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 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

This Opportunity:

The goal of the USAID funded Enterprises, Employment, and Enabling Environments (E4) activity is to increase employment and jobs through increased private productivity and competitiveness. Over the course of the last four years, under the E4 activity, Palladium has been successfully implementing the Future Growth Initiative (FGI) regional project in all five Central Asian countries. The program has just been extended for another three years with the overarching goal to promote sustainable, broad-based economic growth in Central Asian market systems through increased diversification, inclusivity, and competitiveness within high-potential sectors.

As we’re closing FGI Task Order 1, FGI 2.0 activity will build on the FGI’s success and lessons to increase the competitiveness of high-growth industries through a market systems approach that incentivizes private and public sector behavior change. FGI 2.0 will facilitate regionalization of business advisory and enabling environment ecosystems, harmonize policies and regulations, foster trade, and market linkages, and align 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, FGI 2.0, will drive national-level, private sector-led economic growth, and inclusivity in the five Central Asian Republics (CARs).
• Objective 2, FGI 2.0, will support competitiveness and job creation in each country, serving as the foundation for regional growth and integration.
• Lastly, FGI 2.0 will facilitate domestic and regional PPD, policy reform and harmonization, and investment attraction efforts to support CA integration into the global economy of the future.

The Communications Assistant will be responsible for providing operational assistance to the technical staff of the regional and country offices, performing communications and other services.

Location and Compensation:

The position is based in Palladium’s Almaty, Kazakhstan office.

You and Your Career:

If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in developing communications tools and visual design, we are interested in hearing from you.

We are a learning organization and provide growth opportunities from the start. We pride ourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart a fulfilling career!

Reporting Lines:

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

Primary Roles and Responsibilities:

The Communications Assistant will be required to provide 80% assistance to the Communication Director (primary) and 20% assistance to the FGI 2.0 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 developing communications tools (PPT presentations, press releases, success stories, impact statements, factsheets, flyers, etc.);
• Design and create visuals, graphics, maps, infographics, and any other materials subject to be introduced by the technical team to the client (USAID) and third parties;
• Create video success stories, including story-board development (script), interviewing actors, shooting video, working on subtitles, locating off-camera announcer, etc.
• Assist with collecting materials, compiling, consolidating annexes, and formatting progress reports (quarterly, annual, final);
• Assist with review and verification of translated material for compliance with USAID branding and communication requirements (reports, PPTs, research, etc.);

Key responsibilities under the secondary role will include the following:

• Assist with project-related events and meetings organizing procedures;
• Support the technical team with any critical issues when the team experiences a lack of capacities and is looking for additional assistance;
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Country Manager;

Essential Criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree in social, communications, economics or any other relevant discipline;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Readiness for multi-tasking;
• Understanding of project implementation support and assistance work;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Excellent teamwork skills;
• Proficient in advanced software tools, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, CorelDRAW, and various graphic design programs;
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and respond to emerging opportunities and overcome barriers;
• Demonstrated ability to work in an ambiguous and rapidly evolving environment;
• Demonstrated ability to learn and follow any manuals, procedures and guidelines subject to compliance performing a work;
• Resident of Kazakhstan;
• Proficiency in English;
• Fluency in Russian;
• Experience with implementation of USAID projects and knowledge of USAID’s branding requirements, guidelines and manuals will be considered as an advantage.

Application Deadline:

Application will close on September 20, 2024.

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.