Arba Minch University (AMU) is implementing Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) funded research and development project called RUNRES: The Rural - Urban Nexus: Establishing a nutrient loop to improve city region food system resilience in collaboration with ETH Zurich, Switzerland, IITA in DRC and Rwanda and University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa. Following successful completion of Phase I, the project's second phase (2023 – 2027) will start operations in October 2023 and focus on scaling innovations piloted in the previous phase. During the first phase, the project team found that most small and medium enterprises (SME) selected to test innovations lack a proper understanding and capacity to develop and implement business plans. As we transitioning into the second phase, focusing on scaling, it is crucial to provide business development service (BDS) to enterprises. As a result, we are planning to hire independent part-time business expert for the project.
- Job Summary
The business expert will be responsible for business development service (BDS) project, which focuses on supply chain management, access to market and finance, and growth management. This will involve a quick review of the existing innovation partners who already developed business plans and helping new ones to build their business plans while in parallel or starting with capacity-development initiatives to strengthen the enterprises/companies' production, business development, marketing, and sales skills. The Project business expert will make all available efforts to contribute the successful implementation of the project and achieve its intended objectives.
He /she will also strengthen and promote effective communication between with AMU-RUNRES project office, abroad partners, and partner organizations on over all operational support deem necessary for competent project implementation.
- Duties and responsibilities
- Identify specific needs of the innovation scaling partners to develop/sharpen their scaling/business plan.
- Provide technical assistance to each innovation scaling partner to develop/sharpen a scaling/business plan before submission to the Project Advisory and Steering Committees.
- Develop an agreed-upon detailed business delivery plan for each innovation scaling partner with short and medium-term goals in the fields of supply chain management, marketing, sales, and accounting & financial management.
- Support the implementation of scaling/business plans effectively.
- Formulate capacity building and business development interventions and implement these interventions through training followed by individual coaching and mentoring the companies based on their specific needs, to further sharpen their business understanding and skills and to accelerate the implementation of their business plans.
- Identify and formulate public-private and project partnership model and public subsidy for municipality organic waste composting and distribution to farmers.
- Assisting the innovation businesses in formulating an individual strategy to improve their readiness to secure investment (equity, loan) to scale their operations.
- Employment Type: Contract with RUNRES project period, while renewed annually depending on performance.
- Job Requirements
- Academic Qualification
Master’s Degree/BA/MSc. degree in Project Management, Business Management, Development Economics, Business administration, Supply chain management, Development Management, Marketing Management, Operations management, Agricultural economics, Agribusiness and Value chain management, international business and related
- Work Experience
- At least 5 years of experience as business service provider for Master holders and at least 7 years for BA/BSc degree holders.
- Track record of BDS service provision to SMEs/Industries preferably in agribusiness sectors and agro-processing sectors (food, and feed processing sectors).
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience related to SMEs, access to finance, the private sector, and entrepreneurship development.
- Successful participation in development programmes/projects.
- Ability/experience serving both women and men clients.
- Demonstrated understanding of the local socio-economic context.
- Working experience and familiarity with the development efforts of international development partners, Projects, INGOs, and NGOs.
- Project cycle management, business plan writing and report writing,
- Special training and additional requirements
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office including advanced proficiency in powerpoint and Excel required.
- Data analysis softwares SPSS, STATA, R-software, Python, etc.
- How to Apply
Interested applicants are invited to send application letter, a non-returnable copy of their CV, and credentials in 3 working days of the announcement of this vacancy in one PDF file through: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. put This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in CC//
Or
Apply in person at Arba Minch University Office of Vice president for research and community engagement from 8:30 to 6:00 AM in morning and 2:00 to 4:30 PM in afternoon.
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