Chemonics International seeks a Sr. Partnerships Manager for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Climate Finance for Development Accelerator (CFDA). The Sr. Partnerships Manager will serve as a key member of the CFDA team to oversee a diverse portfolio of buy-ins and activities, as well as build and maintain relationships with USAID Missions and investment partners, subcontractors, and grantees. The primary portfolio for this position will include the Caribbean Climate Investment Program (CCIP).
CFDA is a $250 million initiative designed to mobilize $2.5 billion in public and private climate actions and investments by 2030. CFDA convenes stakeholders across the public and private sectors to develop and scale effective partnerships and innovative investment solutions that bring more climate finance resources to frontier and emerging markets. Through these efforts, CFDA aims to strengthen locally led climate finance ecosystems and empower local actors to drive climate solutions. CFDA is managed by a core Washington D.C. based team of senior experts in impact investing, climate finance, resilient economies, grants and subcontractor management, and inclusive development.
The CCIP Buy-in under CFDA is a 4-year, $20.5 million activity that aims to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) technologies, adaptation actions, and natural climate solutions across 14 countries in the Caribbean. At its core, CCIP links funding seekers (SMEs developing and scaling renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate adaptation technologies in the Caribbean) to funding providers (private sector investors) to promote regional climate resiliency and energy security. This project will have a lasting positive impact in helping the Caribbean mitigate the climate crisis, and represents some of the most innovative, future-fit work Chemonics will do in the years ahead.
Responsibilities:
- Independently manage a select portfolio of buy-ins from a range of USAID Missions, Bureaus and Independent Offices (MBIOs), ensuring operational efficiency, including quick, well-scoped buy-in development processes.
- Provide USAID offices and missions, both regional and country, with one consistent point of contact to ensure consistent communication and translation of mission-specific requirements into the design of actionable scopes of work that advance investment deals.
- With support from senior CFDA technical team, coordinate the buy-in negotiation process on behalf of CFDA, developing buy-in scopes of work, budgets, approval requests, and any other associated deliverables.
- After buy-in is secured, provide oversight of all aspects of buy-in implementation including the design, structuring, and competitive tendering of CFDA grants and subcontracts.
- Oversee portfolio-specific subcontracts and grants under contract (GUCs), ensuring sound implementation, risk mitigation, and adherence to an overall 1:10 leverage of non-USG finance.
- Manage portfolio partnership facilitation and pipeline tracking through use of Airtable. Ideate and implement practices for tracking, viewing, and linking relevant data in Airtable.
- Engage in co-creation with new and local partners in GUC application development, providing direct feedback and support.
- Provide technical oversight of grants and subcontracts under buy-ins; track and monitor progress over buy-in lifespans.
- Ensure that portfolio of partnerships, grants, and subcontracts is documented according to CFDA policies (e.g., documenting deal additionality, investment mobilized)
- Identify and draft summaries of deals as well as case studies and success stories for inclusion in the CFDA outreach.
- Promote the sound implementation of CFDA Grants Procedures Manual and Inclusive Development Strategy in buy-in design and implementation.
- Review potential partnership opportunities presented to CFDA through concept notes for GUC support and prioritize those that demonstrate the most promise.
Directly supervise, mentor, and train Senior Partnerships Associates and/or Interns to ensure CFDA buy-ins are managed efficiently and consistently to yield maximum impact. This includes oversight of day-to-day responsibilities, workflows, providing regular and timely feedback, and supporting their professional development.
Qualifications:
- Bachelors degree required; advanced degree in international development, communications, business administration, or other relevant field preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience with USAID programs in grants and subcontracts management required, including but not limited to the use of innovative and performance-based grants and subcontracts.
- Experience in climate and carbon finance sector strongly preferred; experience working in private sector and/or agriculture, energy, water, or other relevant sectors a plus.
- Knowledge of USAID and other federal agency regulations and policies required, with ability to navigate USAID rules and regulations governing project compliance, procurement, and financial management.
- Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain collaborative, productive working relationships with U.S. and local government counterparts, private sector associations, civil society organizations; ability to develop and implement effective initiatives with private sector entities.
- Experience working with public and private sector stakeholders simultaneously, resulting in achievement of deliverables and results.
- Ability to work in a hybrid setting using Chemonics or other remote management tools.
- Ability to adaptively manage, including structuring milestones and deliverables, holding partners accountable and facilitating their learning and adapting.
- Ability to innovate, be creative, and negotiate multiparty win-win agreements with appropriate risk sharing.
- Strong communication skills to liaise with dispersed teams and audiences, keeping core management team, USAID/RFS, missions, and other relevant stakeholders informed.
- Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and persuasively both orally and in writing, deliver presentations and training, and facilitate meetings effectively and cross-culturally.
- Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity. Appetite to learn, ability to apply feedback across workstreams, and aptitude for anticipating needs and taking initiative to respond to them.
- Fluency in written and spoken English required; additional language fluency strongly preferred.
Apply by August 15, 2024. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.
Chemonics is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Chemonics is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics. Military veterans, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.
Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision
Chemonics will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by Chemonics, or (c) consistent with Chemonics legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)