Basic Function of the Position
- The Private Sector Engagement Specialist position is a member of the Office of Economic Growth and Environment (EGE) in the USAID/Nigeria Mission and reports to the Private Sector Team Lead.
- The Specialist serves as a technical resource for the business enabling environment, trade capacity building, financial sector development, enterprise development, competitiveness, privatization, micro-enterprise development, loan guarantee facilities, bond issuances, and publicprivate partnerships.
- The Specialist provides analysis and advice to senior Mission management and all technical offices on strategies to engage the private sector. The Specialist is expected to perform work-related travel.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
Private Sector Engagement - 50%:
- Lead the development of public-private partnership initiatives and activities by exploring, implementing, and advocating for opportunities to engage the private sector, and creating and improving economic opportunities across the power, agriculture, health and nutrition, education, humanitarian assistance, and WASH sectors in Nigeria. The Specialist works with the Private Sector Team Lead to form USAID Global Development Alliances (public-private partnerships - PPPs) when appropriate. The Specialist provides technical expertise on PPP issues, such as the development of strategies for outreach to the private sector. The Specialist maintains and strengthens private sector relationships (including with the Nigerian diaspora) across all sectors.
- With the Private Sector Team Lead, the Specialist oversees and develops loan guarantees and other financial mechanisms to unlock access to finance in Nigeria across relevant sectors. The Specialist strengthens relationships with Nigerian financial institutions to support access to finance for SMEs. The Specialist collaborates with the technical teams, the private sector, and implementing partners to support the mobile money and digital finance services development in Nigeria.
- The Specialist works with Private Sector Team Lead to effectively implement the Mission’s Private Sector Engagement Plan of Action. S/he collaborates with the Front Office, all Technical and Support Offices to integrate private sector engagement throughout the Program Cycle, including in the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), Project and Activity Design, the solicitation process with implementing partners, and monitoring, evaluation and learning. The Specialist coordinates with USAID Washington and other Missions to learn and share best practices. The Specialist spends extensive time in Lagos and is expected to perform work-related travel.
Program/Project Development, Management, and Oversight - 30%:
- The Specialist participates with Mission Technical Team members, USAID/Washington experts, and others in the design of appropriate projects, activities, and other interventions in Nigeria, with consideration of in-country political, legal, regulatory, and economic environmental factors. The Specialist prepares and justifies program/project recommendations, Scopes of Work, GLAAS requisitions, and other required documentation, and shepherds’ recommendations through to approval.
- The Specialist serves as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) for one or more proposed major programs/projects, managing an annual combined program budget of over $22 million USD per year ($110 million for 5 years), and develops and maintains an extensive range of high-level contacts with private-sector development partners, influential Government of Nigeria (GON) officials, international donors, cooperating agencies, contractors, Implementing Partners (IPs) and their local partners, and other key program stakeholders. The Specialist also oversees the existing USAID loan/bond guarantee portfolio for the power sector valued at $108 million and manages the bank relationships to ensure effective implementation of the agreements.
- The Specialist provides guidance to IPs; reviews and approves contractor work plans and approves hiring of key personnel; provides technical direction to IPs concerning complex issues and provides administrative approval for payments and advances. The Specialist works with IPs to establish benchmarks, goals, and objectives, and receives and reviews periodic and ad hoc reports to ensure that benchmarks, goals, and objectives are being met; conducts scheduled and nonscheduled IP site visits to monitor activities, identify and assist in resolving problems, provide guidance on USAID policies and procedures, and to answer questions. The Specialist prepares trip reports on site visits, listing findings and recommendations, and supplementing written reports with oral briefings to the Office Director and Private Sector Team Lead, and to the Mission Director, as required, and maintains program/project oversight through to final closeout and IP evaluation.
- The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the "Foreign Service National" Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
- The Specialist coordinates Mission technical programs within USAID and the USG, and with other donors; and serves as a member of USAID Strategic Objective Teams and, as appropriate, participates in and/or leads Technical Evaluation Committees. The Specialist is expected to perform work-related travel.
Program / Project Administration - 20%:
- The Specialist drafts statements of work (SOWs) for carrying out studies, including program evaluations and needs assessments. The Specialist participates in selected program evaluations and needs assessments, often contributing as author or co-author.
- The Specialist monitors EGE Office assistance activities in order to provide recommendations to activity managers; serves as a team member on selected Mission Teams impacting the EGE sector; drafts and/or finalizes activity‑related correspondence for signature by superiors; contributes to annual and semiannual performance reviews; and drafts technical papers for new activities, or for changes to on-going programs/projects/activities.
- The Specialist prepares input for annual Operational Plans (OPs), and tracks performance against indicators. Evaluates fully implemented activities, focusing on impact, lessons learned, and problem areas and how these problems have been or may have been overcome.
Supervision Relationship:
- Works under the day-to-day supervision of a Private Sector Team Lead. Assignments are made in terms of overall objectives and the resources available. Completed work is reviewed in terms of achievement of project goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration of work with other initiatives in the Mission portfolio.
Others:
- Supervisory Controls: None.
- Area of Consideration: Nigerians Only
- Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
Minimum Qualifications Required for this Position
- Education: Bachelor's Degree in Finance and Enterprise Development, such as Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Marketing, or International Development, is required.
- Prior Work Experience: Minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in enterprise development and financial industry in Nigeria, or in a closely related area. Prior direct project management experience and technical knowledge in the fields of finance and enterprise development is required.
- Post Entry Training: Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) training course. Participation in job-related seminars, workshops, and development studies programs organized by USAID, and participation in other appropriate training courses as warranted and appropriate and subject to course offerings and availability of funds.
- Language Proficiency: Level IV (Fluent) English language speaking and writing ability is required.
- Job Knowledge: An in depth knowledge and understanding of the concepts, principles, techniques, and practices of finance, enterprise development, private sector engagement and knowledge of the economic status and current events in Nigeria and in the region; and of political and developmental realities, prospects, and priorities for finance and enterprise development in Nigeria is required.
Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to establish and maintain contacts with senior-level officials of the GON, local government, other public and private institutions and firms, private voluntary organizations (PVO), non-governmental organizations (NGO), and the donor community.
- Ability to explain and defend USAID project management policies, objectives, and procedures. Ability to plan, develop, manage, and evaluate important programs/projects.
- The Specialist is required to have skills in delivering significant and highly specialized technical recommendations and advice related to private sector to a broad audience, including USG, GON officials, implementing partners, local and international donors and private sector actors.
- Proficiency in MS Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are required.
Evaluation And Selection Factors
- Education (10 points)
- Prior Work Experience (20 points)
- Job Knowledge (30 points)
- Language Proficiency (10 points)
- Skills and abilities (30 points)
Per this scoring rubric, prior work Experience, Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are the most important factors. Applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a short list of applicants developed.
USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.
After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will be convened to review applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
As part of the selection process, finalist candidates may be interviewed either in person or by telephone at USAID’s discretion. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter, and USAID will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant. Only finalists will be contacted by USAID with respect to their applications.
Benefits / Allowances
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a CCNPSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:
Benefits:
- Health Insurance
- Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
- Annual and Sick leave d. Annual Bonus
Allowances (as applicable):
- Transportation Allowance
- Meal Allowance
- Miscellaneous Allowance
- Housing Allowance.
Market Value
- N15,052,605 to N22,670,299 equivalent to FSN-11; 40 Hours per week in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of United States Mission, Nigeria (Effective October 27, 2019). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.