee and Country Team Lead in Liberia.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Economics, Environmental policy/Management, Biodiversity Conservation or related field.

• 7+ years of experience working in/with the private sector facilitating trade and or investment or managing projects in agriculture and natural resource management/environment management space supporting private sector firms to expand their capacity and operations.

• Demonstrated experience in managing complex budgets and multi-year programs preferred as well as managing budget, operations, and project management.

• A background in project management, particularly within the context of grant-funded programs and working with the private sector actors.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data related to grant applications, project progress, and outcomes.

• A customer-centric approach to understand and meet the needs of internal and external stakeholders. Providing timely support, responding to inquiries, and maintaining positive relationships.

• A solid understanding of financial principles and metrics, including budgeting, financial forecasting, and investments management.

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other relevant software applications for data analysis, report generation, and communication purposes.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, including private sector actors.

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

• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills in English.

  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.