Enterprise Development Advisor (Consultant), CATALYZE Ethiopia MS4G
Company Overview:
About 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 governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.
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.
Project Background
USAID CATALYZE Ethiopia: MS4G is designed to benefit the Ethiopian people, build community resilience, and strengthen rural-urban linkages, in the areas of food security and WASH. MS4G invests in developing strong relationships with private sector players, co-investing in inclusive business models, advisory services, digital solutions, and market-based initiatives that increase the resilience and sustainability of Ethiopian enterprises and employment for women and youth.
CATALYZE MS4G uses a market systems approach to address key food security and WASH sub-system areas and the impact of economic shocks, including COVID-19 and political instability by stimulating adoption, adaptation, broad expansion, and responsive institutionalization and scaling of approaches and business models to transform the lives of Ethiopians.
Under its Strengthening Enterprise Ecosystem objective, MS4G works with growth-oriented SMEs in food security and WASH sectors to accelerate their capacity to grow, adopt inclusive business models, and provide sustainable employment to youth and women. This is achieved through initiatives that facilitate market-based business development through Business Advisory Service Providers (BASPs) and/or enterprise ecosystem actors such as business incubators, accelerators, and anchor/lead firms.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
The main objective of enterprise development is to support SMEs growth mainly in sales, revenue and export and subsequently be able to access capital both from banks as well as equity providers. As such the program will avail business advisory service providers.
Four main areas are (1) Design, development and management of SME business advisory service program (BASP); (2) design and develop and manage capacity building program for business advisory service providers (BASPs); (3) Manage third party development of assessment and research reports; (4) Manage pipeline development of SMEs from the demand side to ensure the type of SMEs targeted actually received the service business advisory service, among others.
Specific Tasks
Review project documents including plans, assessments reports and other related information;
Review current donor funded BASP programs in the market;
Review and align current plan;
Align Review and technically enrich the current plan;
Conduct assessment of demand-side market and systems to identify constraints and opportunities for businesses improvement of women and youth.
Undertake market opportunity for enterprise development advisory and technical viability assessment and shortlisting business advisory service providers.
Design programs to enhance the capacity and capability of SMEs to increase their performance and meet program objectives;
Design and develop capacity building program to deliver governance, strategic planning, financial management, operational management and human resource management training.
Participate in identifications, assessments and selections of the potential implementing BASPs for enterprise development
Lead the work plans development, implementation and ongoing monitoring within the enterprise development.
Evaluate training facilities manuals and training curriculum to determine its capacity to train local BASPs
Assess training programs and facilities within the country for BASP capacity development;
Perform other functions as may be assigned by program lead.
Monitor and track program performance on monthly basis in accordance program KPIs;
Provide monthly update of program performance of program objectives and plans.
Quarterly review the BASP, their services and progress or performance
Monitor and provide periodical recommendation of appropriate training topics for BASPs business training
Evaluate and recommend and business training modules and programs
Reporting
This activity will be managed by the investment and trade portfolio manager
Qualifications and Skills
Academic Qualification:
At least a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship and other related fields.
Experience:
Minimum of 10 years professional experience in SME/enterprise development
Five (5) years of work experience with SMEs
Three years of experience in SME business advisory
At least 5 five years of enterprise development experience
Experience in marketing, sales and/or business development
Experience implementing donor-funded program
Experience implementing in USAID funded program is a plus
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Considerable knowledge of enterprise development, business growth assessment, technical assistance program design, and a range of development business support services;
Proven experience in supporting businesses grow
Understanding of a range of enterprise business opportunities supporting business;
Strong analytical and operational knowledge of enterprise development.
Strong networking, partnership and interpersonal skills
Ability to communicate effectively in oral and in writing, work independently and as part of the team, and work effectively with co-workers, partner agencies and the private sector;
Computer proficiency in MS word, excel, and power point is required
Fluency in the English language and strong written and spoken communication skills
Submission of Application
Candidates should apply by sending:
I) A cover letter;
ii) Curriculum Vitae, and;
iii) Names and contact details of two professional referees
Apply now
Share
Save Job
