Chief of Party – USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Agricultural SMEs in Africa Activity

Chief of Party – USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Agricultural SMEs in Africa Activity

Palladium Group

Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia

This Proposal Opportunity:

Palladium is seeking a Chief of Party for an anticipated USAID-funded program across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia which is anticipated to begin in 2025. The USAID Transforming Financial Markets for Agriculture SMEs is likely to be a 5-year program focused on mobilizing private capital for agricultural small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) strengthen agriculture value chains. The activity will leverage results-based tools used in USAID’s finance and investment mechanisms – supporting a range of agricultural firms to expand investments and operations via a blended finance approach.

The Chief of Party will provide overall strategic leadership, technical leadership, and oversight to the program, ensuring an integrated vision among different components and actors, and a focus on achieving program results. The COP will coordinate and ultimately be responsible for all contract management and implementation. The COP will also be responsible for ensuring quality control and providing overall technical and management leadership under the award. This individual must identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner and suggest appropriate adjustments. This individual must act as the key liaison with USAID and all other counterparts on procedural and substantive matters, implementing partners and stakeholders. The COP must be responsive to USAID including technical direction. The position requires significant coordination skills, broad general and technical knowledge, an ability to cope with multiple interests and challenges, experience in developing countries, and skills to ensure coherence and consistency in the face of urgent deadlines.

Duration: 5 years (anticipated start in 2025)

Location: Kenya

Primary Role and Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership for project management and implementation of project activities.
• Manage project partners and project staff, ensuring that they are fully engaged and participating in program implementation.
• Serve as the main interface between the project, country governments, United States Government (USG) entities, Palladium senior management, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Oversee the project budget and finances, including budget projections, project spending, and financial performance reporting.
• Represent the project at relevant professional meetings, working groups, and seminars.
• Prepare, contribute to, and provide oversight of analyses, recommendations, briefing notes, white papers, assessments, workplans, and reporting materials for internal and client use. Ensure timely and high-quality submission of deliverables.
• Lead strategic development and support of programming in collaboration with USAID and key stakeholders;
• Ensure project risk is effectively monitored and managed;
• Serve as Palladium’s primary liaison with donor(s), and other partners including civil society, government, and other related programs and projects;
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with development partners such as government institutions, private sector, other programs across East Africa, civil society, and media;
• Communicate and implement an integrated vision among different components and actors;
• Comply with USAID and Palladium reporting requirements on program impact and implementation;

Key Competencies Required:

• Master’s degree or higher in agriculture, economics, business administration, or closely related field
• Have at least ten (10) years of significant international experience and expertise in private-sector, trade and agricultural development to successfully achieve meaningful and sustainable results, preferably in East Africa
• Have at least five (5) years’ experience in management, preferably of international development assistance or finance activities. At least three (3) years’ experience in working with the private sector in East Africa will be an added advantage.
• Extensive experience facilitating investments and mobilizing inclusive agricultural finance through blended and supply chain financing mechanisms.
• Extensive experience working in the financial sector, comfort with a wide range of financial instruments (debt, equity, blended finance), private sector investments in agriculture, out-grower schemes, and agricultural corporates.
• Have strong technical expertise, management skills, and English technical writing and communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully supporting business expansion and capital mobilization.
• Professional level of oral and written fluency in English.
• Proven track record liaising with investors, financial institutions, SMEs, government, USAID, and other key project stakeholders
• Proactive problem-solving, decision-making and good judgment skills; attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities
• Ability to communicate effectively with managers, colleagues, and clients
• Microsoft office suite proficiency and the ability to operate spreadsheet and word-processing programs at a highly proficient level
• Experience with USAID and other USG funding agencies. Additional experience with other international donors
• EAC nationals are encouraged to apply. Prior work experience in the region required.

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