J.E. Austin Associates, Inc. (JAA), founded in 1986, is a leading provider of consulting services for USAID, World Bank, and other donors, in the areas of competitiveness, private sector development, and agribusiness. JAA has been a thought leader in these areas while implementing 650 projects in 127 countries that have helped economies grow and increased businesses and agribusinesses’ productivity and growth.

JAA is seeking a Project Manager to help us manage and grow our portfolio of international projects.

Responsibilities:

Project Management

• Assist with backstopping several international economic development projects, by providing administrative, managerial, and technical support to field offices and overseas personnel on overseas travel
• Serve as the U.S.-based point of contact for long and short term personnel working for these projects, as assigned
• Track project budgets against invoices on a monthly basis.
• Recruit, screen (vet) and field long and short term expatriate staff and consultants
• Assist with travel arrangements and other logistics for field employees and consultants
• Assist with procurement of goods and services in the U.S.
• Maintain files of project documents in the U.S.
• Edit and/or compile research and other data for technical reports
• Provide on-site support for project start up and management as needed.

Business Development

• Coordinate proposals, including managing proposal teams and external resources and partners and their outputs, and ensuring timely submission of inputs by all team members
• Provide input on proposals including drafting sections, developing CVs and qualifications statements, participating in brainstorming, storyboarding, and solution development meetings, reviewing sections
• Manage or coordinate capture efforts to position for bids
• Assist with other business development processes, including client relationship management, lead identification and screening, capture, recruiting, and qualifications database.

Systems Management

· Management of JAA website and LinkedIn content

· Other tasks as assigned by supervisor

Additional Tasks

· Special assignments outside of the tasks listed above may also be undertaken, including technical work and research assignments

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Strong organizational and administration skills
• One to three years of international development experience or Master’s degree in relevant field
• Interest in working in economic development and/or agriculture and agribusiness
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Skills in social media and various software applications
• Self-reliant and entrepreneurial problem-solver with excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of the team
• Fluent English; additional language preferred
• Eligible to work in the US long-term

Interested applicants should submit their resumes and a cover letter using the form below.

JAA is seeking a Part-Time Business Development Associate to help us grow our portfolio of international projects. Responsibilities include assisting business development activities, particularly proposal development.

Responsibilities:

· Coordinate proposals, including managing proposal teams and external resources and partners and their outputs, and ensuring timely submission of inputs by all team members

· Provide input on proposals including drafting sections, developing CVs and qualifications statements, participating in brainstorming, storyboarding, and solution development meetings, reviewing sections

· Manage or coordinate capture efforts to position for bids

· Assist with other business development processes, including client relationship management, lead identification and screening, capture, recruiting, and qualifications database.

Qualifications:

· One to five years of international development experience, primarily involved in business development

· Knowledge of or expertise in economic growth and/or agriculture programs, including private sector development, market systems development, business environment reform, financial markets, and/or investment promotion

· Self-reliant and entrepreneurial problem-solver with excellent interpersonal skills;

· Outstanding written and oral communication skills

· Experience in proposal development with USAID and other donors

· Skills in social media and various software applications

· Management skills and committed team player

· Relevant degree

· Fluent English; additional language preferred.

The Business Development Associate will report to the Executive Vice President.

Interested applicants should submit their resumes and a cover letter in the form below. Please use the name of this position as the subject line.

The Colombia Strengthening Together Activity (STA) is an anticipated project to be funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/ Colombia. Over three years- with the possibility to extend two more years-, STA will focus on the capacity development of Civil Society Organizations in Colombia to build strong local organizations that will lead Colombia’s development in the future. STA will focus on the development of CSOs’ organizational structure with the four main proposed objectives:

1. Current local partners increase organizational capacity for improved performance,
2. Current local partners internalize a collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) approach,
3. Current local partners improve messaging and outreach,
4. Colombian organizations effectively provide valued capacity building services.

Roles & Responsibilities:
The Deputy Chief of Party will have a deep knowledge of the ecosystem of CSOs in Colombia, with particular experience working with NGOs. The Deputy Chief of Party will collaborate with the active CSOs in Colombia to identify and analyze areas of potential focus in the development plan. The DCOP will create a database of participating NGOs and develop a substantive and meaningful relationship with them. The DCOP will oversee a team and act as a bridge between the project and local organizations.

The additional main roles and responsibilities of the Deputy Chief of Party include:

• Report directly to the COP on strategies, progress, and challenges;
• Assume COP responsibilities in the absence of a COP;
• Develop innovative and flexible assessments regarding CSO needs and capabilities;
• Help to establish sustainable new relationships with CSOs;
• Establish a robust network among NGOs, NGO Federations, local organizations and universities in Colombia in collective support of capacity building;
• Monitor and inform the project and stakeholders of recognized best practices and developments in CSO capacity building, particularly projects that have been undertaken in Colombia;
• Contribute to the development of annual workplans;
• Support USAID monitoring and reporting requirements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s degree preferred) in public administration, communications, nonprofit management, or related area.
• Five years or more of relevant experience in above-mentioned fields in Colombia;
• Experience with USAID or other donor-funded programming preferred;
• Knowledge of collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) approaches preferred;
• Direct experience in working on capacity building with CSOs and NGOs in Colombia;
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English and Spanish;
• Colombian national;
• Consummate abilities to collaborate and coordinate complex strategies and initiatives.

Interested applicants should submit their resumes and a cover letter using the form below. Use “Deputy Chief of Party” as your Subject. 

JAA is seeking a Libyan National Entrepreneurship and Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Expert for the anticipated USAID-funded Libya Economic Acceleration Project (LEAP). The Entrepreneurship and MSME Development Expert will provide a variety of technical support to USAID/Libya and its implementing partners in catalyzing private sector growth to create economic opportunities for vulnerable Libyans.

Libya LEAP will focus of the development of a dynamic private sector, in particular of Micro-, Small- and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), and an environment conducive to entrepreneurship as essential for employment creation, productivity and more balanced economic diversification. The project will have an emphasis on providing inclusive economic opportunities for the marginalized and vulnerable populations such as youth, women, persons with disabilities, and indigenous populations. The activity will strengthen entrepreneurship skills and opportunities for business growth for the target population and provide entrepreneurship and MSME business development services through local organizations, such as incubators and accelerator programs. This activity is designed to be implemented throughout Libya, including the West, East, and South.

This position is contingent on JAA being awarded the contract.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee implementation of approaches to increase the ability of Libyan MSMEs to grow, including the provision of business development services and increasing access to markets and finance.
• Develop and oversee the implementation of approaches to develop strong entrepreneurship ecosystems and foster increased entrepreneurship and creation of new enterprises in Libya.
• Foster strong, collaborative relationships with the existing private sector in Libya.
• Develop innovative and flexible business/value chain approaches relevant in Libya.
• Analyze and provide reports on priority skills development, and coordinate efforts to respond to private sector priorities.
• Plan and implement program for private sector engagement and assist in planning and implementation of demand-driven skills development.
• Ensure activities are planned and delivered according to program standards.
• Contribute to the development of strategies, work plans, and outreach related to private sector development under the direction of the COP.
• Advocate, lead and provide strategic direction, program, and technical guidance in entrepreneurship and MSME development.
• Develop methodology to improve business development services for start-ups and micro-enterprises.
• Create business skills training for potential entrepreneurs.
• Engage business incubators and accelerators in growing their client services.
• Contribute to annual work planning, training plans, quarterly reports, and other required technical reports. Stay up-to-date on global best practices, new developments, and emerging issues in entrepreneurship and MSME development.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a field related to business, management, economics, finance, or related fields.
• 5+ years of experience in entrepreneurship and MSME development.
• Familiarity with, and ability to apply and adapt methods to engage and develop the private sector and workforce development.
• Previous experience supporting USAID or other development organizations in a similar capacity.
• Libyan National with experience working in Libya.
• Oral and written fluency in English and Arabic.

J.E. Austin Associates and its consortium is seeking a dynamic and strategic leader for an anticipated USAID activity focused on tourism development in Moldova. The overall goal of this five-year program is to further stimulate the transformation of the Moldovan tourism sector into an engine of economic growth, leading to higher living standards for rural Moldovans in the long term, while concurrently cultivating greater national pride in the Moldovan identity and strengthening social cohesion.

The implementation of the program is expected to yield the following outcomes: (a) an increase in number of annual international visitors to Moldova; (b) increased average spending by international visitors translating into higher foreign exchange earnings; (c) an increase in number of days per visitor with an emphasis on attracting tourists to destinations located outside of the capital; and (d) an increased number of direct and indirect tourism-related jobs; (e) enhanced social cohesion among various ethnic groups in Moldova.

Responsibilities and Tasks:

Based in Chisinau, Moldova, the COP will be responsible for:

• Providing overall vision, direction, leadership, and management of the project, including regular reporting to USAID/Moldova.
• Supervising senior long and short-term advisors
• Overseeing knowledge capture, organization, synthesis, and executing effective strategies for implementing effective work under the program in all rural areas.
• Managing project partners and resources
• Overseeing reporting to USAID technical and contract personnel
• Liaising with USAID Missions (the client) to maintain frequent and open communication

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in relevant field required; Tourism related degree or training is highly preferred
• 10 -15 years of international development experience; COP experience is desired
• Minimum eight (8) years of senior-level experience in leading, designing, implementing tourism related projects
• Deep knowledge of cultural, sustainable and destination tourism development concepts
• Experience managing contracts and agreements with USAID and other donors.
• Experience interacting with host country stakeholders, including governmental, public and private sector actors, and others
• Demonstrated leadership, strong interpersonal, writing and oral presentation skills
• Excellent Communication and English writing skills; Knowledge of Russian and/or Romanian will be plus.