View Vacancy – Senior Private Sector Development Adviser (UZB24.396)

As the Senior Private Sector Development Adviser, you will be the focal point for FCDO’s work on the Green Inclusive Growth Fund (GIG) and Private Sector Development in Central Asia. You will manage a dynamic set of programme implementing partners, drive forward new connections, strengthen existing relationships, and ensure the programme remains aligned to the economic development team’s structural transformation and productive jobs agenda. You use your deep thematic expertise and leadership experience on programmes related to finance and private sector development to ensure GIG’s success.

Key areas of responsibility will include:

• Green Inclusive Growth Fund Central Asia – Programme Responsible Officer – you will act as the Programme Responsible Officer for the new UK-Central Asia Green, inclusive Growth Fund (GIG), accountable to the Senior Responsible Officer. This means responsibility for delivering a complex, innovative and novel programme on a day-to-day basis across 5 different geographies. You will use your expertise as a leader within the organisation with respect to private sector development in Central Asia, providing thought leadership, proactively influencing the direction of programmes and activity, and providing well-balanced advice to senior staff. You will conduct research and analysis on the regional private sector environment, including the regulatory frameworks, access to finance, and investment. 

• Private Sector Development – Uzbekistan – Uzbekistan is the largest and newest of the Central Asian markets for FCDO’s private sector development activity. Acting as the focal point for private sector and economic development work in Uzbekistan, you will identify and utilise the best evidence and knowledge in these areas to drive improvements of the effectiveness and impact of our work. You will be responsible for implementation of the new Green Inclusive Growth Fund (GIG) in Uzbekistan, ensuring its reach and success. You will establish FCDO’s presence as one of the leading actors in this area, bringing together internal and external stakeholders to collaborate more effectively. You will be a policy expert on the key opportunities and challenges to economic development in Uzbekistan, using this knowledge to drive forward targeted activity.

• Gender and Climate – you will work at the interplay between work on private sector development, gender and climate. In practice, this means ensuring private sector programmes are acutely focused on the right issues regarding gender and the environment. It also means being a bridge to other FCDO programmes in these fields, creatively inputting to where private sector involvement could leverage further impact.

• Working Together – Develop strong relationships with implementers and external stakeholders (government, NGOs, media and the private sector) in areas of responsibility, with a focus on Uzbekistan but across the region where required. Use these relationships to expand the reach and impact of GIG. Work confidently and expansively internally across HMG colleagues, with FCDO and beyond, understanding how all of the UK’s different thematic priorities (on climate, gender, education, etc) can be integrated and reflected in your work, and vice versa with private sector development to theirs.  Provide input and advice to other programmes (e.g. climate, education, governance) on how these can best leverage and incorporate input from the private sector to achieve desired outcomes. Work effectively with colleagues in the Department for Business and Trade to understand how UK commercial activity can be better leveraged to achieve our objectives. Build partnerships with government agencies, businesses, and civil society organizations to promote private sector development, using and expanding your network to influence positive change.

As well as these core responsibilities, you will be expected to play an important corporate role in the British Embassy Tashkent, as well as the Central Asia Development and Programming Team. This means being a team player when it comes to providing other strategic and corporate support: responding to other requests from senior management as and when required in accordance with wider business needs, including strategy development and monitoring or risk assessments.

The jobholder will be expected, depending on availability to accredit to FCDO’s Private Sector Development Cadre. The PSD Cadre assesses competency in the following areas:

• Market Systems and Business Fundamentals (Core)
• Investment and Finance
• Trade and Supply Chains
• Green Growth and Innovation

It is expected that the successful jobholder will already be able to demonstrate strong skills and experience, at the Adviser or Expert level, in: 1) Market Systems and Business Fundamentals; 2) Investment and Finance.

Further information on FCDO’s Private Sector Development Cadre competencies can be found here: Private Sector Development: Technical Competency Framework – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 The jobholder is expected to have the following further skills, experience and qualifications: 

• Fluency (verbal and written), at C1/C2 level in English and Russian (according to CEFR* or equivalent), with excellent communications skills;

• A strong undergraduate degree in Business, Economics, International Development or related field.

• A postgraduate degree in Business, Economics, Finance, International Development or a related field, OR equivalent professional experience;

• At least 7 years’ experience working in the private sector, private sector development, SME development, and/or green growth initiatives with a focus on the private sector;

• Experience working in finance, venture capital or private equity, either directly in a private sector firms, as part of an International Financial Institution, or in an organisation working directly in all or one of these areas;

• Track record of establishing strong relationships (including building and expanding informal networks) with a variety of senior stakeholders from across the private sector and government;

• Track record of collaboration and team work; 

• Willingness to embrace FCDO programme management requirements, including risk management and safeguarding;

• The ability to provide policy advice; policy influencing and leadership on private sector development;

• The ability to deliver flexible and adaptive programming against a backdrop of political change;

• Experience in supporting and influencing Government policy in developing countries;

• Team working and internal and external stakeholder management skills.