Investment Facilitation Specialist

About Palladium

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 3,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

Project Overview

The goal of the USAID Uzbekistan Market Systems Transformed (UMST) Activity is to enhance sustainable and inclusive economic growth by strengthening businesses and the business-enabling environment in targeted sectors, while addressing the barriers faced by women, youth, and underrepresented groups. This Activity has the following specific objectives:

• Objective 1: Reduced barriers to private sector growth in the ICT, tourism, and textiles sectors and green economy sub-sectors.
• Objective 2: Increased private sector investment and access to finance in the ICT, tourism, and textiles sectors and green economy sub-sectors.

Purpose of Position

Palladium seeks an Investment Facilitation Specialist to provide overall support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become investment-ready and link them to financial institutions.

Duration

The USAID UMST Activity is projected for 5 years (September 30, 2023 to September 29, 2028).

Location

This position is located in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Reporting and Supervision

This position will report to the Objective 2 Lead.

Responsibilities

• Identify and incentivize Financial Facilitators (FFs) to link with SMEs.
• Support banks and Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) with product development, uptake, and financial literacy for SMEs.
• Support SMEs to develop bankable proposals and link to investors.
• Facilitate new finance market relationships and promote investment to increase access to finance and encourage technology transfer for SMEs.
• Work with banks and NBFIs to de-risk investment and reduce the cost of financing and develop feasibility studies for potential green investments.
• Coordinate with government counterparts on policy development to improve SME access to finance and investment.

Key Competencies Required

• Advanced degree in finance business economics or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in investment facilitation, business development, and access to finance.
• Demonstrated success in investment facilitation in Uzbekistan.
• Experience in innovative financing and product development for SMEs, including transaction facilitation.
• Deep knowledge of finance, private enterprise investment, trade, and digital economy in Uzbekistan.
• Fluency in the English language and strong written and spoken communication skills required.

Application Deadline

This application will close on November 9, 2023.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.