Deployment Associate

Palladium
is recruiting for a project management and staffing professional with a
passion for building networks of experts and regional linkages to join our UK
Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) team. This is a fixed term role for 12 months.

UK PACT is a complex,
multi-country and multi-sector programme, which delivers impact through a
combination of grant funding for longer-term capacity-building projects and the
rapid mobilisation of short-term expertise for targeted skills and knowledge
transfer. The UK PACT programme aims to improve
the effectiveness of key institutions (public, private and civil society) in
partner countries so that they can deliver accelerated emission reductions
and raise the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
targets.

Purpose of the position
The
programme currently has around 40M in non-profit grant agreements for the
delivery of TA. This role would work specifically on the "Expert Deployments"
mechanism within UK PACT, which deploys technical assistance via individual
experts and organisations through consulting agreements and commercial
subcontracts.
This role
will be supporting the design, procurement and delivery of technical
assistance across UK PACT funds globally. With a likely focus on LATAM funds and
Amazon Regional Fund. This will involve supporting
the development of new projects, administering selection processes for
suppliers and providing back-stopping and troubleshooting to the UK PACT fund
teams for projects during implementation.

Primary Duties and
Responsibilities

Project design and planning

Provide advice and input during the development of Concept Notes and Terms of Reference for projects, improving their feasibility, potential for impact and value for money

Support regional teams in the planning of new activities within their country funds and contribute to regional resource plans to ensure that new and ongoing projects are appropriately resourced

Contribute to the development the network of organisations and experts to ensure that the programme has access to the highest quality of experts for the delivery of technical assistance.

Expert and supplier selection

Responsible for designing "go-to-market" plans and materials alongside fund teams and FCDO and facilitating the procurement of experts or organisations.
Support country fund teams in the sifting, interviewing and due diligence of suppliers
Support negotiations with chosen suppliers, issue offers and support with contractual queries and the development of milestone or performance-based payment schedules.

Project launch and management

Responsible for overseeing the contracting of suppliers and reviewing the due diligence conducted by fund teams.
Liaison with contracts and compliance to negotiate and finalise subcontracts
Support country fund teams in the onboarding of suppliers during kick-off meetings and providing hands-on support during project mobilisation.
Support to the quality review and processing of monthly reports and invoices
Liaise with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning teams to ensure that project reporting is accurate and adds to UK PACT's learning agenda
Support in arranging travel for deployed experts (e.g. flights, visas, hotels), where required

Cross-cutting

Be the point of contact for regional teams on all Expert Deployment queries.
In coordination with country teams, lead the further development of network of suppliers in the region
Support in providing information sessions to FCDO and local government representatives
Support in providing updates to FCDO, including attending monthly client meetings.
Ongoing review and refinement of processes, seeking continuous improvement and innovative use of technology where possible.

Person specification

Strong understanding of project management principles with a good track record of taking projects of all sizes from design, through implementation and close-out.
Strong supplier management with the ability to develop trusted and collaborative relationships with individuals and organisations to support programme delivery
Good networking skills and willingness to be proactive in identifying talent for the programme
Strong understanding of contract management principles, ability to support with the negotiation of contract terms
Ability to manage own time and resources effectively, knowing when to escalate issues and ask for support
Experience in the climate change space, and/or an interest in learning more about the sectors UK PACT covers, would be advantageous
Professional fluency in Spanish and/or Portuguese would be advantageous