Junior Professional, West Africa

The Position

Palladium is looking for a Junior Professional to support the West Africa (WA) team on the Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use Programme – Phase 2 programme. The role is based primarily from Ghana, working on a global sustainable land-use programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

This is a one-year professional development opportunity, designed to enable you to develop knowledge, skills and competencies required to pursue a successful career within the sector. You will support our West Africa Team to develop and manage projects in the regional Business Incubation (BI) / Design Side Measures (DSM) / Enabling Conditions (EC) portfolio. You will support with the technical aspects of project development and management, and delivering administrative, research and compliance tasks. You will also support the Regional Team with programme coordination, working closely with the MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) , Grants, and Communication & External Relations teams, offering you excellent oversight of the programme structure.

The role is offered full time (40 hours) based in our Accra Office. It is expected the person works from the office at least 3 days per week (pro rata if part-time). We have flexible working conditions to enable our staff to balance their work and home commitments. The start date is expected to October 1 st , 2026 .

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 3,200 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

Programme Context

The Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use Programme – Phase 2 (IFSLU2) is one of the flagship programme in the Natural Capital and Climate, Environment and Natural Resources practice areas at Palladium. IFSLU2 is split into three components, this position is primarily focused on Components 1 and 2, with collaboration and coordination opportunities for working with Component 3. IFSLU2 is a grants and technical assistance facility that s upports businesses and investment models in which the private sector, public sector and communities can achieve improved returns from forests and sustainable land use whilst protecting existing forest, restoring degraded land and improving agricultural land management and production practices. All this work is focused across the tropical forests belt.

IFSLU2 will run for 5 years from 1 February 2025. Depending on performance and subject to funding, the programme may be extended for a further 5 years (up to 2035). The programme is funded by the UK government.

Primary Responsibilities

The Junior Professional will support the WA Team through responsibilities outlined below:

Project development

· Conduct market and value chain research to inform the design of specific commercially viable projects in the pipeline.

· Support in undertaking business diagnostics and feasibility assessments to identify investment and market opportunities and constraints.

· Prepare business plans and economic analysis to assess project viability and impact sustainability.

· Support the design t of innovative business solutions and delivery models that enhances private sector investment into forestry and sustainable land use.

· Support the development of Idea Notes and Project Concept notes, including drafting initial content based on discussions with potential partners and with steer from the Regional Director/Manager.

· Conduct review of draft Idea Notes and Project Concept Notes (PCNs) developed by grantees and work with grantees to help to bring it to the standard required for approval processes.

· Prepare business plans and conduct analysis to inform the design of project solutions.

· Support the integration of gender and safeguards considerations in project design and documentation and participate in related processes and discussions.

· Work with the Regional and Global MEL teams to identify and review project’s potential results.

· Participate in relevant stakeholder meetings to build knowledge and engage with key stakeholders, including taking notes, helping to keep track of follow up actions, and maintaining records of engagement in Monday.com

· Manage the document and information flow with prospective grantees, ensuring budgets, PCNs, idea notes, risk registers, etc are received on time and coordinating the process of review and iteration.

Project management

· Provide support to the regional team to ensure effective management of projects under implementation and ensure timely reporting and monitoring to achieve project outcomes and impacts.

· Work with the grants tea m to review and quality assure budget and risk reporting and work with grantees to resolve queries / issues that arrive.

· Conduct initial review of technical / financial reports and work with grantees to bring them to the required standard.

· Help grants team with payment process, including verifying payment values, preparing disbursement letters, follow up approval requests, and submitting finalized payments for processing.

· Work with Grantees and Regional MEL and C omms teams to identify, log and share lessons and impact stories for projects under implementation.

· Potentially, for a select number of projects in the portfolio, be the point of contact for regular reporting and engagement as well as ad hoc issues.

·

Reporting

· Assist in the production of client reports, internal reports and updated project reports/updates

· Scheduling / convening / meeting support / event coordination and management

· Convene and document meetings of the Project Approval Committee, Risk Committee, and any other meetings as required;

· Convene, document and follow up on client management meetings;

· Collate and distribute relevant documentation required for project level approvals and other programmatic decision making;

· Upload research notes and documents to the programme management tools e.g. SharePoint and Monday.com.

· Support progress against programme milestones;

· Support the drafting of quarterly, annual and extraordinary reporting;

· Contribute to client technical reports and deliverables;

Reporting

You will report directly to the Regional Manager, with an indirect reporting line to the Regional Director and other workstreams’ leads (MEL, Comms & Ext. Rel., and Grants).

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is interested in how a complex, global programme with a successful track record is managed and is pursuing a potential career in the international development, environment or land use sector.

The ideal candidate has the following skills and attitudes

Essential

· Bachelor’s degree (master’s degree) in economics, Finance, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics, International Development or a related discipline.

· Strong analytical, quantitative and research skills including experience in conducting financial and economic analysis and market assessments.

· Experience or interest in international development, climate, nature, forestry or stakeholder management.

· Ability to prepare business plans, investment cases or feasibility studies.

· Advanced Microsoft Office user with proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel

· Fluency in English - excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Adaptable (keen to try new approaches, employs agile thinking, flexible and open to change).

· Innovative (intellectual curiosity, solution-based problem solving).

· People skills (communication, follow through, respect for individual, interpersonal relationships, networking).

· Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.

· Passionate and committed to the sector.

· Accountable (ensures work quality, organisational skills).

· The right to work in Ghana without sponsorship

Desirable

· Experience in an organisation or private company running FCDO-funded or other large international development programmes.

· Educational background with a qualification(s) in a subject relevant to the sector, including Environmental Studies, Agribusiness, Economics, Public Policy, International Development or Relations etc.

· Experience in managing forest-risk commodities, including rubber, cashew, and oil palm

· Fluency in French.

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 during the recruitment process (due to disability, neurodiversity, 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.