Вакансія: USAID Economics Resilence Activity looking for Biofuel Specialist

Project Description

The Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity (ERA)  was designed to strengthen the economy and improve the resilience of businesses and communities in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the seizure of territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions by Russian backed separatists.

Before the war, ERA had focused interventions on Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. In 2019 after Russia commandeered a Ukrainian naval ship and established a blockade, ERA added the Sea of Azov (Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts and municipal centers closest to the sea) to its area of operations. With the February onset of war in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russia has significantly damaged or destroyed most of ERA’s previous implementation geography, including Mariupol, Sartana, Rubizhne, and Sievierodonetsk and occupied the cities of Berdiansk, Melitopol and Stanytsia Luhanska.

The further Economic Resilience Activity’s work will be centered on three pillars:

1. Stabilization and Inclusion: building the capabilities of vulnerable populations to be able to capitalize on entrepreneurial and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) economic opportunities;
2. Business Revival: helping MSMEs relocate and rebuild marketing and supply chains; and
3. New Economy: working with coalitions and leaders to build confidence in the sustainable Ukrainian state, articulate a vision for the future, and put in place the building blocks for a modern, diverse, and MSME-friendly economy post-war.

Nowadays, ERA shifts its focus from interventions targeting businesses and communities in eastern oblasts to supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs), MSMEs, universities and other partners from those regions as they move westward to safety and re-establish operations. As a result, ERA’s area of operations has changed from “the east” to supporting IDPs and partners that originated in the east to other locations “anywhere in Ukraine.” The project is also considering temporary support to those who have fled to the EU outside of Ukraine.

USAID ERA provides technical assistance and co-investment support to micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), financial services providers, local NGOs, educational institutions, cities, and consolidated communities. USAID support will enable partners to acquire and test new technologies, rebuild and scale businesses to new markets, build capacity, leverage IT solutions and share information.

About the job

The Biofuel Specialist manages the activities to focus on working with businesses in the biofuel target sector, which has the potential to grow and create new economic opportunities for MSMEs. The Biofuel Specialist will re-direct planned activities from areas of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts that are under temporary occupation to other, more secure locations within Ukraine, while identifying new partners in the bioenergy sector who can make maximum impact on local economic recovery and Ukraine’s energy independence. The Biofuel Specialist is based in Kyiv and reports to Growth Component Manager.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Biofuel Promotion:

• Gather and summarize existing analysis of potential for alternative solid fuel and other alternative energy sources in Ukraine, with an emphasis on oblasts in which the sector has heretofore been under-developed (to be determined by the Biofuel Specialist);
• Work with commercial and municipal partners for promoting projects to increase alternative solid fuel use in public facilities and encourage transition to alternative solid fuels by public institutions;
• Ensure mixed finance model for increasing alternative solid fuel production and infrastructure to heat public facilities with alternative solid fuels;
• Oversee analysis of necessary steps to develop automotive biofuels sector in Ukraine;
• Identify external funding sources available for bioenergy projects in Ukraine and offer recommendations on design program activities to activate these funding sources;
• Design and ensure implementation of program to increase capacity of local construction
• Advocacy recommendations for local and national governments

Grants Management:

• Coordinate gathering information for grant design, procurement, monitoring and Environmental Assessments of ERA program activities related to bioenergy production;
• in coordination with Grants Management team work with partners and ERA technical staff to monitor respective companies, grants and technical assistance activities progress within AOR and ensure that activities are aligned with the USAID ERA plans and performance indicators;
• manage projects in his AOR, including coordination with suppliers/contractors engaged and collection of match documentation

Monitoring & Evaluation:

• support and conduct necessary data collection in order to report against Activity performance indicators
• assist grant applicants in design of monitoring and evaluation plan for the proposed project
• monitor implementation of direct interventions and grant activities
• provide required information and data for M&E reporting in required format

Communication:

• introduce Biofuel energy program to relevant stakeholders including local business owners, local representatives and business service providers. Foster ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders
• represent ERA in a professional manner
• other related tasks as requested by agency management staff

Reporting:

• Produce reporting documents on Growth Sector activities related to energy production and efficiency
• 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 10 years of experience or a master’s degree and seven years’ experience;
• Demonstrated technical experience in bioenergy production and policy;
• Excellent communications and personnel management skills and who can relate to people at all levels of an organization;
• An energetic, forward-thinking and creative individual with high ethical standards and 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 is preferred, fluency in Ukrainian is required.

Job Expectations

In this position, you are expected to share the DAI four core values:

• Integrity: commit to civil and ethical behavior, play by the rules, and do the right thing;
• Responsibility: be accountable to clients, partners, grant recipients, beneficiaries, colleagues, and communities where we work. If you fall short, you own up, fix the problem, and get it right the next time;
• Excellence: adhere to the highest technical and professional standards in innovation, learning, and service;
• Global Citizenship: respect cultural diversity and treat everyone everywhere with professionalism and dignity to make the world a better place.

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-months employment agreement with a possibility of extension until August 2024.
Salary Level: We offer competitive market-based salary level for candidates with relevant experience.
Duty station: Ukraine
Benefits: all benefits envisaged by Labor Code of Ukraine, corporate medical insurance for employees and immediate family members.
Start date: October 2022

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to [email protected], please mention in the subject Economic Empowerment Officer 

Closing date for applications: September 18, 2022

For further information about the DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website dai.com.