Communications Assistant

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 and Role

The goal of the USAID Enterprises, Employment, and Enabling Environments (E4) Activity is to increase employment and jobs through increased private productivity and competitiveness. The theory of change is: “For the number of jobs to increase, businesses must grow; and for businesses to grow, constraints preventing growth must be removed.” Following this logic, Palladium will focus on removing obstacles to growth at the firm level and will work to develop skills identified by employers or develop entrepreneurial expertise. Additionally, Palladium will work to address legal and regulatory constraints if they are determined to be significant inhibitors of firm growth. These efforts will result in the creation of new firms and jobs and the growth of existing firms.

Work performed under the E4 IDIQ is divided into three components:

• Component 1: Enterprises – Fostering Competitive Industries
• Component 2: Employment – Developing a Capable Workforce and Entrepreneurship
• Component 3: Enabling Environments – Creating Conditions for Jobs and Investment

The E4 IDIQ regional office is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and country offices are located in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

This Opportunity

Over the last four years, Palladium has been successfully implementing the Future Growth Initiative (FGI) Task Order of the E4 Activity in all five Central Asian countries. This task order works to increase the competitiveness of high-growth industries to provide jobs and incomes for Central Asia’s growing workforce, propelling the region toward self-reliance. FGI is transforming market systems in ways that help high-potential firms and sectors grow, fostering market linkages to match the demand for workforce skills with training offered to youth and women, linking entrepreneurs to high-growth markets, and building more business- and worker-friendly policy environments and institutions to sustain private sector-driven growth.

The program has recently been extended until 2026 through the awarding of the FGI 2.0 Task Order. By building on FGI’s success and lessons learned, FGI 2.0 will work to increase the competitiveness of high-growth industries through a market systems approach that incentivizes private and public sector behavior change. The new task order will facilitate the regionalization of business advisory and enabling environment ecosystems, harmonize policies and regulations, foster trade and market linkages, and align the skills of women, youth, and vulnerable populations with private sector needs.

FGI 2.0 will take a partnerships-based approach, facilitating firm-level assistance, industry association capacity building, and regulatory reform under:

• Objective 1: Drive national-level, private sector-led economic growth and inclusivity in the five Central Asian Republics (CARs).
• Objective 2: Support competitiveness and job creation in each country, serving as the foundation for regional growth and integration.
• FGI 2.0 will also facilitate domestic and regional public private dialogue (PPD), policy reform and harmonization, and investment attraction efforts to support Central Asia’s integration into the global economy of the future.

Palladium seeks a Communications Assistant for the FGI and FGI 2.0 Task Orders under the USAID E4 Activity. The Assistant will be responsible for providing operational and administrative assistance to the technical and operational staff of the regional office in Kazakhstan, performing communications and other services in support of regional communications activities.

Location

This position will be located in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Reporting and Supervision

The Communications Assistant will work in close cooperation with the Communications Director and will report directly to the Communications Director, Kazakhstan Country Manager, and Chief of Party (COP).

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Assistant will be required to provide 80% assistance to the Communications Director (primary) and 20% assistance to the technical team (secondary).

Key responsibilities under the primary role will include the following:

• Assist with the dissemination of communications tools to inform key audiences on project progress and successes through social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).
• Assist with designing and developing communications tools (videos, visual images, PowerPoint presentations, press releases, success stories, impact statements, factsheets, flyers, etc.).
• Assist with collecting materials and compiling progress reports (quarterly, annual, final).
• Assist with review and verification of translated material for compliance with USAID branding and communication requirements (reports, PowerPoint presentations, research, etc.).
• Coordinate the procurement of any communications related materials and services.

Key responsibilities under the secondary role will include the following:

• Assist with project-related events and meetings.
• Assist with budget estimations for events and any communications-related activities.
• Assist with designing client-facing PowerPoint slides, visuals, infographics, and any other materials for the technical team.
• Support the technical team with any critical issues and provide assistance where needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Kazakhstan Country Manager and Manager of Finance, Grants, and Administration.

Key Competencies Required

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, economics, or another relevant discipline.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to multitask.
• Demonstrated understanding of project implementation support and administrative assistance.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Advanced software skills, including in Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc.
• Ability to be flexible and responsive to emerging opportunities and potential barriers.
• Ability to work in an ambiguous and rapidly evolving environment.
• Ability to learn and follow protocols, procedures, and guidelines to ensure compliance.
• Resident of Kazakhstan.
• Proficient in English.
• Fluent in Russian

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred

• Experience with implementing USAID projects.

Application Deadline

This application will close on September 11, 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 accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com 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.