Senior Associate, Economic Growth, Finance & Investment 45 views

Senior Associate, Economic Growth, Finance & Investment
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 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.
This Opportunity:
The Finance and Investment Portfolio at The Palladium Group is part of a dynamic cohort of impact-oriented colleagues working toward the goal of reducing poverty in the developing world. Palladium has led more than 250 economic growth projects in over 100 countries, lifting hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty. The Finance and Investment Portfolio works to maximize the opportunities born of the combination of market trends making private sector financing of development a mainstay, and of Palladium’s unique diversity of corporate assets focused on private sector financing, in order to:
Drive inclusive growth and job creation for men, women, and youth, as well as underserved populations across sectors and geographies
Advance adoption and adaptation of blended finance to promote more inclusive financial and capital markets, while contributing to positive systemic impacts
Members of the Finance and Investment Portfolio work closely with other economic-growth oriented portfolios including: Market Systems & Inclusive Growth, Private Sector Development (PSD), Economic Policy & Public Finance, Digital Solutions and Transformation, and Workforce Development and Youth Empowerment. Staff in the firm work collaboratively with others in the company (including in other Portfolios and in other regions) to advance firm-level growth and impact goals; build relationships and visibility; develop innovative approaches and methodologies; and manage effective, dynamic teams.
As an early-mid-level professional in the portfolio, the Senior Associate will bring project management experience and technical exposure to both business development and project delivery in areas related to blended finance, impact investing, capital mobilization, access to finance, and SME development, especially aligned to sector experience in climate, digital solutions, agricultural value chains, and gender lens investing. The Senior Associate also will contribute to Palladium Americas’ growth and impact around the world in these disciplines, as well as other related areas such as private sector development, private sector engagement, enterprise development, competitiveness, market linkages, e-commerce, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The Senior Associate will participate in Palladium projects across the globe, principally financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—with access to finance, capital mobilization, impact investment, and / or blended finance as tools to achieve agriculture/food security, market systems development, or other inclusive growth goals and objectives.
The Senior Associate will also support business development efforts, including strategic capture planning, proposal development and partnering, networking and recruitment.
Experienced Senior Associates will have opportunities to support other units within the firm in our collaborative and agile environment, as well as to travel for either project oversight or business development pursuits. Future careers within the firm could be in any department or subject area; typically, Senior Associates become mentors and leaders, proposal experts, and Project Managers as they gain experience and skills; they also may have opportunities to fill short- and long-term assignments overseas.
Location:
The position is based in Palladium’s Washington, DC office.
You and Your Career:
If you are a collaborator with an innovation and initiative-oriented attitude, and you have expertise in business development and / or project management, in the technical areas of finance and investment, 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 role reports to the Portfolio Lead, Finance & Investment, or a designee. As needed, the role also may support other portfolios.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
Business Development
The Senior Associate may contribute to work relating to strategic growth planning and opportunity identification, as well as specific proposal efforts. The Senior Associate may:
Contribute – through research, specified writing tasks, graphics or presentation, or budgeting – to technical proposals principally targeting USAID opportunities in the economic growth/ finance and investment space
Contribute to the identification, assessment, and pursuit of new business opportunities, as well as the analysis of our prospects for winning opportunities
Project Management
For assigned projects, the Senior Associate may serve as part of the Project Management Unit (PMU) that also includes a Project Manager, Project Director, and Chief of Party or Team Leader. The PMU is responsible for the management and administration of projects. The Senior Associate may:
Support Project Managers in the guidance of project teams
Support the planning, implementation, and reporting on project activities as needed and requested
Support project work planning, budgeting, and progress/financial reporting
Work with partner organizations (such as subcontractors) on the contractually compliant delivery of agreed inputs and achievement of agreed outputs and outcomes
Technical Work
The Senior Associate will support one or more projects or knowledge management initiatives by assisting with the preparation of reports, assessments, tools, and strategies. For example, the Senior Associate may:
Support short-term inputs and/or consultancy assignments on topics such as agribusiness finance, digital finance, capital mobilization, investment services, SME growth, agricultural value chain development, agricultural production, market access, and other relevant topics
Support technical input into the design, planning and delivery of international development projects for USAID and other international donors
Provide support to monitoring and quality-assuring Palladium’s services
Contribute to research, analysis and publication of technical reports, case studies, policy and program approaches, and results summaries on topics related to expanded access to finance, investment facilitation, private sector growth, and other similar topics in developing countries
Help to build and maintain relationships with partners and consultants that can provide technical expertise to Palladium-managed projects
Key Competencies Required:
Experience and interest in business development with U.S. government or other clients
Experience and interest in project management involving U.S. government clients
Excellent written and oral communication skills as demonstrated by speaking engagements and/or written documents produced
Ability to support multiple simultaneous tasks and/or complex projects/assignments
Financial acumen and the ability to generate and analyze financial reports and forecasts using Excel and other financial reporting/forecasting systems as demonstrated by experience
Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills
Experience or interest in developing country issues and/or contexts
Fluency in English
Demonstrated commitment to encourage equity, diversity, and inclusion, in teams and programs
Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:
Professional working proficiency in French strongly preferred
Professional working proficiency in Spanish favored
Familiarity with USAID programs and policies
Familiarity with the following technical areas: agribusiness finance, digital finance, capital mobilization, investment services, SME growth, agricultural value chain development, agricultural production, market access, and other relevant topics
Experience with conceptualizing and writing technical sections of reports for donors, including annual reports, quarterly reports, and monthly/weekly reports, including both PowerPoint and text documents
Experience with conceptualizing and making presentations to small and large groups (over 30 individuals), both in-person and virtually
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.
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