USAID ERA looks for AGRI Cооrdіnator

Since 2018, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) has focused its activities on eastern Ukraine. In 2022, it expanded its geography of cooperation to other regions due to Russia’s full-scale invasion and occupation of part of Ukraine. In 2023, given the military and political circumstances and challenges, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) changed ERA’s priorities.

ERA is one of the implementers of the U.S. Government’s Interagency Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI – Ukraine), which aims to support Ukrainian agricultural production and exports and help address the global food crisis exacerbated by Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. USAID supports the Government of Ukraine, including working with the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI) and the State Customs Service, through ERA, to modernize border crossing points to improve grain trade and exports, passenger traffic, and perceptions of Ukraine. ERA is also implementing the Economic Stability and Recovery Initiative (ESRI), which focuses on job retention and creation and assists small and medium-sized enterprises.

USAID ERA prioritizes work on AGRI and rehabilitating EU-facing border crossing points (BCPs). The AGRI component is extending its technical assistance to Ukrainian Agri-traders and logistics companies supporting them in increasing capacity and potential of grain export logistics. The BCP component includes complex construction management and procurement of equipment and service for BCPs to become more efficient in processing big cargos of grain and other commodities through the border.

About the job

The AGRI Coordinator is responsible for coordinating AGRI team efforts in the promotion of reconstruction and repairing of the AGRI objects, including but not limited to general logistics facilities, grain railway logistics facilities, trans-border crossing infrastructure, and seaport infrastructure. The AGRI Coordinator also coordinates USAID ERA’s efforts to support the Ukrainian government and local government authorities to get external funding for infrastructure projects from international financial institutions (IFIs) to address critical infrastructure needs connected with economic recovery and transformation. The AGRI Coordinator is based in Odesa or Lviv and reports to the AGRI Operations Manager.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

AGRI Coordination:

• Coordinate ERA activities to support governmental and private partners in improving the export capacity of Ukrainian Agriculture commodities. 
• Prepare RFPs for procurement of the equipment for governmental institutions and private partners to improve the export abilities of Ukrainian Border Crossing Points.
• Prepare MOUs with partners for receiving goods and services under the AGRI. 
• Prepare Scope of Work for independent consultants to prepare specific technical documents for public and private sector partners and oversee the work of independent consultants.
• Coordinate the organization of public events, reports, and other communication efforts to raise awareness of critical infrastructure needs. 
• Prepare a schedule of visits to the field sites for the AGRI team, and work in close coordination with Admin/Logistics to make all necessary arrangements for the trips.
• Provide Administrative support to the technical specialists on a daily basis to ensure smooth coordination inside the team.

Procurement Coordination: in coordination with the Procurement Team:

• Coordinate gathering information for procurement, monitoring, and Environmental Assessments of ERA program activities related to energy production and efficiency.
• in coordination with Procurement teamwork, monitor procurement technical assistance progress and ensure that activities are aligned with the USAID ERA plans and performance indicators.
• manage procurement for infrastructure projects, including coordination with suppliers/contractors engaged and collection of match documentation.

Monitoring & Evaluation: in coordination with the M&E Team:

• support the MEAL team in conducting necessary data collection in order to report against Activity performance indicators.
• coordinate support for beneficiaries in the design of the monitoring and evaluation plan for the proposed project.
• monitor implementation of direct interventions and provide required information and data for M&E reporting in the required format.

Communication: in coordination with the Communications Team:

• introduce the AGRI program to relevant stakeholders, including government authorities, local business owners, and business service providers. Foster ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders.
• represent ERA in a professional manner in coordination with the Communication team.
• other related tasks as requested by agency management staff.

Reporting:

• Produce reporting documents on AGRI activities and performance results.
• prepare accurate and timely field reports and other project documentation as required; maintain project files.
• keep respective activity records in DAI corporate system (TAMIS).

About you

• MA degree and 5 years of experience in a relevant field.
• Demonstrated technical experience in the preparation of AGRI projects, including but not limited to general logistics facilities, grain railway logistics facilities, trans-border crossing infrastructure, seaport infrastructure social infrastructure reconstruction, building or repairing of highways, WASH infrastructure.
• Proven experience in infrastructure project development and implementation on the local, national, and international levels. 
• Proven understanding of the IFs requirements for the preparation and administration of the project. 
• Excellent professional communications and negotiation skills and who can relate to people at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to work independently and in close cooperation with a team remotely. 
• An energetic, thinking-forward, and creative individual with high ethical standards and an appropriate professional image.
• An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.

Benefits: all benefits envisaged by the Labor Code of Ukraine, corporate medical insurance for employees and immediate family members.

Start date: December 2023

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to [email protected] 

Closing date for applications: November 29, 2023.

For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website era-ukraine.org.ua.