The position: The International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology (icipe) seeks to hire Enterprise and Business Development Service Officer I based in Addis Ababa, with a frequent field, travel to regions.

General: The International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology (icipe) is a pan-African and non-profit Centre of Excellence for research and development and capacity building in insect science and its applications. Its mission is to help alleviate poverty, ensure food and nutritional security and improve the overall health status of peoples of the tropics by developing and extending management tools and strategies for harmful and useful arthropods while preserving the natural resource base through research and capacity building. Since its establishment in 1970, icipe has become a significant contributor to science and innovation required to meet the health and food security challenges of sub-Saharan Africa. The Centre has achieved this status by developing alternative and environmentally friendly pest and vector management technologies and products that are effective, selective, non-polluting, non-resistance inducing, and are affordable to resource-limited rural and urban communities. Employing close to 500 international and national staff, icipe also has approximately 150 graduate students who contribute to its research portfolio annually. The Centre currently has operations in more than 40 African countries and thriving partnerships with universities and research organizations across the world. For more information visit: www.icipe.org.

icipe is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation to implement the MOre Young Entrepreneurs in Silk and Honey (MOYESH) program. The purpose of this partnership intervention is to secure fulfilling and dignified employment and income for unemployed young women and men by scaling up integrated beekeeping and silk farming businesses, building on lessons learned from the YESH project and leveraging the public-private partnerships that are already created. The MOYESH program targets to provide 100,000 youth (of which 60% are female) with appropriate skills and knowledge and enable them to secure dignified and fulfilling work in four target regions of Ethiopia.

Job Purpose: The purpose of this post is to provide technical support to the development and promotion of youth-owned micro, small and medium-sized businesses. S/he will build strong relationships with a range of players in enterprises related to the MOYESH project and will use these relationships to improve business and market opportunities for those MSMEs. S/he will provide technical expertise under the MOYESH project to expand and create new enterprises and develop business development support strategies across the value chain in project locations. S/he will provide technical support and guidance to project staffs and partners on enterprise development and business development support to rural youth, input suppliers, aggregators, processors and exporters and other agricultural value chain actors within the MOYESH project. S/he will support efforts to leverage innovation and technology-led solutions to achieve the program’s goals

Main Responsibilities:

• Prepares training guides, manuals/materials on entrepreneurship, business development and management applicable to target group youth and value chain actors;
• Facilitates/Provides technical support and training to targeted youth and women and value chain actors in developing business ideas and in preparing a practical business plan;
• Develops innovative and digital business development support models and strategies for the project;
• Supports and follows up youth and enterprises to get hands-on assistance, in business management, record keeping, marketing, etc.;
• Actively collects and shares information on emerging business opportunities to potential enterprises and financers, as appropriate;
• Monitors the capacity and knowledge gap among youth and women affecting the competitiveness of targeted enterprises, cooperatives, individual entrepreneurs and propose corrective measures;
• Supports development of professional networks among and between youth and value chain actors;
• Leases with relevant research and training institutions, identifies and disseminates information of innovations, applicable technologies, and approaches to program team;
• Supports regional and woreda level field staff and focal persons in coordinating the implementation of the work plan and reporting;
• Undertakes a capacity assessment of youth and SMEs before and after each training session.
• Collaborates and participates in different platforms and enhance synergy between the project objective and other programs in the regions;
• Provides expert advice to key partners in developing innovative business services, new business partnerships, and market-oriented information systems;
• Performs other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• Master’s degree in Agribusiness, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Investment Finance or Marketing, or other relevant disciplines.
• Broad / specialized knowledge of methods, techniques, and processes

Experience:

• Minimum of three years’ experience demonstrating success in business consulting, business development services, enterprise development or training and capacity building in entrepreneurship and business management.
• Knowledge of Ethiopian business laws, market standards, and/or product development
• Excellent oral and written communication in English including report writing
• Deep understanding of Ethiopia’s economic and business environment, particularly at the MSME level
• Agricultural Markets and/or Value Chain development
• Development of Business Services, finance, and financial services
• Private sector experience, particularly entrepreneurship
• Computer skills: Microsoft Office Applications, specifically Excel and Word and Access

Core Competencies:

• Results-oriented and sound decision making
• Demonstrating accountability and commitment
• Ability to communicate effectively and work within a team
• Ability to gathering information, assist with research
• Build relationships and ability to bring people together
• Managing and improving team performance

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, with a frequent field travels to regions

Grade: HG 13

Minimum Base salary: Birr 35,492 per month (Negotiable depending on the salary history of the candidate)

Terms of appointment: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position, initial appointment is for three years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. icipe offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with a competitive salary and excellent benefits in line with ILRI salary applicable for its Nationally Recruited Staff. icipe is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence.

The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus with dining and sports facilities that are located on-site.

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae including names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees and a letter providing a point by point response to the essential and desirable person specifications. The position and reference number: EBDSO/03/20 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal:http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 11 February 2020.

To find out more about icipe, visit our Website at http://www.icipe.org

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at https://www.ilri.org

Suitably qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.

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