Regional Investments Lead, Green Recovery Investment Platform Africa at Palladium International

This Opportunity

Palladium is seeking an Africa Regional Investments Lead to lead the USAID-funded Green Recovery Investment Platform (GRIP) in Africa. The program, currently valued by USAID at $250 Million, is expected to be based in Washington, DC, with field offices Globally. The purpose of GRIP is to mobilize private sector finance and actions that support the transition to an equitable and resilient net-zero economy while stimulating recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. GRIP will be a management and technical assistance platform designed to facilitate partnerships, improve enabling policies and finance ecosystems, and enhance learning and capacity to address these challenges. It will catalyze finance for climate change mitigation and adaptation, clean energy transition, and nature-based solutions to increase the resilience of development outcomes

The Objectives Of GRIP Are

1. Develop and scale effective partnerships and solutions to achieve transformational change;
2. Foster an inclusive enabling environment to build shared vision and accelerate collective action, primarily through developing networks of actors (investors, corporates, NGOs, local operators); and
3. Advance learning and development community capacity to mobilize catalytic private sector partnerships and finance.
4. The anticipated proposal release date is March 2022. The program would start in 2022.

You And Your Career

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in investment in climate mitigation and adaptations, clean energy transitions, or nature-based solutions in Africa, 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!

1. Reporting And Supervision
2. Reporting to Chief of Party

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

1. Collaborate with the global Director of Investments, Chief of Party, and the Deputy Chief of Party to develop GRIP’s Africa investment strategy that considers Africa’s unique climate finance ecosystem.
2. Provide technical and managerial leadership to connect local, regional, and global actors with the opportunities, partners, and information required to increase investment in African target countries.
3. Prioritize strategies to target marginalized communities, both socially and economically, including women, youth, indigenous populations, and persons with disabilities.
4. Oversee and provide guidance to subcontractors and short-term technical experts responsible for aspects of technical implementation within these five subcomponents.
5. Lead the financial due diligence process and evaluation for commercial viability of new green business models including reviewing business plans, financial viability, and evaluate, and manage investment risk and mitigation.
6. Provide technical assistance to GRIP partners in Africa throughout the incubation cycle from idea to acceleration and scale up.
7. Identify and maintain networks of regional investment, development financing institutions, and climate financing facilities relevant to execute deals for GRIP funded partnerships.
8. Share results and learning with project leadership, Palladium, and USAID, in addition to integrating the learnings of other regional investment hubs throughout GRIP’s duration.
9. Other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies Required

1. 10 – 20 years of experience working in an international investment-related or climate finance field.
2. Advanced degree in Business, Economics or related field preferred.
3. Experience developing pipelines of investment opportunities, identifying, and securing sources of dept/equity capital sources, conducting due diligence, and structuring performance-based partnerships in Africa.
4. Analytical skills and deep knowledge in business planning, financial due diligence, reviewing and negotiating deal documentation.
5. Experience with reviewing investment memorandum of understanding (MoUs), grant financing, venture financing, financial modeling, and financial structuring (debt, equity, blended, and guarantees.
6. Experience leading trade missions, organizing investment conferences, and other investment promotion activities in Africa.
7. Technical competency and significant experience in managing financial deal/transactions for innovative projects, and/or commercialization of start-ups and scale-ups, preferably in supporting investment deals for market-based ventures and green projects.
8. Demonstrated knowledge or expertise in one or more of GRIP sectors, including agriculture, forestry, renewable energy, industry, transport, infrastructure, water and recycling, blue economy, smart cities, logistics and supply chains.
9. Demonstrated experience achieving significant increases in private investment mobilized in Africa.
10. Progressive levels of managerial responsibility.
11. Ability to manage and work with teams in locations throughout Africa.
12. Proficient in English, French and/or Arabic and strong written / verbal communication skills.