Private Sector Engagement Specialist, USAID/BHA Market-Based Approaches for Sustainable Livelihoods in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province

Project Overview
The goal of the USAID/BHA Market-Based Approaches for Sustainable Livelihoods in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province Activity is to transition households of IDPs and returnees in Cabo Delgado from food assistance to sustainable livelihoods. The project will partner with private sector companies, already active in Cabo Delgado, to integrate IDPs and returnees into productive value chains, including cashew. The project will support the deployment of key agricultural technologies and social cash transfers to IDPs and host communities to improve livelihoods, using market-based approaches.

Company Profile
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. 

Purpose of Position
Palladium seeks a Private Sector Engagement Specialist who will develop and maintain strategies to engage leading private sector firms, active in Cabo Delgado, and support the development of business models for private entities that integrate smallholder farmers into productive, commercial value chains. The project will develop a minimum of 6 large partnerships with private sector companies operating in Cabo Delgado and the Private Sector Engagement Specialist will be responsible for designing shared value partnerships, overseeing interventions, and monitoring impact.

Duration: The Activity is projected for 3 years (October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027)  
Location: Cabo Delgado Province (Project Office in Pemba), Mozambique 
Reports to: Team Lead & Deputy Team Lead

Responsibilities

Drive the identification, mapping, and negotiation of private sector partnerships with key private sector firms operating in Cabo Delgado.Develop and implement strategies to engage private sector in shared value partnerships that boost the local economy, engage or vertically integrate smallholder farmers in IDP, returnee, and host community households in productive value chains, and increase access to market and incomes for target communities, leveraging private sector resources.Support the development of smallholder-inclusive business models and environmental sustainability plans for private entities.Identify commercial R&D needs and liaise with R&D partners on private sector‒demanded trials to identify new smallholder inclusive value chains and business lines relevant to private sector interests.Design partnerships that buy-down the risk of private sector investment to launch or expand smallholder inclusive models and new value chain/product lines.Perform any other tasks as required by the immediate supervisor.

Requirements

Bachelor’s/master’s degree in economics, business, international development, and other relevant fields.Minimum 10 years of experience working in private sector or on private sector development for donor-funded projects.Experience in developing public private partnerships in the agricultural sector.Experience in agricultural value chain finance preferred.Prior experience working on donor-funded programs preferred.Mozambican nationality or permanent residency required.Fluency in written and oral English required.Portuguese language proficiency is required.

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.