USAID Kosovo Export-led Growth (ELG) Activity

JOB DESCRIPTION AND STATEMENT OF WORK

Cardno is a professional infrastructure and environmental services company, with expertise in the development and improvement of physical and social infrastructure for communities around the world. Cardno is implementing USAID-funded Export-led Growth (ELG) Activity in Kosovo and is looking for qualified individuals to join our team.

Description of Project: USAID has awarded Cardno a five-year contract to promote resilient, self-sustaining market systems, and to facilitate the private sector’s improved competitiveness in local, regional and global markets. Through the ELG Activity, Cardno will work to empower firms, organizations and institutions to improve market systems. The Activity will focus in three key export oriented sectors (Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), Wood, and Food processing) to sustainably increase their competitiveness. By working to address constraints across the system, the Activity will enable scalable and systemic change to occur, stimulating job creation and private sector increased ability to engage in local, regional and international markets. The expected results of the Activity across all three sectors are 1) market systems are strengthened to increase sector competitiveness and 2) market actors within those market systems are more productive and competitive.

The Activity is recruiting for the following position on the Activity:

Name of Position Market Systems Expert

General Responsibilities

The position is responsible for supporting implementation of inclusive market systems and constraints analysis; provides ongoing mentoring and technical guidance to functional and sector teams to ensure quality and alignment of activities to a market systems approach; advises on partnership development and engagement to ensure sustainability and exit strategy for activities; leads training on market systems approaches. The Expert will contribute to the development of Sector Action plans and support the Sector Leads on activity implementation by providing expert opinion and the implementation of market systems approach. This expert is expected to interact with appropriate level of staff at Project counterparts, other Kosovo Public sector institutions and private sector stakeholders.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

Working closely with the Canopy Lab, ELG subcontractor, on all tasks, the Market Systems Expert:

• Contributes to development and revision of Market System and Constraint Analyses, Sector Action Plan, Annual Work Plans, and other project deliverables;
• Supports Sector Leads, providing expert opinion and feedback related to the implementation of inclusive market systems approach;
• Provides ongoing mentoring and technical guidance to functional and sector teams to ensure quality and alignment of activities to a market systems approach;
• Advises on partnership development and engagement to ensure sustainability and exit strategy for activities; leads training on market systems approaches;
• Leads or provides support for the preparation of reports and policy recommendations;
• Supports the collection and analysis of information and data relevant to the market systems approach for M&E purposes;
• Provides analytical support and coaching for partnership development, dynamics and analysis, helping Sector Leads to contextualize project activities in line with current market conditions.
• Co-conducts a market systems workshop for ELG staff and ensure compliance with ELG principles throughout implementation
• Serves as a voting member on the Grants Management Committee

Minimum Education Requirement

Relevant undergraduate university degree. Demonstrated experience and technical knowledge in market systems development-related work. Expertise designing market systems activities and facilitating stakeholder consultation sessions. Demonstrated familiarity with current trends in systems thinking

Minimum Professional Experience

• Proven leadership and expertise in market systems development-related work in Kosovo;
• Minimum of 5 years of designing market systems activities and facilitating stakeholder consultation sessions.
• Demonstrated familiarity with current trends in systems thinking.
• Extensive experience interacting with public-sector institutions;
• Knowledge of USAID and other funded donor programs;
• Demonstrable understanding of key barriers to export in Kosovo related to policy and legal constraints;
• Market systems certifications is an advantage;
• Proven ability to effectively engage private and public sector partners in Kosovo and abroad;
• Experience with adaptive management principles, experience with the USAID collaborating, learning and adapting approach is an advantage
• Proven ability to work effectively with government, USAID, other donors, private sector representative, Kosovo Government institutions and business associations;
• Full computer literacy;
• Fluency in Albanian and English required

Period of Performance TBD

Level of Effort Full time (260 days per year) position

Supervisor Chief of Party

Supervisory role

This position may oversee other technically relevant STTA positions as determined by Project needs

To apply please submit a CV and a one page cover letter in English to [email protected]

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Deadline for applications: September 10, 2020