Senior Manager,Project Delivery, CATALYZE
About Palladium:
Palladium is a globalcompany working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives andlivelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power,and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformativeinstitutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve thenatural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, andgender identities.
This Opportunity:
The CATALYZE Portfoliobased out of Palladium's Washington, D.C. office is currently seeking a SeniorManager, Project Delivery to provide dedicated project management andimplementation support across CATALYZE activities but focusing principally onCATALYZE Ethiopia Market Systems for Growth (MS4G).
CATALYZE is a $250million 8-year program, designed to mobilize $2 billion in private capital,especially to underfinanced social sectors (such as education) and higher riskcountries (especially low-income and post-conflict countries) around the globe,complemented by a cross-cutting inclusion of gender-lens investing. CATALYZEserves as a "platform of platforms" that provides services to many missions andbureaus that "buy in" to tap the CATALYZE investment and pay-for-resultsproject management expertise.Our aim is for investors to explore andfind commercially viable opportunities and approaches to creating jobs,developing sustainable social services, tightening, and rationalizing supplychains, and advancing inclusive growth - ultimately, reducing the need fordevelopment institutions to provide donor funding.
Global CATALYZE teamsand USAID missions have spent the last two years co-designing and implementinga series of activities to significantly mobilize private capital fordevelopment that make up the CATALYZE portfolio, also known as Buy-Ins:
- Asia Social Protection: Improving access to financial and social protection for vulnerable women in Asia. Focus countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines. Partners: TBD.
- CATALYZE Peru: Catalyzing investment and access to finance for SMEs in the Peruvian Amazon.Focus country:Peru.Partners:Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries, Private Sector Anchor Firms.
- EduFinance: Mobilizing capital for non-state education, early child care development, training and workforce development, and improving and sustaining learning outcomes for children and youth, particularly those who are the most marginalized and vulnerable.Focus countries:Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Latin America and the Caribbean.Partners:Kaizenvest, UBS Optimus Foundation, PEAS, EPG, Opportunity International.
- Ethiopia Market Systems for Growth (MS4G): Fostering private enterprise growth primarily in agricultural markets to boost food security, make improvements to water, hygiene and sanitation and support COVID relief.Focus country:Ethiopia.Partners:Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Transaction Advisory Service Providers (TASPs), Consultants, Associations.
- Sahel Finance for Resilience (F4R): Increasing financing to support capital investment in the agricultural sector and in youth-led enterprises.Focus countries:Burkina Faso, Niger.Partners:ICDE (Burkina Faso) and SINERGI SA (Niger). Financial Facilitators/Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries, USAID Implementing Partners Yalwa, Yidgiri, Bridge Youth Connect, Sahel Collaboration and Communication Activity.
- Sri Lanka Private Sector Development (PSD): Promoting economic diversification and employment opportunities for SMEs, principally women.Focus country:Sri Lanka.Partners:Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries, Consultants, Business Associations.
- Western Balkans Engine of Growth: Increasing SME access to private capital and using finance to drive enterprise growth. Focus countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia.Partners:Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs), Financial Intermediaries.
- Women's Economic Empowerment: Mobilizing private capital to create economic opportunities for women.Global focus.Partners: U.S. Development Finance Corporation, BAC El Salvador, Banco LAFISE Dominican Republic.
You and YourCareer: If you are aproblem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in implementingUSAID projects, overseeing project financial management, or managing fieldteams, we are interested in hearing from you.
We are a learningorganization and provide growth opportunities from the start.We prideourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart afulfilling career!
Reporting andSupervision: The Senior Manager, Project Delivery, plays a key rolein leading day-to-day management activities of the project team, harmonizingtechnical goals and compliance with our client agreements, regulations, andinternal policies. Through this experience and working closely with their PMU,managers, project delivery, are expected to gain the competencies and skillsneeded to progress to director level roles in project delivery, or functionalareas. This role also typically supervises one or more Associate(s), ProjectDelivery, ensuring their training in project management duties and bestpractices, while also promoting their development and growth into futuremanagers, project delivery or functional roles.
Reporting requirementsinclude:
Oversee and manage Senior ProjectAssociates and Project Associates as assigned
As delegated, the role liaises withclients, technical area specialists, corporate services, professionalservice providers, and other stakeholders as required
- The role carries a degree of autonomy onproject management with appropriate consultation
- The role is required to analyze and makesound recommendations to the line manager
- The role may carry expenditure and/orsignatory authority for project-related costs and documents
Primary Duties and Responsibilities: ProjectManagement
- Under the leadership of the ActivityDirector, lead the Activity Management Unit (AMU) in the execution ofrequired financial administration and management, contract compliance,procurement, reporting and other operational obligations to comply withUSAID and Palladium requirements
- Serve as Activity's primary liaisonwith CATALYZE CORE team, corporate services, ProjectDelivery, Field Team Leadership and ProcessExcellence teams to ensure effective and efficiency project delivery
- Manage project deliveryand changes including project scope, schedule, and costs to keep theproject plan accurate and updated
- Support development andexecution of project subcontractor, grant management, and procurementprocedures compliant with internal and client's rulesand regulations
- Engage and coordinate with field teams todevelop, execute and monitor procurement pipelines through out theprocurement and project cycle
- In collaboration with Process Excellenceand corporate services, ensure compliance with, company policies andclient rules and regulations (covering as required risk management,project planning, human resource management, monitoring, reporting,finance, procurement, logistics, IT, communications, audit support and allother project managements matters), providing training and mentorship toAMU and field staff as required
- Participate in the development,implementation, and monitoring of project work plans, tracking projectdeliverables and monitoring project delivery againstspending forecasts
- Ensure project issues and risksare identified, logged, reported on, managed and mitigated; andescalate risks and issues to Practice Area and Process Excellenceleadership, ensuring corrective actions are fulfilled, as required
Contract and ClientRelationship Management
- In coordination with the CATALYZE CORETeam, monitor and maintain compliance with head/prime contracts includingagreement action requests (i.e., travel, personnel changes, grantapprovals, budget realignments, etc.)
- Monitor and report on overall progressagainst agreed targets, milestones, outputsand activities
- Liaise with and respond to requests fromclients in conjunction with the Activity Director and fieldteam Country Director, including providing or giving inputson reporting
FinancialManagement
- Ensure company policies andprocesses for financial management are implemented and are compliantwith the client's rules and regulations
- Leads monitoring budget progress againstforecast as one metric to track project progress against its work plan;proactively seeks to solve shortages or overages against the frozenforecast as needed
- Serve as a coordinator for serviceproviders and approve (or obtain approval for) work orders and invoices;ensure the accuracy of client invoices (including monthly, milestoneand performance-based invoices)
- Support the external audit process asneeded and ensure retention of project records is compliant with companyand client policy
Human ResourceManagement and Recruitment
- Oversee project human resource planning,recruitment, contracting, and mobilization with field teams andcoordinate inputs from Compliance, HR, and Talent Acquisition teams(i.e. benefits, local labor law, etc.)
- Lead the mobilization and demobilizationof international staff (short-term and long-term) including contracting(in coordination with HR) and travel management
- Serve as primary supervisor to one or moreAssociate(s), Project Delivery, or Senior Associate(s), ProjectDelivery; or Manager (s)
Project Delivery
- Take a proactive role in staffdevelopment, including working with supervisees to identify professionaldevelopment opportunities, and holding monthly coaching sessions to advisethem on project management best practices, core competencies, and generalwork skills and behaviours
Technicaldelivery
- Coordinate with the Activity Director andfield team Country Director(s) to identify workstreams requiring HomeOffice technical delivery support
- Provide technical advice in the design,structuring and implementation of partnerships and procurements with bothinternational and local partners
- Play lead or supporting role in theimplementation of activity workstreams, as assigned
- Collaborates with field team and homeoffice peers to ensure lessons learned from across Palladium anddevelopment community are integrated into task design and implementation
- Leads teams to implement new workincluding assignment and management of staff to new activities,initiatives or projects, as required
- Oversees and ensures quality of thedevelopment of technical reports, workplans, proposals andother outputs for internal and external stakeholders
- Performs other duties asassigned
Business Development /Other
- Contribute to company growth by ensuringassigned projects are managed well, ensuring Palladium is seen positivelyby clients for consideration in future business development
- Participate in capture planning, providinginputs on implementation requirements
- Provide input and support businessdevelopment of the company as required
- Complete other duties as assigned
Key CompetenciesRequired:- Substantial work experience in one or moreof the following topic areas: project management and implementation,financial management, inclusive finance, blended finance and/or impactinvesting in developing and emerging markets
- Substantial work experience managingmultiple complex projects/assignments in a time-sensitive environment
- Excellent written and oral communicationskills (in English) as demonstrated by speaking engagements and/or writtendocuments
- Ability to meet multiple deadlines withexceptional attention to detail and to quality
- Experience on developing country issuesand/or contexts
- Leads problem solving initiative andimplements new ways of working and processes.
- Experience networking across thedevelopment community, including donors, implementing partners, andcooperating country organizations and governmental institutions
- Excellent team management skills in acomplex and fast-paced environment
- Excellent interpersonal skills anddemonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diversestaff, clients, and consultants
- Extensive experience with conceptualizingand making presentations to small and large groups (over 30 individuals),both in-person and virtually
- Excellent problem solving anddecision-making skills
- Demonstrated strong financial skills forgenerating, interpreting, and analyzing financial reports and forecasts
- Extensive experience implementing USAIDand/or other donor funded projects
- Proven experience identifying and applyingcomplex program management processes
- Ability to travel and work in developingcountries for extended periods of time (20-30%)
Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:- PMPcertification
- Experienceworking in a developing country
- Professionalworking proficiency in another language, with priority given to Amharic, Spanish,French, Portuguese, and Arabic
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion -We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encouragediversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. Wepositively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce;and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatmentregardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (butare not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity,religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran,marital or Indigenous status.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to adisability or you are a neurodivergent individual or any other circumstance,please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com
Safeguarding -We define Safeguarding as "the preventative action taken by Palladium toprotect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm". We arecommitted to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact withPalladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.Allsuccessful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection processincluding safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.
