Private Sector Liaison Specialist

The Makanati | USAID Women Economic Empowerment and leadership Activity will use a Champions of Change approach to work with private sector firms, the government, community-based organizations (CBOs), and other high-level stakeholders to create an enabling environment for women to undertake waged employment in the private sector in Jordan. To that end, Makanati will work with partners and stakeholders to encourage women to consider career choices in high-growth, priority sectors and promote the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in Jordan’s labor force. Using a targeted sector and regional focus, Makanati will seek to increase women’s access to the job market and demand-driven job skills and leadership training that responds to market needs. Makanati will also identify and address policy gaps, workplace inequalities and prohibitive social norms and traditions to support an equitable and inclusive workforce enabling environment.

Makanati’s goal is to establish pathways through which social change and economic opportunities lead to a systemic shift from women’s exclusion to inclusion in market systems and increase women’s economic participation in the private sector. This holistic approach will bridge the gap between women’s and men’s inclusion in the workforce and, overall, will contribute to inclusive economic growth in Jordan.

Makanati is implemented by EnCompass LLC in partnership with Nathan Associates, Integrated International and JoWomenomics.

Nathan is a leading provider of analytic and economic consultancy services worldwide. In the past decade, we have implemented more than 120 projects in more than 50 countries leveraging our global presence in Washington DC, London, and India. From improved transparency and deeper stakeholder engagement to more effective policies and more resilient businesses, we deliver results that impact economic growth, human development, and poverty reduction. We are passionate about applying our deep analytical expertise and advanced proprietary tools to generate economic solutions tailored to our clients’ unique challenges. Nathan focuses on a range of economic development subject matter areas including Trade & Logistics; Economic Policy & Governance; Private Sector Development; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and Financial Solutions.

Position Summary:

The Private Sector Liaison Specialist position will primarily support the Senior Private Sector Lead and serve Makanati’s first objective. The person in this role will support implementation of private sector engagement strategies by developing and maintaining relationships/partnerships with the private sector, business associations, organizations, universities, and other stakeholders with the aim to improve women’s access to jobs and leadership roles in the private sector on Makanati’s targeted sectors (tourism, media/creative industries, industrial and transport/logistics, with digital and environmental as cross-cutting themes), the local business environment, and considerations needed to mainstream gender into private sector policies and practices.

KEY RESPOSIBILITIES:

• Support the establishment and maintenance of relationships/partnerships with business associations and champion firms from the four targeted sectors, business groups, organizations, and other stakeholders to increase women’s access to jobs and leadership roles in the private sector.
• Work closely with the Senior Private Sector Lead, assist in the coordination and exchange of experiences, best practices, and other business promotion mechanisms among private sector partners to achieve a sustained market system change inside the businesses, with a focus on industrial, and/or logistics and transportation sectors.
• Support to identify the challenges and possibilities for women seeking to enter, remain, and advance in careers in Makanati’s targeted sectors (industrial, logistics, transportation, tourism, creative industries) and others (including informal and non-traditional types of work with potential for women’s engagement).
• Support to identify trends as well as market-based interventions and incentives to better integrate adult and young women into targeted sectors and others in a way that provides equitable benefits and practices.
• Contribute to the development of a private sector engagement strategy and the implementation of recommended interventions to address barriers to women’s employment in Makanati’s targeted sectors, as well as to make the business case to the private sector for the importance of employing and advancing women employees.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with universities and educational and training service providers to support the Pathway to Leadership program, in collaboration with identified champion firms to support the recruitment and retention of women in employment and leadership within the targeted sectors to support their growth and competitiveness as employees.
• Coordinate cross-cutting activities with the Makanati team, including collaboration with the Communications Specialist, Senior Gender and Youth Specialist, Senior Community Lead, Senior Government Lead, and MEL Specialist, to ensure that private sector activities effectively contribute to the overall Makanati objective(s) in a gender-sensitive manner.

Qualifications & SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, applied management, business and economics, industrial or logistics engineering, or other related fields.
• At least 5-8 years of relevant work experience in Industrial, and/or Logistics and Transportation sectors
• Strong experience of the private sector dynamic and deep familiarity with the identified sectors.
• Experience in industrial and logistic sector is desirable.
• Proven ability to think strategically, advocate, and provide recommendations workforce development
• Strong English and Arabic language skills
• Must be based in Jordan

Nathan is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Nathan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. EOE Minorities/Females/Disabled/Veterans.

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

Nathan requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated. If you receive a conditional offer of employment from Nathan, you will be required to prove that you are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or receive approval from Nathan for a waiver due to a valid religious or medical reason prior to your start date. Applicants should not disclose their vaccination status or need for a waiver before receiving a conditional offer of employment.