About Us

We are International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a global consulting firm working some of the most complex and impactful development problems worldwide. We work on programs that help government agencies, private companies and donors improve the lives of others. At IBTCI you will be part of an inclusive team that provides expert solutions and advice to understand and address critical problems while giving you opportunities to succeed and grow.

Assignment Title: USAID/DRC Trade and Growth Advisor

Expert/Team Leader

Department/Location: ISPI

Technical Point of Contact: Project Manager, ISPI

Type: Consultant

Classification: Consultancy

Category: Ongoing Project

This position will be embedded within USAID/DRC and will have USAID.gov email address. Therefore, the candidates MUST be able to obtain USAID Facilities Access Clearance.

Overview:

USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) is: A More Peaceful and Prosperous DRC with Improved Opportunities for Communities and Individuals to Thrive. This high-level goal encapsulates USAID’s long-term vision of a DRC where all communities and people are empowered to move their country closer to self-reliance. Over the next five years, USAID will partner with individuals, communities, and institutions and increase their ability to generate and achieve locally-led solutions. However, significant obstacles, including pervasive corruption, weak and ineffective state institutions, extreme poverty, an extractives-dependent economy, and ongoing conflict and instability may affect the Mission’s ability to achieve this goal. These daunting challenges arise from a lack of capacity as well as weak government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (GDRC) commitment at both the national and sub-national levels.

USAID/DRC’s Office of Economic Growth and Integration (OEG) implements interventions that stimulate private sector-led growth (primarily agriculture-led growth) as the principal goal, while calibrating programming to ensure inclusive economic growth that reduces hunger and poverty; decreases conflict; increases resilience communities and systems; enables affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy; increases responsible minerals trade; and catalyzes finance, trade, investment, and innovation to bolster development.

On behlaf of USAID/DRC, IBTCI seeks to hire a Senior Trade and Growth Advisor on a short-term consulting basis to support the implementation of high priority U.S. Government initiatives under the Mission's Economic Growth (EG) portfolio. Over the long term, the Mission intends to hire a direct-hire staff member for this role. This position will serve a critical management function within the Economic Growth Office, serving as the Acting Office Director and Deputy. In the short term, the Mission is hiring a Short Term Technical Advisor (STTA) to implement many of the key technical and advisory aspects of this role during an undetermined period while the Mission establishes the ability to fill the role as a long-term direct hire position.

In the STTA element of this consulting role, the Advisor will play a foundational role in developing and launching the Feed the Future (FTF) Programming, following the finalization of a FTF Strategy. It is likely that the position will play an important role advising and mentoring Foreign Service National (FSN) staff, as they design, manage and evaluate high-impact activities that focus on the accelerated agriculture sector development as a means of enabling inclusive, sustainable economic growth. The advisor will mentor the Private Sector Specialist in overseeing and managing the Trade-related programming, seeking to provide trade facilitation in the minerals and agriculture sectors. The position will also advise efforts to improve the business enabling environment through leveraging Congolese Government desire to improve national competitiveness amidst the country’s admission into the East African Community, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and re-eligibility for favorable trade to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). Once the direct-hire position is established, this position would evolve to a supervisory role.

IBTCI is seeking an Advisor that can serve in short-term advisory role for up to one year, and potentially transition to provide long-term, full time support to the USAID/DRC Office of Economic Growth.

The STTA Advisor will provide essential support. Specific deliverables include:

The STTA will work in close collaboration with the Director of the Economic Growth Office or designee, as well as the program, budget, technical, and policy staff within the Mission.
Responsibilities

The Senior Trade and Growth Advisor will provide strategic leadership in identifying and applying innovative approaches and best practices to achieve measurable results in the areas of production, business, trade, finance, private sector and small enterprise development activities that improve inclusive economic growth in DRC. The Advisor will provide senior level mentoring and guidance on project management, and agricultural productivity. They will be expected to complete assigned duties with little direct supervision, exercising extensive independent judgment as he or she works with diverse teams from within the U.S. g overnment (USG) inter-agency and among public and private sectors in DRC and abroad.

Scope of Work:

Specifically, the Senior Trade and Growth Advisor is expected to perform duties in the following areas:

Serves as a key advisor in the implementation of the Mission's market systems approach and private sector engagement, including:

• Conduct strategic analysis and research, review reports and technical proposals, and prepare substantive reports and briefing materials on issues related to technical and programmatic approaches in enhancing a market systems approach and private sector engagement within the agriculture sector and beyond.
• Advise the EG Office Director, the Deputy Director, A/CORs, the Program Office, USAID Mission Management, and the USG inter-agency on market systems approaches and private sector engagement in support of USAID-funded food security activities.

Responsible for advisory support on a complex portfolio, including improving business enabling environment, strengthening market systems approaches, and private sector engagement within food security and mining-sector activities and advising on how these activities can increase complementarity within EG. They will also:

• Oversee USAID’s investment into Trade Mark Africa and oversee trade-related components within all OEG activities, to increase program monitoring, management as part of the broader OEG portfolio, and performance.
• Conduct and supervise administrative and financial analyses, develop and track budget preparation, and oversee implementation and other budget requirements for the EG portfolio.
• Monitor, and oversee the activities of grantees and / or contractors implementing USAID's activities. Keep contractors, recipients, and grantees informed of USAID requirements and priorities.
• Develop performance monitoring plans and monitor their implementation. Conduct evaluations and reporting in support of the EG portfolio.
• Liaise with implementing contractors, recipients and grantees, and undertake visits to project sites on a regular basis.
• Contribute to the development of all mission reports, including Operational Plans, portfolio reviews, semi-annual and annual Performance Plan Reports; quarterly financial reports; data quality assessments; and site monitoring reports; among others.
• Make recommendations to OEG and Mission management on program direction and management.

Provide senior level support, training, and mentoring to new and junior US Direct Hire and FSN staff working on the FTF portfolio, on project management, A / COR responsibilities as well as specialized knowledge of technical and programmatic approaches in enhancing market systems approaches and private sector engagement to improve food security.

Develop new and innovative partnerships and maintain working relationships, including:

• Fostering and maintaining strategic partnerships with new and existing partners, mid- to senior-level GODRC officials, private sector representatives, the donor community, and civil society to enhance collaborative efforts that achieve mutual goals and objectives.
• Serving as a member of USAID technical working groups and other relevant forums to plan and improve the USAID and USG portfolio around market systems approaches and private sector engagement for sustainable food security.

Qualifications

Requirements:

Education: The applicant must have a Master's Degree in economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, business administration, or a related field.

Work Experience: Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional or program experience in market systems approaches and/or private sector engagement, and agricultural development programs with international donors, non-government organizations (NGOs), and/or government. Prior experience with international development agencies procedures and operations (e.g., development approaches, procedures for programming funds, defining objectives, and monitoring results, and procedures for awarding grants and contracts) is highly desired. Prior experience working in sub-Saharan with exposure to the DRC, highly preferred.

Job Knowledge required: Specialized knowledge of technical and programmatic approaches in enhancing market systems approaches and / or private sector engagement to improve economic growth through trade is required. This may include demonstrated knowledge in the areas of agricultural value chain development, on- and off-farm agricultural sector / market-led job creation, digital agriculture, digital business solutions, entrepreneurial innovation, and / or access to agricultural finance.

Significant knowledge of program management and monitoring and evaluation methods as well as a broad range of issues related to agriculture-led development is required. Expert knowledge of best practices in agriculture development program design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning, including collaboration, learning and adapting strategy is necessary. Knowledge of strategies, programs, and working methodologies of other donor agencies in the livelihoods sector is desired. Knowledge of the structure and workings of the USG broadly is desired, particularly of the Prosper Africa Strategy and how trade can contribute to the objectives of inclusive economic growth.

Skills and abilities required: Strong analytical, management and organizational skills are required. The position requires demonstrated ability in strategic planning, technical and socio-economic analysis, and budget preparation and reporting skills. Considerable confidentiality, sensitivity, poise and maturity are mandatory as the applicant will represent USAID in meetings with mid- to senior-level Congolese government officials and with private sector and donor partners. The applicant should possess strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, the ability to work within a team setting and with minimal supervision. Strong leadership and negotiating skills are required. Demonstrated knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Word, and Excel are required. Familiarity with Microsoft Access and PowerPoint is desired.

Leadership and diplomacy skills are required as the incumbent will work with new private sector partners, technical and senior GDRC officials, USAID Implementing Partners, donors, media, judiciary and civil society to resolve issues and to further progress towards improving food security in DRC and trade within the region.

Language proficiency: Excellent English writing and speaking ability is required. French writing and speaking ability is strongly desired. The candidate should have a demonstrated capacity to communicate complex policy, strategy, and program issues orally and in writing in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: International travel may be required and may include travel to fragile or conflict prone zones.

About the Organization:

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education, energy & Infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients' missions

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@ibtci.com (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page).