Trade & Investment Specialist – DAI (USAID Africa Trade and Investment program)

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The USAID Africa Trade and Investment (ATI) program is designed to bolster the U.S. Government’s ability to boost trade and investment to, from, and within the African continent. The continent-wide program is USAID’s flagship effort in support of the Prosper Africa initiative and will expand and accelerate two-way trade and investment between African nations and the United States.

Driven by market demand, ATI embraces innovative approaches to achieve its goals. ATI is designed as a small, core set of centrally coordinated technical and institutional support activities, and a large, flexible performance-based subcontracting and grants under contract facility designed to support the needs and opportunities that USAID Missions and the private sector identify.

POSITION BACKGROUND

USAID/Uganda Mission is creating multiple private sector partnerships under the ATI program through discrete project specific funding on activities aligned to the Mission’s trade, investment, and food security priorities. USAID/Uganda seeks to structure results-based, cost-shared partnerships with the private sector in a competitive, efficient, and creative manner. These partnerships will be selected based on ability to significantly increase trade and investment flows and improve food security while also expanding employment opportunities particularly for women and youth.

Supporting USAID/Uganda’s need to effectively generate, implement, monitor, and promote these partnerships will require in-depth understanding of the private sector in Uganda and full-time, in-country dedicated support to coordinate these activities. Below is the description and key duties for the position.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Trade & Investment Specialist will work closely with USAID/Uganda to support effectively generating, implementing, monitoring, and promoting multiple private sector partnerships across the ATI program. This role will serve as a facilitator to ensure seamless coordination between USAID/Uganda and the ATI team on all ATI partnerships with activities in Uganda. Facilitation will include but not limited to supporting grant pipeline generation, proposal review and prospective partner due diligence, regulatory compliance (including environmental), partnership implementation support, and a customized generation of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans designed to address USAID Performance Plan Report (PPR) and Development Information Solution (DIS) requirements as well as other USAID/Uganda reporting needs. The Trade & Investment Specialist will also provide relevant ad hoc support to USAID/Uganda’s Economic Growth Office and keep his/her USAID Mission Point of Contact (POC) regularly updated on his/her work.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support USAID/Uganda’s collaboration with and contributions to the ATI program.
• On behalf of USAID/Uganda, contribute to ATI’s partner identification and selection, including:
  • Review and contribute to solicitation documents for ATI grants or subcontracts.
  • Coordinate the review of concept notes and applications with the ATI team and the USAID/Uganda team
  • Ensure ATI procedures and USAID’s regulatory requirements are consistently followed.
  • Ensure clarity and cohesion between USAID/Uganda and ATI as proposals are reviewed and awarded.
• Support ATI activity implementation and ATI partnerships, including:
  • Communicate with partners to understand key partnership issues, successes, obstacles, or failures, as requested.
  • Take guidance from USAID/Uganda and/or ATI to help partnerships succeed.
  • In collaboration with the ATI Team, provide all needed support for partnership site visits, including but not limited to scheduling meetings; providing logistical support (i.e., providing directions, accommodations, etc.); drafting agendas, talking points, and speeches.
  • Under the guidance of and collaboration with the ATI Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team, closely monitor partner progress through quarterly site visits and tracking key results for reporting across all formats, including PPRs, DIS and custom formats.
• Collaborate with ATI staff to provide regular updates to USAID/Uganda, including:
  • Prepare weekly or bi-weekly call agendas including key accomplishments over the prior week and goals for upcoming week.
  • Prepare regular PowerPoint presentations for USAID/Uganda with the updated ATI grant pipeline, status of activity/grant implementation, partner needs, and progress towards targets and goals.
• Provide expertise, including:
  • Study the USAID/Uganda portfolio and recommend synergies between partnerships and existing programming.
• Inform USAID/Uganda of opportunities and challenges related to ATI programming, including recommendations across the ATI ecosystem to increase results, ensuring USAID/Uganda needs are sufficiently met.
• Support Uganda businesses to build new sourcing relationships through identifying large lead firms, in the United States, Africa and elsewhere and work creatively with the buyers and potential suppliers to realize the commercial potential.
• Any other role, as may be required from time to time by the USAID/Uganda on ATI activities.

REPORTING

The Trade & Investment Specialist will work closely with USAID/Uganda and at their direction provide strategic guidance and input to the ATI program. S/he will provide day to day updates to the USAID Mission point of contact about ATI activities and other activities as requested. While USAID/Uganda will provide strategic oversight to the Trade & Investment Specialist, the ATI program will daily coordinate with the Specialist to ensure all aspects of the ATI Uganda Buy-in progress in a well-coordinated and efficient manner.

QUALIFICATIONS

Below are the qualifications and experience required for this position:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business, marketing or other commensurate professional degree and a minimum of 7 years of relevant professional work experience.
• Strong private sector development skills with a progressive work experience of at least 7 years working with the private sector in Uganda.
• Demonstrate knowledge and experience in providing high-level technical oversight of USAID and the Private Sector Partnerships
• Proven project management and interpersonal skills, including strong experience with client management.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written, and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize tasks and work efficiently.
• Solutions-oriented, customer-service motivated team player who is also able to work independently and on own initiative.
• Ability to work in a fast-moving, fluid team setting with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience working with exporters, women owned, and youth led enterprises will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The position will be for about three years ending on or around June 30, 2026.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The position will be based in Kampala, Uganda with travel to USAID/Uganda programming locations within the country. Applicants must be currently based in Kampala and able to meet USAID staff in person on short notice as requested.

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.