Deputy Chief of Party
USAID Value-chain Opportunities for Indigenous Conservation Enterprises (VOICE)

About Palladium                                                                                                          
Palladium is a global leader dedicated to designing, developing, and delivering positive impact on lives and livelihoods worldwide. At the heart of our mission is conserving the natural environment and promoting inclusive and sustainable development, ensuring that our solutions address global challenges while safeguarding the future. We build sustainable, transformative institutions and market systems that create lasting change. Operating in over 90 countries, our diverse team of 4,000 professionals—representing a wide range of cultures, languages, identities, and perspectives—shares a commitment to creating a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient world.

This Proposal Opportunity

The USAID Amazon Regional Environment Program (AREP) Value-chain Opportunities for Indigenous Conservation Enterprises (VOICE) Activity is a 5-year activity that aims to improve indigenous and Maroon peoples' capacities across the Amazon region to pursue inclusive community development involving commercial activities that are environmentally and economically sustainable as well as respectful to indigenous rights and culture. This activity will promote regional conservation of natural resources in the Amazon through forest protection, sustainable practices, strengthened local governance, and associated activities.

The primary components of this activity are as follows:

1. Support targeted Indigenous and/or the Maroons in the Amazon to keep the forest alive through conservation enterprises.
2. Improve governance and technical capacities of Indigenous and/or Maroons to enhance and strengthen activities that promote forest conservation and sustainability in their territories, solutions, and fostering economic growth.

Position Summary

Under the leadership of the Chief of Party (COP), the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) leads technical aspects of the project in compliance with USAID and Palladium rules and regulations to achieve project objectives. The DCOP will oversee project activities and support the main office regional technical teams to finance, pilot, and implement nature-based business models that conserve and restore key ecosystems in the Amazon region, while delivering economic value and aligning to the culture of local indigenous and Maroon communities. The DCOP will provide support to the COP in liaising, programmatic, strategic development, and quality control duties. They shall have depth and breadth of technical expertise and experience, a solid professional reputation, interpersonal skills, and professional relationships to fulfill the requirements of the activity.   

*This is a proposal position and is contingent upon award from USAID.*   

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) shall provide support to the COP with strategic leadership and oversight to the activity; 
Serve as a member of the senior leadership team of the program and support the Chief of Party in oversight of project staff and activities;  Co-lead and oversee programmatic functions, i.e., development of work plans, budgets, quarterly/annual reports, and ensure effective implementation of program strategy; Maintain effective and open communication throughout the project with Chief of Party, USAID, Project Director, Objective Leads, project operations teams, and other relevant stakeholders; Collaborate with different stakeholders, particularly with indigenous communities and federations in target countries, the Governments of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Suriname, and local private sector actors, to foster country-driven, inclusive, locally relevant strategies to improve and assure biodiversity and ecosystem conservation and develop sustainable livelihoods;Co-lead and oversee team to identify opportunities and manage a portfolio of grants to initiatives working in biodiversity, conservation, environment, sustainable livelihoods or sustainable land management throughout the country;Co-lead and oversee capacity development of grantees to improve their operational and technical management;Work with the Chief of Party and other project staff to continuously refine implementation processes by integrating lessons learned and best practices; Ensure that program implementation is in accordance with Palladium’s and USAID’s regulations and procedures; In collaboration with local staff in-country, identify program opportunities and potential local partners as needed;  Serve in an acting capacity in the absence of the COP; and Undertake other duties as assigned by the COP. 

Key Competencies Required

 A University degree or higher in international affairs, public administration, business administration, policy social sciences, development studies, indigenous studies and/or biodiversity, environment, or natural resource management related fields. Extensive experience in managerial and operational experience, preferably in managing large donor projects involving coordination with multiple implementing partners or institutions. Demonstrated experience working with indigenous communities and Maroon peoples of the Amazon is required and experience with regional government institutions is preferred.Extensive technical experience in one or more of the following: developing and piloting the nature-based solutions in restoring forests, mangroves, or other ecosystems, advancing climate-smart agriculture, developing market-led conservation enterprises, developing payment for ecosystem services, fostering market linkages to scale conservation enterprise incomes, improving access to climate financing, and improving forest governance capacity and incentives.Proven leadership in the administration of similar sized international donor- supported programs with skills in strategic planning, management, supervision, and budgeting.Knowledge of natural resources, environment/biodiversity contract management, policies, procedures, regulations and reporting requirements.Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams. Experience managing field-based biodiversity conservation and or climate change or ecosystem management and restoration. Extensive experience in developing activity work-plans, budgets, managing implementation, staff, and short-term technical assistance. Strong analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think and plan strategically, ability to manage a culturally and linguistically diverse staff, consultants, and counterparts.Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities, often within a required timeframe.Professional and diplomatic demeanor and conduct, especially during interactions with the client and its constituents, particularly regarding regional governments.Experience working in the Latin American region preferred. Experience in the countries of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Suriname is a plus.Excellent oral and written communication skills in Spanish and English.  Fluency in English with strong oral and written proficiency. 
Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Dutch preferred.

Nationals of the above-mentioned countries with relevant experience are encouraged to apply.

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 accommodation 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.