DAI Global Trade and Investment Specialist Jobs in Malawi

DAI Global Trade and Investment Specialist Jobs in Malawi

Project Description

In partnership with Prosper Africa, Feed the Future, and other initiatives, the USAID Africa Bureau, Africa Regional Missions, and the Middle East Bureau have established the Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) Program, managed by DAI.

The purpose of this Program is to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including North and Sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to strengthen Africa’s markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the U.S. and Africa, and achieve development outcomes across all sectors in line with USAID’s Private Sector Engagement Policy and the USG Prosper Africa initiative.

Driven by market demand, the Program will embrace innovative approaches to achieve its goals. The Program is envisioned as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities, and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that missions and the private sector identify.

The Program aims to mobilize private sector resources and expertise, in conjunction with other USG interagency partners, resulting in the increased capacity, competitiveness and availability of businesses, investors and intermediaries that will drive future trade and investment.

Overview of Job Description

The Malawi Trade and Investment Specialist (Consultant) will be responsible for supporting the USAID Malawi Mission to achieve its Country Cooperation Development Strategy (CDCS) trade and investment goals.

The Specialist will serve as an extended member of the Mission team,1 attending team meetings and working closely with other members – including the Climate Finance Specialist, providing expertise on private sector engagement in trade and investment activities, linking bilateral and regional trade and investment goals, and programming in these areas. The Specialist will:

Provide expertise in identifying and supporting high-priority companies that require trade and investment support;

Work with the Mission on trade and investment policies with the Government of Malawi (GOM), including assessing the feasibility of an effective trade and investment platform

Carry out short assessments and provide capacity building for companies;

Contribute to and/or lead co-creation discussions with USAID and other stakeholders to develop an effective trade and investment and private sector engagement platform that is locally appropriate and responsive to the existing economic challenges;

Ensure Mission staff have the skills and networks to continue in these efforts by building their capacity throughout the period of performance.

The Malawi Trade and Investment Specialist will contribute to and/or lead co-creation discussions with USAID and other stakeholders and contribute to ATI efforts to develop an effective trade and investment and private sector engagement platform that is locally appropriate and responsive to the existing economic challenges.

The ATI Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (ATI AMELP) to be developed for USAID/Malawi buy-in should encompass financial and economic outcomes, including climate finance/blended finance structures, capital raised and deployed, jobs created, among others. It should also capture processes, decision points, and outcomes for ease of replication and streamlining similar efforts across USAID.

All work will be completed in close coordination with the ATI Activity Teams and Technical Leadership.

Responsibilities and Anticipated

Outputs/Deliverables

Technical Support:

Provide technical input in the design of trade, investment and enabling environment activities in Malawi.

Provide surge support to the Mission to participate in project-wide technical evaluation committees in assessing potential trade and enabling environment deals, grants, and subcontracts solicitation(s), private sector engagement and network development, and ATI continental/buy-in service offering(s).

Work with the team(s) conducting assessment(s) on trade, investment and/or climate finance ecosystem (e.g., trade mandate assessment planned jointly with the Millennium Challenge Corporation).

Provide recommendations and road map for trade and investment facilitation platform over the medium to long term and for climate finance access from the Private

sector finance for leveraging to banks and or investment instruments.

Trade and Investment Partnership Development:

Facilitate partnerships between public and private sectors that build capacity and create long-term, inclusive shared value across climate smart food systems.

Lead trade and investment strategies to engage new and under-utilized partners and ensure compliant activity implementation.

Identify and develop priority trade and investment business enabling environment partnerships to create synergies between ATI and other ongoing trade and investment activities in Malawi, e.g. the Embassy Deal Team Lead, and other ongoing USAID projects.

At least two private sector partnerships with USAID supported through their first year of development (one to two sub-grants may be required for this from separate funding)

Strengthen trade and investment linkages between bilateral and regional goals and programming, including demonstrated linkages with AgDiv, MCHF, Growth Poles, REFRESH, YBAIF, UNDP Business Acceleration activities, and MCC

Deal Pipeline Management:

Work with the team to provide strategic advice, support and facilitation designed to mobilize private sector investment and supply chains that are sustainable and climate resilient (which may include local, regional, multinational and US companies)

Developing a Profile Mapping database for opportunities with descriptions of target high-priority companies for expanding trade and investment support

Support the team in reviewing, assessing, and facilitating access to finance, including traditional lending, blended finance (leverage other sources of public and private finance), climate finance-specific structures (e.g. blue and green bonds, carbon), pay for results and/or environmental services structures

Support trade-readiness and facilitate and/or advise with GOM, on regional trade and investment deals, including support to AGOA National Response strategy intended to strengthen including exports of Malawian products to the USA and under AfCTFA

Qualifications

Post graduate degree in international development/relations, economics, business, law,

Development studies or relevant university degree that demonstrates complementarity to the scope of requirements.

At least seven years of demonstrated experience supporting, leading, designing, and/or supporting projects that contribute to trade promotions, market linkages, investment/investment facilitation and private sector engagement.

Strong knowledge of the Malawian economy, previous experience in Institutional development work and a track record of trade and investment linkages development.

Understanding of key local and international trade and investment development issues.

Experience and knowledge of interagency dynamics and developing recommendations for leadership.

Solutions-oriented, customer-service motivated team player who is also able to work independently and on own initiative.

Ability to deal efficiently with a wide range of external contacts; with good communication and influencing skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize tasks

Ability to deliver results and able to manage partnerships and maintain working relationships across various organizations and initiatives.

Strong research and analytical skills with ability to give advice to complex business propositions

Demonstrated ability to work across a range of private sector and public sector partners.

Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills, and complete attention to detail

Preference will be given to applicants currently living in Malawi

Reporting

The Malawi Trade and Investment Consultant reports to the ATI Senior Technical Director-Africa, with day-to-day oversight from an ATI Activity Manager.

1 attending team meetings, regular check-ins with leadership, and reporting as requested and in alignment with Mission MEL plans, etc.


How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; DAI Global Trade and Investment Specialist Jobs in Malawi

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