Palladium Currently Recruiting Staffs (July 2017)

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved – and is committed to continuing to improve – economies, societies and most importantly, people’s lives.

Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.

Job Description

Job Title: Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist (LTTA)

Project Overview and Role

The Financing Ghanaian Agriculture Project (USAID FinGAP) addresses a key constraint restricting the development of commercial agriculture and obtaining full food security in Ghana? access to finance necessary to enable investment in agricultural value chains. USAID FinGAP uses a comprehensive approach to facilitate agriculture related investment, engaging a broad range of Ghanaian Financial Institutions (banks, private equity firms, leasing companies, investment funds, etc.) in providing agricultural oriented financing, in partnership with strategic investors and buyers of rice, maize and soya in Northern Ghana. FinGAP also facilitates investment in the agriculture sector in Ghana that will complement other Government of Ghana (GOG) and donor programs aimed at expanding commercial agriculture. The Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist will support USAID FinGAP?s Agribusiness Opportunities Development Unit (AOD Unit) to identify, develop, and support agribusinesses for investments through market linkages with investors that integrate SMEs and smallholders to promote equitable participation of farmers in their supply chains.

Responsibilities

Primary Duties

The Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist will provide technical and administrative support to the AOD Unit in the area of developing public-private partnerships (PPPs) with strategic anchor firms to increase Small, Medium including Large Enterprise (SMiLE) and smallholder farmer access to key technologies and services (e.g. storage, irrigation, access to inputs, mechanization services, machinery and tractor services) and creating platforms for the deployment of financing solutions for smallholder farmers. Additional PPPs may be pursued in roads and transport, potentially in partnership with GCAP and the GoG, as well as in other technical areas identified as priorities for enhancing value chain competitiveness.

Specifically the Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist will identify opportunities to develop strategic PPPs, and structure, roll-out, and monitor the implementation of these. This will be done with attention to the cross-cutting gender and environmental components of the project. The Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist will also design activities to support the success and sustainability of PPPs established, and cultivate and leverage partnerships with other actors (including implementing partners, the GoG) who can provide technical or budgetary support to increase the effectiveness of PPPs. He/she will also contribute to annual work plans, monitor implementation of the work plan activities related to his/her SOW, contribute to the development of quarterly and annual reports, and support USAID FinGAP to achieve performance targets related to the AOD Unit component.

Specific Functions and Responsibilities

The specific responsibilities of the Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist include:

• Identify opportunities to develop and structure PPPs between anchor firms, technology providers, technical support service providers and sources of finance;
• Oversee the implementation of PPPs, including developing implementation plans, monitoring and follow-up, and designing activities to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of partnerships;
• Identify resources (GoG, development partners, other) to support investment opportunities, including technical support which the project can leverage for additional impact;
• Work with the Communications team and M&E Manager to facilitate communications activities that highlight the successes of PPPs developed and expand project reach;
• Supporting, together with the AOD Unit and via USAID-FinGAP-selected Business Advisory Service (BAS) providers, the following:
  • Agribusiness deal origination
  • Deal structuring
  • Deal closure
  • Agribusiness loan repayment;
• Work with the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) and AOD Unit to analyze financing requirements for launching PPPs, develop appropriate financial structures/products, and liaise with GOG and PFIs to provide financing;
• Work closely with expert STTA that will be mobilized to support PPP development, including several storage PPPs being launched in the immediate term. This will include: identifying PPP partners, designing PPP structures which take into account potential risks associated with implementing the PPP, facilitating meetings between key PPP partners, modeling projected benefits for the SMiLEs/smallholder farmers, determining financing requirements to make investing in storage solutions feasible and working with pre-qualified BAS providers to facilitate finance, and developing work plans for the PPPs which outline action items for each partner, expected results, and a plan for measuring success and sustainability;
• Supporting design and implementation of Project events;
• Supporting the evaluation of project activities as required;
• Participating in annual work planning and design;
• Ensuring that the Project meets financial and social impact requirements;
• Traveling to Northern Ghana and other parts of the country as needed;
• Support the AOD Unit Manager and the Chief of Party with action planning and technical and administrative tasks as assigned;
• Other Project-related tasks as required.

Requirements

The minimum qualifications for the Agribusiness Partnerships Specialist include:

• Bachelor?s degree required; master?s degree in international development, finance, agriculture, or related field of study preferred;
• Minimum of five (5) years? progressively responsible experience in management consulting, business development, or agribusiness, preferably within the private sector;
• Level 5 English ability (fluent) is required;
• Ghanaian citizen