CATALYZE EduFinance Regional Representative, Sub-Saharan Africa

Project Overview and Role:

The CATALYZE EduFinance program develops private sector partnerships to facilitate innovations in financing and service delivery that increase access to low-cost, quality education. CATALYZE EduFinance mobilizes blended finance – the strategic use of public funds to increase private sector investment – to crowd in private capital into non-state schools and education enterprises in USAID partner countries. Private capital leveraged with funding from USAID will address the substantial funding gap to respond to the global need for increased access to quality education.

CATALYZE EduFinance leverages a pool of specialized expertise to design and implement complex multi-year programs, that can include dynamic tools, such as first loss capital, to mitigate country or education sector-specific risks.

To mobilize private capital in support of education goals, CATALYZE EduFinance operates at the nexus of demand-driven investment and innovative solutions development, collaborating with a global community of experts. CATALYZE EduFinance is implementing a pipeline of education investments in target countries in Africa (Zambia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo), and Latin America/Caribbean (Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Paraguay).

CATALYZE EduFinance (‘EduFinance’) is seeking to fill a consultancy to be based in Sub-Saharan Africa. This consultancy will provide regional representation, program management and technical support to the EduFinance projects currently being implemented in this geographic region.

Palladium is the prime contractor under CATALYZE EduFinance. The projects in Africa are implemented on a day-to-day basis by implementing partners / sub-contractors and sub-grantees.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

The EduFinance Regional Representative consultant is expected to travel frequently to the EduFinance projects in the region and do the following:

• Serve as Palladium’s regional representative and meet with the USAID clients, implementing partners and other key stakeholders (e.g., host country government officials, private sector investors and financial institutions, partner schools) in the countries where EduFinance is operating
  
  
• Conduct quality assurance of the projects to make sure they are achieving their technical results
• Carry out light-touch monitoring and evaluation of the projects – this includes assisting the home office Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team with tasks such as program reporting, data verification, checking to make sure the projects are meeting their indicators and targets
• Help resolve management and technical challenges
• Support Safeguarding efforts – this includes visiting the projects and meeting with the implementing partners to ensure that safeguarding protocols are being followed and help proactively address potential safeguarding-related issues
• Help support task order development (new business development) as needed

The EduFinance Regional Representative consultant will report to the CATALYZE EduFinance Activity Lead based in Washington, DC.

Duration of the Assignment

‍May 1, 2022 – September 30, 2024

Expected LOE

‍30-40%

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Required Qualifications:

• Proven technical excellence in education, with the following preferred -- early childhood education, secondary education, TVET
• Experience in inclusive and blended finance as it relates to development projects
  Knowledge of USAID programming in the education sector and key policies, and USAID terminology, processes, and tools
• Knowledge and understanding of USAIDMEL systems
• Strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written, to fulfil the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the project
• Excellent client representation skills
• Strong ability to communicate effectively and professionally in English, and strong proficiency in a language that’s predominant where CATALYZE EduFinance implements activities (Spanish, French)
• Proven BD track record preferred
• Detail-oriented and deadline-driven with strong organizational skills, and ability to work in a dynamic and agile environment with changing requirements and priorities
• Ability to travel to the countries where CATALYZE EduFinance is working

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Company Overview:

About Palladium - 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 governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.

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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