Country Fund Manager Job at Palladium

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Country Fund Manager

Job Requisition ID: req24717
Job Location: Abuja (FCT)

Primary Duties and Responsibilities 

• The Nigeria Fund Manager will be a key in-country leader of the Palladium UK PACT team responsible for the management, monitoring and coordination of Nigeria-UK PACT activities. 
• The Fund Manager will work closely and coordinate with the British High Commission (BHC) team in post and FCDO lead in the UK to support strategy development, and pipeline development and activity delivery management of UK PACT projects.  
• The Nigeria-UK PACT Fund Manager will be the on-the-ground liaison for Palladium managing and coordinating day-to-day activities in Nigeria, in coordination with BHC and UK staff. The position is hybrid, with in-person presence in Abuja required. 

Specifically, the Nigeria Fund Manager will be responsible for: 
Strategy Development and Engagement:  

• Work collaboratively with BHC team, FCDO UK, the Palladium core team to implement an adaptive strategy for UK PACT-funded projects in-country drawing on the various types of funds, skill-shares and technical assistance available. 
• Identifying complementary existing programmes (funded by the UK and other donors) to feed into UK PACT country implementation plans, theories of change and log-frames and avoid programme duplication. 
• Provide technical advice and input for continuous context analysis and assessment of local market capacity to identify the most appropriate avenues for interventions and pathways to climate change impact within each key strategic sector, and flag policy, technological and commercial developments and risks that could influence the delivery of UK-Nigeria climate collaboration. 

Stakeholder Relationships:

• Maintain an excellent working relationship with the BHC team and FCDO HQ lead, supporting them in engagement with partner country government agencies, civil society groups, research agencies, (green) financial institutions and relevant private sector firms in order to collaboratively design and generate buy-in for the programme’s strategy, plans, and resource requirements. 
• Act as an ambassador for UK PACT in Nigeria, promoting funding opportunities to potential implementing partners, project and programme outputs to intended beneficiaries, and broader UK engagement on low-carbon development where relevant, and as agreed with FCDO. 

Programme Management: Identification, Selection and Design of Interventions:

• Coordinate grant funding windows in accordance with country implementation plans, and lead on market engagement to ensure the right local stakeholders are aware of, and well-placed to apply for, funding opportunities. 
• Organise, manage and run call for proposals in collaboration with post, the Palladium team in the UK and the FCDO lead. 
• Facilitate and lead the project selection process, particularly with regard to assessing deliverability and impact potential on the ground. 
• Lead project set-up, coordinating with the Palladium PMU and Regional team to adhere to any local due diligence required and to support initial briefing to potential Implementation Partners. 
• Advise FCDO on potential to extend, scale up or replicate successful projects, and work with successful Implementation Partners to do this with FCDO approval. 
• Support defence against fraud, corruption and safeguarding risks, conducting spot checks and other processes to ensure FCDO grant funding is spent as intended and that Implementation Partners meet FCDO compliance requirements. 
• Provide local context and expertise needed to improve the quality of Nigeria UK PACT portfolio implementation in the targeted region. 

Programme Reporting and Financial Management:

• Support Implementing Partners on project reporting, ensuring reporting meets FCDO requirements.  
• Oversee country and project specific risk management, working with all parties, ensuring any issues identified result in quick mitigation strategies and/or are escalated as required. 
• Contribute to programme governance and decision-making, both in-country and centrally, as required. 
• Oversee timely implementation of projects and regularly ensure the feedback of results, impacts and learning through quarterly reports to FCDO covering overall progress, progress against outputs, main activities and deliverables for the next period, budget, spend and forecast, and risks. 
• Responsible for delivering against the fund key performance indicators (eg including delivery against fund plans, financial performance, delivery performance, risk management, MEL) 

Reporting:

• The position will report and be accountable to the UK PACT Africa Regional Lead. 
• This role will be full-time hybrid role, based in Abuja, Nigeria starting from February 2026 through to March 2027.
• The contract may be extended based on performance and/or extension of the UK PACT programme. 

Key Competencies and Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred

• This a management position typically requires 8+ years of experience and involves strategic decision-making capabilities.
• Candidates should have a proven track record of programme/project management; substantial professional and leadership experience including managing high-performing teams; and sector experience is an advantage. 
• Excellent programme and grant management skills, with a proven track record of managing a complex portfolio of grantees in various sectors. 
• Strong reporting skills with proven ability to engage with and manage donor client through face to face and formal reporting and ad-hoc requests. 
• Strong financial management skills, with the ability to manage portfolio budgets and forecasting.  
• Good knowledge and willingness to learn more about the environmental / low carbon sector in terms of policy landscape, relevant state and non-state actors in relation to climate change, and low-carbon economic development. Experience in climate policy and governance and/or clean energy transition is preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to build networks and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels of seniority. 
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the local political economy and business operating context in Nigeria, including socio-economic context and development challenges and priorities. 
• Excellent organisational, inter-personal administration and communication skills. 
• An ability to see both the big (strategic) picture, identifying opportunities for innovation and value addition for UK PACT, as well as keeping alert to project delivery risks. 
• Professional fluency in spoken and written English. 
• A high degree of personal resilience, flexibility and ability to adapt to changing circumstances. 
• Highly collaborative and committed to close working and open communication with colleagues in post and in the UK, and other UK PACT partners. 
• Commitment to neutrality in all dealings with stakeholders, including political stakeholders, to build trusted relationships and ensure maximum effectiveness of the programme.