Senior Associate, Project Delivery, CATALYZE

About Palladium:

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. 

This Opportunity:

CATALYZE is a $250 million 8-year program, designed to mobilize $2 billion in private capital, especially to underfinanced social sectors (such as education) and higher risk countries (especially low-income and post-conflict countries) around the globe, complemented by a cross-cutting inclusion of gender-lens investing. CATALYZE serves as a “platform of platforms” that provides services to many missions and bureaus that “buy in” to tap the CATALYZE investment and pay-for-results project management expertise.  Our aim is for investors to explore and find commercially viable opportunities and approaches to creating jobs, developing sustainable social services, tightening, and rationalizing supply chains, and advancing inclusive growth – ultimately, reducing the need for development institutions to provide donor funding.

CATALYZE is currently seeking a Senior Associate, Project Delivery to provide dedicated project management and implementation support across CATALYZE activities but focusing primarily on CATALYZE Ethiopia Market Systems for Growth (MS4G). The goal of this buy-in is to foster private enterprise growth primarily in agricultural markets to boost food security, make improvements to water, hygiene and sanitation and support COVID relief. The Senior Associate is a valued member of the team completing a variety of tasks that are critical to high-quality project management.

Location and Compensation:

The position is based in Palladium’s Washington D.C.  office.

For our prospective employees in the United States, please note that the full-time equivalent annual base salary for this position is expected to range from $68,000 to $72,000, and successful candidates may also be eligible for additional, variable incentive compensation dependent on the role. For part-time employees, the salary will be prorated based on the actual number of hours worked.

Please be advised that a final salary offer will be based on various factors, including but not limited to your qualifications, education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and Palladium’s business or organizational needs.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the compensation for this position, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We value your interest in our company and appreciate the opportunity to discuss this opportunity with you.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in finance, and project management, 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!

Reporting Lines:

The role reports directly to the MS4G Senior Manager or Manager

Primary Roles and Responsibilities: 

Learn to review procurements, budgets, reports, and other documents to ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures; may conduct spot checks on processes and internal controls including reviewing asset management procedures and updated asset registers for each project
Work towards anticipating project needs and providing compliant, flexible recommendations on processes, or assigned responsibilities, such as suggesting adequate timelines for reviews and coordination between HQ and field offices, proactively handling PMU administrative tasks, etc.
Serve as a liaison between the project and the Process Excellence Hub
Learn and contribute to training of project staff on company policies, procedures, and guidelines and client rules and regulations (covering for example: security, occupational health and safety, risk management, planning, human resource management, monitoring, reporting, finance, procurement, logistics, IT, communications, audit support and all other such implementation matters)
Support the development and presentation of internal and external reporting, (quarterly Internal Project Reviews [IPRs], annual reviews, and client deliverables) and ensure these outputs are fit for purpose
Assist with internal PMU administration, including drafting weekly meeting agendas, updating trackers, managing the project registry, and maintaining calendars and deadline reminders
Support the monitoring and maintenance of compliance with head/prime contracts
Manage and support contract amendments as required
Provide inputs and support to other PMU members on any client communication or reporting needs
Help coordinate service providers and process work orders and invoices
Support preparation of contract action requests (i.e., travel, personnel additions/changes, subcontracts, grants, budget realignment, etc.)
Support audit processes and ensures retention of project records is compliant with company policy

Essential Criteria:

Previous experience with project and financial management on government contracts and grants and completing tasks where high quality organizational, financial, or managerial skills are needed
Experience with procurements and oversight of consultants, vendors, and other partners
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, in English
Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills
Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team when required
Demonstrated competence to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities in a time-sensitive environment and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality
Demonstrated ability to manage and protect confidential information
Proficiency in Excel

Desirable Criteria:

Experience implementing USAID-funded programs
Fluency/proficiency in a second language relevant to a developing country context desirable

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.