Senior Program Associate, Economic Growth

Job Description

Creative is seeking solution-oriented and mission driven candidates to serve as Senior Program Associate (SPA) for the Economic Growth Division. The SPA’s primary focus will be on business development efforts that leverage Creative’s pioneering work in co-investment grants, blended finance, trade, and private sector engagement. Business development efforts include, but are not limited to, researching countries of interest, conducting competitor analysis, participating in design sessions, liaising with partners and stakeholders, and writing sections of proposals. The SPA may also take on project management and support for new and existing projects, serving as the primary administrative, financial, contractual, and program backstop for a specific project field team. The SPA must be able to multi-task under tight deadlines and work well in a team environment as well as independently. The SPA must be able to travel internationally on short notice.

Reporting & Supervision

The SPA reports to the Practice Area Director for Trade, Investment and Private Sector Engagement. 

Expected Outcomes

New Business Development:

SPAs make contributions to proposal development and business development efforts.  Creative projects demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit and seize opportunities in the local marketplace and pave the way for the realization of new business opportunities. SPAs help Creative’s visibility before stakeholders. Specific new business pursuits are well planned and timely executed.

Project Management:

SPAs support project teams in all facets of project ramp-ups, implementation, and closedown, contributing to meeting contractual obligations and fiscal targets in line with client and Creative’s administrative, financial, procurement and operational procedures. Creative projects are well-planned and human resource deployments, STTA, procurements are timely and effectively supported by HQ. Project staffing, project obligations, and reporting meet anticipated levels and high-quality standards and develop others’ knowledge and learning.  SPAs keep senior project leadership abreast of significant threats, project implementation deficiencies and opportunities.

Financial Management:

Projects meet performance targets and revenue projections based on hands-on project and financial management skills where SPAs proactively manage vacancies, non-billables, and foregone revenue. Projects requiring important course corrections or corporate support are elevated to senior management.

Staff Management:

Junior project staff are tangibly supported technically and professionally; their professional objectives and personal needs are well understood, as are those of key staff in the field. Contributions to meaningful, constructive, and timely performance reviews of junior project staff is key.  Projects honor all aspects of programmatic and fiscal compliance and SPAs work diligently to identify opportunities to enhance HQ and field coordination and communication.

Learning & Adaptation:

SPAs assist in the development of project strategy and program/project implementation from concept to closure. Projects have explicitly defined learning agendas, M&E and Knowledge Management (KM) plans that track progress towards learning, and course corrections that are informed by data. Project information, interventions and innovations are synthesized, shared, tracked, and managed within KM plans.  Learning events (i.e., Knowledge Share) capture salient programmatic aspects with potential for replication or scale up. Salient activities are celebrated and promoted through Creative’s Communications Department.

Primary Responsibilities:

Business Development (primary role)

• Research countries of interest to be used for business development efforts.
• Conduct competitor landscape analyses and partner mapping exercises.
• Supports project consultants by developing and monitoring agreements, coordinating travel and logistics, and facilitating payment requests.
• Participate in technical design sessions, capture learnings, and disseminate information to the team.
• Contribute to strategy and go/no-go decision presentations.
• Liaise with partners, stakeholders, and clients.
• Document strategic decisions, win themes, and technical approaches.
• Draft pre-teaming and teaming agreements.
• Manage capture and proposal budgets.
• Drafts proposal sections and budgets and assists with proposal develops marketing materials.
• Draft job descriptions and support recruitment efforts for capture and proposal efforts; and
• Support planning of necessary capture and fact-finding trips in preparation for bids.

Program Management (secondary role)

• Backstop field projects on financial, and administrative tasks for assigned projects and provides financial and administrative support to the project team in the field.
• Support grant management by monitoring and facilitating payment for HQ-managed grants and subcontracts to international organizations.
• Review and process project-related documentation including invoices, ensuring program files and transactions are compliant, properly documented, and organized.
• Assist in the preparation, tracking and realignment of the project budget and subcontractor budgets, and prepares quarterly financial reviews and projections.
• Contribute to weekly and monthly reports, project success stories and other deliverables as required.
• Acquire intimate familiarity with contract requirements, deliverables and budgets; and
• Work closely with support divisions in HQ including HR, Contracts, Procurement, Field Operations, Communications, and Finance, to support complex project needs as they arise; maintaining solid knowledge of all administrative, financial systems, and operating procedures.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

This is an Early Career Opportunity, the Minimum Eligibility Criteria are as follows: 

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field and 6 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree and 4 years of relevant professional experience in business, economics, finance, international development, international relations, political science, or another related field.

Evaluation Criteria:

If the minimum requirements outlined above are met, candidates will be further evaluated against the following criteria: candidates not meeting the minimum requirements will not be further evaluated.

• Experience in co-investment grants, blended finance, trade, and private sector engagement.
• Experience adapting technical approaches to support marginalized/underserved groups, such as women, youth, ethnic or religious minorities, populations living in rural areas, etc.
• Prior experience in international development in a donor funded setting.
• Prior experience in developing and monitoring proposal and project budgets.
• Experience working with consultants and vendors.
• Experience organizing and managing program/project knowledge/information.
• Knowledge of U.S. government donor regulations.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, MS Project, etc.).
• Prior project backstopping experience for a USAID or Department of State project.
• Working or proficient written and spoken language skills, with a preference for French, Spanish, Arabic, or Swahili.