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Job Title:  Enterprise Development Officer (3 Positions)

Organisation: ACORD-U (Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development – Uganda)

Duty Station: Karamoja, Uganda

About US:

ACORD-U (Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development – Uganda) is an indigenous Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working for social justice and development. ACORD has been working in Uganda since 1979 with operations in over 25 districts across Uganda. The ACORD-U works in conjunction with people who have been denied their basic rights, helping to better understand, to challenge, and to change the situation in which they find themselves.

Job Summary:   The Enterprise Development Officer will report to the Project Coordinator (AMS Project) and work in close collaboration with the Value Chain Specialist.  The Enterprise Development Officer will serve as the technical lead on program design, business development, and grant management for the ACORD-Uganda enterprise development portfolio. The current portfolio has a strong agricultural focus, including promoting food security and enhancing rural agriculture value chains, with the intention to expand the portfolio to include programs and investments to support a broader range of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in frontier markets, including business support services, access to finance, market development, and investment vehicles.

The Enterprise Development is an evolving portfolio within ACORD-Uganda, and the Officer will be responsible for merging current programs with new approaches and strategies while simultaneously cultivating new partnerships and programmatic areas within the portfolio.

In consultation with the key stakeholders, the officer will work closely with a dynamic Programs implementing team, as well as Communications persons on integrated work streams. (S)he will also work with a variety of ACORD Uganda stakeholders to translate knowledge from the field into successful grant proposals and investment applications and build capabilities within field offices for improved program design and implementation in the selected sites (Napak, Nakapiripirit and Nabilatuk).

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Implementing and reviewing policies, regulations, standards, plans, strategies and programs related to agricultural enterprise development, primary processing and value addition;
• Providing technical support and advice on agricultural enterprise development;
• Collecting and analysing data and information on primary processing and value addition and agricultural enterprise development so as to inform the decision-making process;
• Providing technical support and building capacity of the staff in ACORDUganda, Local Governments (LGs) and other stakeholders in the development of primary processing and value addition;
• Collaborating with national, regional and international institutions and organizations in agricultural enterprise development, value addition and primary processing;
• Implementing plans and strategies for commodity value chain analysis and agricultural enterprise development;
• Participating and supporting commodity stakeholder platforms and frameworks so as to manage implementation of commodity value chain analysis;
• Develop in-depth knowledge about business development practices, marketing activities, prospective clients and industry trends in Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem;
• Provide business mentor-ship and advisory services to micro, small and medium Clients;
• Develop and sustain solid relationships with customers and stakeholders in order to generate high volume of prospective clients;
• Prepare and deliver business training to entrepreneurs and other clients;
• New product development — Design new training product offerings, including on-line offerings;
• Produce training and end-of-activity reports;
• Write business plans for clients;
• Serve as the focal point for market development, enterprise development, and access to finance by remaining well-informed about emerging best practices, current issues and trends in assigned program and regional areas;
• Coordinate technical support of Enterprise Development and Innovation response in all the district.
• Follow up and track youth under apprenticeship and link them to employment opportunities.
• Build the capacity of project field staff on Enterprise development, business incubation and management
• Mentor new staff on enterprise development approaches.
• Participate in orientation and mentoring of Community Facilitators (CF) to mobilize groups for trainings and other project engagements.
• Conduct review biannual meetings and joint stakeholder meetings.
• Compile and submit reports in a timely manner.
• Guide the planning and implementation of; marketing, information gathering, preparation of group business & action plans and establishment & strengthening of business linkages of the value chain actors
• Participate in programme/project evaluations/assessments.
• Participate in data collection and submission
• Documentation of learning and best practices

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, international development or relations, economics, and/or relevant experience.
• At least three years’ experience working with a reputable organization that supports MSMEs and provides non-financial business advisory services;
• Sound understanding of agricultural policies and agriculture research, development, and extension systems of Government of Uganda;
• extensive experience in market and/or rural development, access to finance (both micro and SME), SME accelerators or business development services, and/or other forms of consulting or operational experience with SMEs in emerging and frontier markets.
• Experience in the design and delivery of capacity building interventions to MSMEs.
• Good motorcycle riding skills and valid riding permit.
• Language Requirement: Fluency in spoken and written English. Good knowledge of computer applications such as word, excel, power point and statistical applications.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Good proposal writing skills.
• Strong ICT skills.
• Self-driven person with well-developed oral, written and communication skills.
• Willingness to learn and be challenged.
• Leadership.
• Flexibility and ability to work with different teams.
• Strategic, conceptual thinking and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated high level of integrity

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should submit their application letters and CVs bearing three references with, full residential and contact details (telephone and e-mail) as well as photocopies of academic documents and national identity card to the following email: hr@acorduganda.org

Applications should be addressed to: The Country Director, ACORD Uganda, P.O Box 280 Kampala-Uganda, Plot 1272, Block 15 Nsambya, Ggaba Road

NB: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within a week of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.

Deadline: 16th January, 2024 by 5:00pm.

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