Activity Manager, USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) program At DAI Global

BACKGROUND

The USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) program is a five-year, flexible buy-in mechanism jointly managed by the USAID Africa Bureau, Middle East Bureau, and Africa Regional Missions. It was designed to mobilize enterprise-driven solutions that increase trade and investment in Africa, including North and Sub-Saharan Africa. It strengthens Africa’s markets by developing new trade and investment relationships, particularly between the United States and African continent. It also works to achieve development outcomes across all sectors.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Activity Manager will be responsible for managing several large multi-year buy-in activities with significant labor and/or field presence, with support from technical advisors and the ATI team. Responsibilities include providing technical and management support to buy-in activities, working with the technical and operational teams to identify and mobilize resources in support of implementation, and supporting USAID clients. The Activity Manager is also responsible for buy-in activity budget management and financial forecasting, in close coordination with the Operations/Finance team and with support from other team members. The Activity Manager will also be responsible for generating buy-in activity scopes of work, supporting the design of procurements and grants programs, and tracking budgets across ATI’s portfolio. In addition, s/he will provide surge procurement and operational support to existing ATI staff as needed.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage and track buy-in activity implementation progress by personnel, consultants and subcontractors, ensure it adheres to the approved workplan and deliverable schedule, and troubleshoot deviations;
• Support development and review of technical deliverables and contribute to subsequent learning;
• Manage relationship with client and implementing partner and serve as a project point of contact for the duration of the assigned buy-in activities;
• Lead on all matters related to the buy-in, including but not limited to contractual, operational, MEL, reporting, and financial matters;
• Ensure assigned buy-in activities are managed in accordance with USAID regulations and DAI Procurement policies;
• Liaise with implementing parties to ensure proper M&E data capture and data quality to contribute to overall ATI project M&E reporting; and
• In tandem with relevant technical staff, generate buy-in scopes of work and budgets as needed
• As needed, support the project’s procurement and operational staff
• Travel to regional offices as required

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional work experience
• Significant experience in budget, operational, and process management or more general project and business process management experience relevant to USG program implementation;
• Proven project management, communications, writing and interpersonal skills including strong experience with client management;
• An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus;
• Ability to work in a fast-moving, fluid team setting with multiple stakeholders
• Fluency in spoken and written English required
• Fluency in French required