Palladium

Manager, Inclusive Growth and Natural Capital

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 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. 

This Opportunity:

Palladium’s Inclusive Growth and Natural Capital (IGNC) portfolio works with entrepreneurs, businesses, investors, governments, and non-government groups to improve private sector competitiveness, boost trade, enhance market performance, and create conditions for inclusive, sustainable economic growth. Their projects champion innovative ways to unlock and mobilize capital to sustain inclusive growth in emerging economies. The IGNC portfolio also includes projects that transform conservation and nature restoration into investible business models.

We are proactively building a talent pool for future Manager, Project Delivery positions within our organization. As a Manager, Project Delivery, you will be responsible for supporting projects within our IGNC portfolio. As a mid-level professional in the Practice, the Manager(s) will bring project management experience and technical acumen to both project delivery and business development. The Manager(s) will play a key role in the startup, administration, and management of projects and, through business development and contributions to thought leadership, contribute to Palladium Americas’ growth and impact around the world.

The Manager(s) will support project delivery, business development, and other initiatives across the Practice. This may include technical areas as diverse as finance and investment, financial and digital inclusion, market systems, business enabling environments, agriculture, climate change and green economy, enterprise development and entrepreneurship, competitiveness, export and market development, e-commerce, and innovation. Across activities, the Manager(s) will help advance IGNC approaches in private sector engagement (PSE), localization, youth and gender inclusion, and working with and through local business ecosystems to achieve scaled and sustainable development outcomes.

Palladium professionals at all levels work extensively and collaboratively with others in the company (including in other Practices/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.

Experienced Managers will have opportunities to support other units within the firm in our collaborative and agile environment, as well as to travel for project oversight or business development pursuits. Future careers within the firm could be in any department or subject area; typically, Managers become thought leaders, proposal champions, and Project Directors 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 D.C. office.

Per company guidance, we are aiming to keep hiring closer to our main U.S. offices. If we are unable to find successful candidates who are willing to work from the D.C., NY, or NC office, then as a last resort we may discuss the possibility of considering exceptional candidates to work permanently remotely (from other U.S. states where Palladium is registered).

Please be advised that a final salary offer will be based on various factors, including but not limited to your qualifications, education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and Palladium’s business or organizational needs.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the compensation for this position, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We value your interest in our company and appreciate the opportunity to discuss this opportunity with you.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in project management and business development in the international development space, with specialized experience in economic growth, private sector engagement, agriculture and/or 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:

This role will report to a Sr. Manager or Director, Inclusive Growth or Finance and Investment, depending on project assignment.

Managers typically supervise or dotted line manage one or more Associates or Sr. Associates

The position is based in Palladium’s Washington, D.C. office with an expectation to be physically present 3 days per week. The position may entail overseas travel, at approximately 20% time and for periods averaging 2 weeks.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Project Management

For assigned projects, the Manager will serve as part of one or more Project Management Units (PMUs) that also includes a Project Director, Project Associate, and the Chief of Party/Team Leader. The PMU is responsible for the management and administration of projects. Responsibilities include:

• Support Project Directors in the management of project teams and compliant administration of USAID and other donor projects
• Manage operational activities (including start-up, close-down, and maintenance of a live project) associated with the various aspects of the life cycle of a project.
• Develop reports, budgets, workplans, proposals and other outputs for internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage tracking and documenting of project deliverables.
• Support the planning, implementation, and reporting on project activities as needed and requested.
• Oversee and quality control field project procurements, compliance, and financial management.
• Work with partner organizations (such as subcontractors) on the contractually compliant delivery of agreed inputs and achievement of agreed outputs and outcomes.
• Review and ensure quality, prior to final approval and processing of, invoices from consultants, subcontractors, and vendors for a timely submission in accordance with project requirements and Palladium procedures.

Business Development

The Manager may contribute to or support advancement of work relating to strategic growth planning and opportunity identification as well as specific proposal efforts, including:

• Contribute to technical proposals principally targeting USAID opportunities in the economic growth/ finance and investment/climate and nature space based on best practices applied to specific country contexts.
• Contribute to the identification, assessment, and pursuit of new business opportunities, as well as the analysis of our prospects for winning opportunities.
• Take part in reconnaissance or positioning trips as part of priority new captures and bids to engaging with potential partners, including private firms and sources of finance within a target sector or value chain.

Technical Work

The Manager will support one or more projects by assisting with the preparation of technical deliverables, reports, assessments, tools, and strategies. For example, the Manager may:

• Identify and implement new technical approaches and ways of working as projects evolve.
• Contribute technical input to the design, planning and the delivery of projects.
• Lead elements of technical work in collaboration with the Senior Manager and Project Director. Ensures quality and completion.
• Identify, build and maintain relationships with partners and consultants that provide technical expertise to projects.
• In collaboration with Project Director(s) and technical leads, provides regular communication to all stakeholders.
• Work with others across Palladium to provide and build technical capability.
• Contribute to research, analysis and publication of technical reports, case studies, policy and program approaches, and results summaries on topics related to expand existing lines of business.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies Required:

• Experience with project management involving USAID and other government clients in diverse settings.
• Experience working on developing country issues and/or in developing country contexts.
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous tasks and/or complex projects/assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to learn from prior experiences and adapt/improve processes, work, communications accordingly.
• Experience in business development in the international development context.
• Familiarity with USAID programs and policies
• Sound problem solving and decision-making skills and ability to meet deadlines with exceptional attention to detail and to quality.
• Proven experience identifying and applying complex program management processes within an international organization or business.
• Proven experience building cross-cultural partner relationships and networks.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff, clients, and consultants.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective team leader, manage, and train people in a complex and fast-paced environment.
• Financial acumen and the ability to generate, interpret, and analyze financial reports and forecasts using Excel and other reporting/forecasting systems, as demonstrated by experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (in English) as demonstrated by speaking engagements and/or contributions to written documents.
• Ability to travel and work in developing countries for extended periods of time.

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

• Experience supporting work implementing USAID-funded contracts.
• Experience designing and managing pay-for-results (P4R) subcontracts and grants under contract is a plus.
• Experience partnering with private companies, especially agribusiness, finance and private sector-led development.
• Experience working in a developing country or in a project-based environment.
• 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 networking across the development community, including with donors, implementing partners, and developing country organizations, private sector stakeholders, and governmental institutions.
• Professional working proficiency in another language, with priority given to Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Arabic

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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