Technical Assistance Coordinator – Chemonics Retour vers les opportunités

Title: Technical Assistance Coordinator
Length of Assignment: Long-Term
Reports to: Technical Assistance Contracting Director

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the USAID-funded Jobs, Opportunities & Business Success project (JOBS) is to create jobs in Tunisia on a sustainable basis by (1) providing targeted assistance to Tunisian businesses, especially SMEs, to expand their sales and/or exports enabling them to expand and hire additional workers; (2) enhance work force development by reducing the education/training gap between what the university and vocational training systems provide and the actual needs of Tunisian businesses; (3) promote a more effective business enabling environment by working with the public and private sectors to promote policy and regulatory reforms; and, (4) communicate to Tunisians, especially youth, a sense of the importance of market-led economic growth and entrepreneurship, as well as vocational education as an apt career choice.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Technical Assistance Coordinator (TAC) is responsible for the timely and effective contracting of technical assistance from individual consultants and consulting firms to further JOBS’ objectives. The TAC will work closely with technical staff to plan for, onboard, and ensure the successful delivery of technical assistance. For the technical assistance needs of Component 1’s Enterprise Engagement (EE) team, the TAC will coordinate with the Business Advisors to hire individual consultants and contract consulting firms, primarily through the Business Development Service Provider (BDSP) mechanism of pre-selected consulting firms. The TAC will also assist other project components in contracting technical assistance as required.

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES:

Individual Consultants

• Coordinate closely with JOBS’ technical team staff in the selection and onboarding of technical consultants. This includes the entire lifecycle of salary verification and rate negotiation, reference checks, obtaining USAID approval, signing a consultant agreement, and managing timesheets.
• Develop an understanding of Tunisia market rates for technical consultants in numerous sectors and professional categories
• Understand technical requirements of consultant requests to align proposed salaries with technical responsibilities
• Review and verify salary history and degree information and other appropriate biodata information for accuracy prior to making an offer
• Review and ensure biodata information is filled out correctly and ready for approval and signature
• Assess English language skills in an interview, ask for writing samples as needed
• Conduct reference checks
• Collect, review for accuracy, and revise resumes based on JOBS resume format
• Manage all onboarding processes including employment agreement and personnel and ethical acknowledgement forms that discusses ethical expectations
• Confirm all recruitment documentation is submitted and personnel files are complete and compliant with Chemonics policy, local labor laws, and USAID regulations
• Confirm scopes of work are detailed and in accordance with Chemonics practices
• Coordinate with technical components and confirm consultant agreement start date
• Maintain accurate timesheet records and ensure all timesheets are submitted on time with the correct approvals
• Maintain a detailed tracker of onboarding requirements with all consultants
• Confirm deliverables are submitted and technically approved prior to issuing the final payment
• Ensure consultants are paid within the terms of their employment agreement
• Develop tracker of hired consultants to include start and end date, deliverables submitted, LOE, and performance evaluations of their assignment
• Update and create new templates and processes as they relate to the onboarding function
• Ensure consultant files are maintained according to the requirement, ensure confidentiality and safety of the data.
• Administer salary scale once this is approved and in place

BDSP Mechanism

• Release Technical Services Requests to eligible BDSP subcontractors (based on their expertise in the relevant technical service category)
• With Business Advisor, evaluate proposed CVs from BDSP subcontractors based on the requirements set forth in the Technical Services Request and inform participating subcontractors of the pre-qualification results
• With Business Advisor, review budget and other information submitted by pre-qualified BDSP. Ensure that budgets contain the pre-negotiated fixed daily rates as per the umbrella subcontract. Negotiate with pre-qualified BDSP as necessary.
• Following the finalization of a partnership agreement with a JOBS’ client firm, issue the sub task order contract to the pre-qualified BDSP for the implementation of the action plan in the partnership agreement. Write accompanying memorandum of negotiation and create purchase order in D365 system.
• Following technical approval of the BDSP deliverables, complete payment within the terms of the sub task order
• Maintain a comprehensive BDSP tracker including details on budget, expenditures, LOE, and overall BDSP performance
• In coordination with Business Advisor and with COP approval, modify sub task orders if necessary

Non-BDSP Consulting Firms

• Under select circumstances, there may be a need to procure technical assistance that cannot be offered through the BDSP subcontractors. In this case, the TAC will work with the Business Advisor to procure the necessary technical assistance from other qualified consulting firms
• Following receipt of the Technical Services Request form and D365 purchase request, the TAC will work with the Business Advisor to develop specifications/minimum requirements/scope of work and issue a request for quotations (RFQ) or request for proposals (RFP). The TAC will coordinate the evaluation and selection of bids and issue a purchase order or subcontract in line with guidance from the Chemonics Subcontracts Manual.
• In instances where absence of competition is justified, the TAC will work with the Business Advisor to complete the required information.

General

• Communicate changes on new initiatives or processes to staff
• Other duties as assigned by direct supervisor and Senior Management

LEVEL OF EFFORT AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

This position is long-term, on a full-time basis.

LOCATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The assignment will be in Tunis.