Job Openings at Palladium Group

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

We are recruiting to fill the following positions below:

1.) Senior Intern

Job ID: req21894
Job Location: Nigeria

Purpose of Position

• The senior intern is a key role to the Propcom+ team.
• The specific purpose of the position is to provide Clerical and administrative support to your assigned Team.

Primary Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the Senior Intern is spread across the following key functions:

• Assist in the preparation of briefs, reports, and related information products for the team in line with the teams plan (which is a living document).
• Support the team in developing/updating relevant tools, capturing stories, and collating products in line with the plan.
• Under the supervision of your manager, actively contribute to the achievement of programme learning goals, objectives, progress markers, milestones and targets and evidencing as required.
• Assist the team to research relevant databases and other data sources for reliable data needed by the team and the programme at large.
• Assist the team to ensure that is activities are fully integrated with other P+ processes (i.e., operations, technical, communications, monitoring and evaluation systems).
• Support archival and management of relevant products.
• Carry out other tasks as agreed by your line manager.

Teamwork:

• Actively contribute to Team building within the P+ team – use of shared mission, vision, values, identity/public profile, use of staff meetings, staff welfare, social events, formal and informal opportunities, etc, to reinforce teamwork. Look out for, highlight, and support resolution of internal challenges impacting on team performance.
• Maintain close working relationships with members of P+ MEL, Communications, Technical and Operations Support Teams.
• Maintain strong working relationships with other members of the palladium Teams to deliver a shared workplan.

Minimum education and experience required

• Relevant Bachelor`s Degree or HND qualification.

Values and Key Competencies required:

• Team player and fast learner with a can-do attitude.
• Motivated and energetic self-starter who takes initiative.
• The role will form part of the P+ Team.

Key competencies and professional expertise required:

• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Competency with computers; physical and digital filing systems and typing.
• Good team player and able to build good relationship with team.

Click here to apply online

Note: Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

2.) Access to Finance Officer

Job ID: req24470
Job Location: Abuja
Job Type: Full Time
Report: Access to Finance Lead.

About Propcom+

• Propcom+ is an FCDO-funded eight-year (2023-2030) rural and agricultural market development programme supporting climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture and forestry that benefits people, climate, and nature.
• The programme is implemented by The Palladium Group, and it aims to transform Nigeria's rural economy by addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in the country's food and land-use system.
• It will do this by (i) increasing productivity, improve nutrition and food security; (ii) enhance climate resilience, pursue lower emissions, and protect and restore nature, and (iii) help tackle some of Nigeria’s underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity.
• It does this by working as a ‘market facilitator’, identifying constraints in markets systems and facilitating changes to enable rural markets to work better for the benefit of poor and climate-vulnerable smallholder farmers and rural small-scale entrepreneurs.
• Propcom+ has a target of increasing the incomes and climate resilience of 3.79 million poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria, 50% of whom will be women, through a “3Ps” approach of interlinked components:
  • P1: Scaling-up a focused basket of Proven climate-smart interventions around agricultural and primary processing / storage practices and models to get these adopted by millions of poor and vulnerable smallholder farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs.
  • P2: Building markets by developing and Piloting new business models that improve productivity, enhance resilience to climate change, reduce emissions, and improve nutrition outcomes.
  • P3: Enabling Policies that support a strengthened enabling environment for sustainable food and land-use system.
• The programme will also be supporting agribusinesses, enterprises, and farmer groups in mobilizing up to GBP 125 million private finance for their businesses by 2030 through tailor- made interventions and facilitation efforts.

Position Summary

• Propcom+ is promoting climate smart agricultural practices, low carbon emission approaches for agriculture and agribusiness operations, energy switching initiatives, and sustainable natural resource management and land use. In this regard, appropriate financing of productive use equipment, green financing, and climate financing initiatives are expected top priorities for this position.
• The Access to Finance Officer will be responsible for supporting Access to Finance Lead in the identification and development of innovative and disruptive finance and investment business models that can improve commercial lending to agribusinesses and agricultural entrepreneurs.

Team Engagement:

• The position holder will directly collaborate with the Access to Finance Lead, and support in providing technical assistance to Propcom+ works on access to finance.

What You’ll Do
Primarily, you will support the A2F Lead and other relevant team members in developing tailored solutions towards addressing access to finance challenges of agribusinesses and agricultural enterprises supported by Propcom+ to achieve the mobilization of GBP 125 million private finance by 2030, you will be expected to:

• Support the Access to Finance Lead in the day-to-day efforts in facilitation of debt and equity transactions with vulnerable groups, with a specific emphasis on women and youth.
• Assist in the development of technical resources required for market engagement and intervention design and implementation. These include drafting and development of memorandum of understandings, terms of reference, intervention guides, assessment manuals etc.
• Help, and lead where and when delegated, in stakeholder engagements and market actor interactions, including other agriculture development programs.
• Assist in prospecting for deals, ideating deal exchanges, and designing appropriate engagement frameworks for potential transactions between agribusinesses, commercial banks, government intervention funds, grant making organizations, and other donor- funded projects through closure.
• Work across programme pillars and across functional areas to promote collective delivery of programme objectives.

Research and MEL:

• Support market research activities, data collection exercises, data analysis, and report writing.
• With the support and supervision of the A2F Lead and other team members, undertake value/supply chain mapping, sub/sector analysis and market assessments to inform Programme priorities.
• Work with the MEL team to design intervention MEL plans, including indicators, method, and frequency of data collection, and data analytical frameworks.
• Provide periodic report to support decision making.
• Engage in developing and sharing knowledge relating to Access to Finance interventions and other programme interventions that may be assigned to him/her.
• Contribute to all programme deliverables including monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, market intelligence reports, intervention decks etc.

Stakeholder Management:

• Assist in the management of relationships within financial institutions (banks and non-banks), insurance companies, agricultural entrepreneurship and MSME ecosystem, as well as with representatives of the Government of Nigeria where necessary.
• Support in the partnerships and establishment of relationships with other development programs, donor organizations, market system actor groups to strengthen complimentary programming.
• Provide support to business development service providers (BDSPs) and other technical consultants or advisers working with the programme.
• Ensure that programme partners are adequately supported on all issues affecting their businesses and operations and on which the programme has agreed to work with them.
• Work with other team members to plan, organize, provide logistical and operation supports, and develop reports of events, workshops, fairs, and learning programmes held internally or externally.

Who You Are

• A self-motivated individual with requisite technical skills, networks, and attitudes to drive and deliver change using market systems development approach.
• A team player, excellent in communication, self-accountable, and result-driven.
• A seasoned, and well-rounded professional with experience in the private sector, agribusiness and agricultural financing.
• Have proven records of partnership building, attracted private sector investments, and influenced positive and sustainable changes in agricultural market systems.

Key Competencies / Experience

• Preferred candidate for this position must have a First Degree in Economics, Banking & Finance, Investment Management, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Project Management, or other related fields. The candidate must also possess:
• At least 3 years of cognate experience facilitating and closing finance and investment deals.
• Experience in programs related to strengthening rural and agricultural MSMEs and facilitating their access to finance. Prior experience in managing relationships with finance and investment stakeholders, particularly in supporting their capacity building.
• Prior experience working on donor-funded projects, such as those funded by FCDO, USAID, GAC, The World Bank etc., will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with institutional, private and public sector partners.
• Excellent written communication skills, including ability to produce high-quality project reports.
• Ability to work independently under tight deadlines; team support; and deliver high quality input on a timely basis.
• Fluency in English is required and must be a citizen of Nigeria.

Click here to apply online

3.) Intervention Officer

Job ID: req24459
Job Location: Abuja
Reports Directly To: Portfolio Manager

Description

• We are searching for an experienced Intervention Officer at our Abuja facility. Propcom+ is an FCDO-funded eight-year (2023-2030), rural and agricultural market development programme supporting climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry that benefits people, climate and nature.
• The programme is implemented by The Palladium Group, and it aims to transform Nigeria's rural economy by addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in the country's food and land-use system.
• It will do this by (i) increasing productivity, improve nutrition and food security; (ii) enhance climate resilience, pursue lower emissions, and protect and restore nature, and (iii) help tackle some of Nigeria’s underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity.
• It does this by working as a ‘market facilitator’, identifying constraints in markets systems and facilitating changes to enable rural markets to work better for the benefit of poor and climate-vulnerable smallholder farmers and rural small-scale entrepreneurs.
• Propcom+ has a target of increasing the incomes and climate resilience of 3.9 million poor and
• vulnerable people in Nigeria, 50% of whom will be women, through a “3Ps” approach of interlinked components:
  • P1: Scaling-up a focused basket of Proven climate-smart interventions around agricultural and primary processing / storage practices and models to get these adopted by millions of poor and vulnerable smallholder farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs.
  • P2: Building markets by developing and Piloting new business models that improve productivity, enhance resilience to climate change, reduce emissions, and improve nutrition outcomes.
  • P3: Enabling Policies that support a strengthened enabling environment for sustainable food and land-use system.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• With oversight from the Portfolio Manager, s/he will be responsible for designing and facilitating the delivery of select interventions, applying a broad range of market development tools to stimulate changes in the behaviour of market actors and structures, leading to more inclusive, “green” and sustainable market growth.
• S/he will work closely with the GESI Advisor and MEL team to ensure that intervention designs align with Programme gender targets and MEL plan for ease of tracking, evaluation, course-correcting, and reporting results.

Intervention facilitation:

• Use research and evidence to develop market-led strategies and business models.
• Identifying and selecting project opportunities, maintaining coverage, and fulfilling project commitments.
• Develop annual workplans, resource requirements and budgets, in alignment with Programme deliverables.
• Work with Portfolio Manager to develop business case deck, identify and pitch business case to potential partners.
• Provide technical assistance to targeted private sector partners in identifying new roads to markets as well as designing efficient distribution and aggregation channels.
• Broker trade negotiations and market linkages between farmer groups/BMOs/Associations and national and multinational companies to expand market access and value to all actors.
• Lead field delivery, working with partners to execute bottom of the pyramid strategies.
• Perform periodic industry analyses on the broader agricultural market and targeted subsectors to keep the programme strategy responsive.
• Work with Operations and Management team to ensure due diligence, financial, credit and risk reviews on potential partners.
• Ensure the appropriate communication of clear intervention guidelines, expected outcomes, timeframe and workplan to all relevant parties.
• Assist the Portfolio Manager in the development of relevant grant agreements, MoUs, ToRs and any other administrative requirement for the interventions.
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure proper implementation of activities.
• Periodically assess Programme/intervention assumptions in the light of the changing environment; identify emerging priorities, refine, and adapt intervention strategies accordingly.
• Work closely with Portfolio Manager and other Management team to ensure Programme support and facilitation tools are creating additionality, catalysing markets, and not distorting development.

Stakeholder Management:

• Understand how the political economy impacts markets, and how the knowledge can be used to shape local policies and markets.
• Maintain contacts with key stakeholders to increase synergies.
• Assist in establishing contacts with state and non-state actors that may contribute to the successful implementation of market activities and maintain relationships with key players with common interests as Propcom+
• Ensure value for money in the delivery of every intervention activity managed by partners.
• Serve as liaison for the Programme in targeted subsectors and markets, displaying the qualities of a good market facilitator – listening, good communication, courtesy, tact, and discretion.

Research and MEL

• Support the Portfolio Manager in researching and identifying opportunities in relevant sectors and markets.
• Work with Portfolio Manager and MEL team to undertake value/supply chain mapping, sub/sector analysis and market assessments to inform Programme priorities.
• Work with Portfolio Manager to undertake stakeholder analysis of selected value chains to understand the structure of the organisations and their motivations and establishing contacts with potential private sector partners.
• Work with MEL team to design intervention MEL plan, including indicators, method, and frequency of data collection.
• Provide periodic report to support decision making.
• Engage in developing and sharing knowledge products relating to own  interventions.

 Required Qualifications
Knowledge and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in agriculture, marketing, business, or related fields with 3 years cognate experience in similar programme, developing market systems or designing bottom of the pyramid models.
• Technical experience in market system development approach to development
• Experience with supporting assessments, monitoring and evaluation and other learning efforts required.
• Knowledge and experience working in the North of Nigeria, with understanding of the gender and youth inclusion challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including government, community-based organizations, and the private sector.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.
• Excellent oral, written and computer skills.
• Fluency in English; fluency in Hausa is an added advantage.
• Adaptive and can work independently.

Organisational Learning:

• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Palladium’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
• Supervisory Responsibility: None
• Works directly with: Technical team, Communications team, MERL and Program Management Unit.

Success Factors:

• The ideal candidate will be results-oriented, self-motivated and have demonstrated analytical skills.
• The ideal candidate will be familiar with market-based agricultural programs targeting women, youth and will demonstrate cultural knowledge and sensitivity, while also demonstrating skills and ability to provide incentives and capacities for market actors working with diverse groups and offer technical assistance across project partners.

Click here to apply online