Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub Recent Job Opportunity

The USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the “Hub”) project, a five-year trade and investment program for Southern Africa in its third year of implementation, is expected to increase global competitiveness and intra-regional trade and improve food security in Southern Africa. The Hub engages with partners across the region to increase sustainable economic growth, global export competitiveness, and trade in targeted Southern African countries.

It supports these objectives by increasing exports from Southern African countries to South Africa and the United States (under the African Growth and Opportunity Act [AGOA]), boosting capital and technology flows from South Africa to other Southern African countries, and providing targeted trade facilitation support to Zambia.

The Hub works with market actors to identify and resolve enterprise constraints and to implement sustainable solutions through market-based trade and investment facilitation services. The Hub partners with USAID bilateral missions through the USAID/Southern Africa Regional Economic Growth Office in the successful delivery of its objectives.

Going forward, in partnership with USAID, the Hub will narrow its activities to achieve the following three objectives:

1. Increased exports to South Africa from targeted Southern African countries
2. Increased investment (capital and technology) out of South Africa to targeted Southern African countries
3. Sustainable utilization of AGOA opportunities by targeted Southern African countries

In addition, the Hub will improve Zambia’s trade enabling environment as part of a buy-in from USAID/Zambia.

 

 

Job Title: Deputy Chief of Party
Location: South  Africa

Objectives and Duties:

The Deputy Chief of Party will oversee two Portfolio Directors for Regional and AGOA trade, and Investment Promotion as well as five Country Representatives (Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini/Lesotho, and Namibia), as well as serve as Chief of Party in Chief of Party’s absence.

The Deputy Chief of Party will:

• Work closely with COP and Hub team to ensure an integrated approach in producing deliverables as outlined in the Work Plan and contract;
• Oversee Hub country representatives and project stakeholders: USAID bilateral mission staff and other USG partners, national government staff, business and trade associations, and other private sector partners;
• Provide input and oversight in the quality delivery of country-level initiatives and portfolio of activities, including trade shows/fairs, forums, and other high-visibility events;
• Recommend to the Chief of Party additional methods of identifying, assessing, and improving program impact;
• Evaluate on an ongoing basis the performance of program activities and work with the COP and teams for continuous improvement Working closely with Directors of Operations, MEL, and Strategic Communications and serve as the Chief of Party’s advisor on all trade and investment matters and compliance matters with partners, USAID and subcontractors;
• Coordinate the identification, approval, hiring, and mobilization of short-term consultants;
• Coordinate with senior leadership team including directors and experts;
• Oversee country representatives and offices including staff and consultants and collaboration with USAID bilateral projects and USAID missions;
• Design and lead strategies with the private sector to improve the enabling environment for agriculture, including providing support to partner-country governments, regional trade associations, and regional economic communities, to harmonize trade, facilitate harmonization and implementation of science-based food safety and nutrition standards, and support improved regulations that support trading of commodities;
• Oversee technical assistance to improve the regional competitiveness of commodities throughout the regional value chains, including facilitating commercial partnerships, accessing real time market information systems and ICT to promote regional trade and increase profitability for farmers and private-sector businesses;
• Work with producers and enterprises across Southern Africa to develop their capacity to identify and respond to regional and international business opportunities in the potential value chains;
• Facilitate strategic, commercially viable partnerships between value chain actors;
• Facilitate private sector engagement and investment among various levels of target value chains including but not limited to producer, processor, wholesaler and exporter levels; and
• Serve as the Chief of Party as needed.

Qualifications:

• At least 15 years of experience, preferably some of which is in the SADC region, in trade, AGOA, and agricultural value chain strengthening on donor-funded projects working with the private sector;
• Demonstrated success using value chain facilitation or market systems approaches which led to greater competitiveness and inclusiveness in markets;
• Demonstrated ability to establish productive relationships with senior government officials, the business community, civil society, and international donors;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills in English; and
• Graduate degree in a relevant discipline, such as business, economics, or law is preferred; Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline is required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Deputy Chief of Party will supervise the Portfolio Directors for regional trade, AGOA, and Investment promotion, and Country Representatives (Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Eswatini/Lesotho, and Namibia)

Place of Performance and Reporting:

The Deputy Chief of Party will be based in Pretoria, South and will report to the Chief of Party.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Interested candidates should submit their online application at https://chm.tbe.taleo.net/chm04/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=DAINC&cws=1&rid=4807.

Please contact the [email protected] if you have any difficulty accessing the online application. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline: December 20, 2019