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Job Title:   Business Facilitator (11 Job Opportunities)

Organisation: Heifer International (Heifer)

Duty Station:  Busoga, Uganda

About US:

Heifer International (Heifer) is a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to ending world hunger, poverty and saving the earth. HI works with resource limited families around the globe to become self-reliant. Since it begun in 1944, Heifer International has worked directly with 7 million families in more than 125 countries.

About Project:

Heifer Project International in Uganda is set to implement a 5-year project funded by the Master Card Foundation under its program Young Africa Works. The project seeks to improve the socio-economic well-being and resilience of young people in the Busoga sub-region by 2029. The project target is to reach 250,000 young people between 16-35 years (70% females and 3% youth with disabilities). The project will achieve this target by facilitating collaboration with like-minded partners including The Consortium for Enhancing University responsiveness to Agribusiness Development Limited (CURAD), The Federation of Small & Medium Enterprises (FSME), Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSDU) and ASIGMA group.

Job Summary:   Under the guidance of the Cluster Coordinator, the Business Facilitator – Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment will be responsible for the delivery of business facilitation services in the communities. He/she will support Youth, women and persons with disabilities in the target communities to establish new businesses and/or expand businesses in the prioritized value chains. S/He will offer business support services to individuals and groups as well as facilitate linkages with commercial service providers.

The Business Facilitator will support community structures in the mobilization and engagement of young people in the project. He/She will be responsible for the implementation of project activities at the district level in collaboration with partners, private players, district local governments, and other government agencies, develop a network of communication at all levels including government and business support agencies to support youth groups to network and collaborate with other young people across districts and will work closely with the Cluster Coordinator to support business development activities to increase the overall level of competitiveness of women, youth and people with disabilities in the target communities in the selected value chains and other non -agricultural employment opportunities within the project area. S/he will be responsible for the oversight of field-based business development activities. S/he will also work closely with private sector players (processors, input suppliers, financial service providers), government agencies, and development partners to design and implement appropriate business cases and interventions that improve the business performance of women and youth enterprises.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS: Energetic, positive, team player, result-orientated, quality orientated, collaborative, leadership, pragmatic, and inspirational.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure setup of Agribusiness Hubs and Sustainability (50%)

• Ensure that Agri-hubs) in the project area operate as profitable entities through increased crop production, and provision of business development services to increase the value proposition of the POs to farmers and improve farmer loyalty.
• Support project teams to identify business development needs for clients and create linkages for additional services.
• Understanding business needs, applying knowledge in support of their development and the education of local entrepreneurs
• Ensure that the Agri-hubs within the project area have an efficient and functional commodity supply chain by establishing collection centers/points.
• Support Agri-hubs to identify potential priority areas of investment and develop business strategies/plans that will address the constraints for maximizing opportunities within commodity value chains.
• Partnerships developed with key stakeholders in the selected commodity value chains including contracts with off-takers, input suppliers, financial service providers, government agencies and development partners among others to ensure participants have access to the necessary inputs and services to increase production and productivity.
• Ensure that Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Agri-hubs have access to inputs, services and markets that are important to increase production, productivity, and incomes.
• Ensure Agri-hubs have functional systems and structures including the requisite policies and standard operating procedures.
• Support the establishment and/or strengthening of at least one apex body to provide services to the member Agri-hub.

Capacity Building of Agri-hubs and SHGs on Leadership and Governance. (15%)

• Ensure Agri-hubs in the project area have viable business focus, with strong leadership, management, and succession systems, in an environment of transparency and ownership.
• Ensure Agri-hubs have developed strategic and operational plans and understand holistically the specific commodity value chain landscape and the key drivers of growth. The focus to be on taking a quantum leap in commodity marketing, and production-enhancing services so that the Agri-hubs are a catalyst in the commodity development within the target communities.
• Improved governance, financial and management skills of Agri-hub board and management through the design and delivery of business-related training programs.
• Roll out Business and Saving & Credit training modules for SHGs and farmers.

Employ Social Capital Development (SCD) as a foundation for strong and sustainable hubs. (20%)

• Support on boarding and building capacity of community facilitators, agro-entrepreneurs and agro-vets as digital extension agents.
• Lead the mobilization, profiling and onboarding of project participants to access a package of services.
• Increased membership and commodity supply at the hub level by mobilizing farmers into SHGs using the SCD approach.
• Support input suppliers, community facilitators and Community Agro Entrepreneurs (CAES) to provide inputs and services to farmers and enhance adoption of productivity enhancing technologies.
• Improved leadership and governance at SHGs and POs to ensure trainings and practices of the12 Cornerstones, Participatory Self Review and Planning (PSRP), Trainer of Trainers (TOT), Gender and saving and credit.
• Ensure increased women participation as shareholders, leaders, and suppliers at SHGs and agri-hub level.

Planning, reporting and documentation (10%)

• Business performance and progress reports developed and shared each month to the Project Director for submission to the Country office and review with the agri-hub boards.
• Participate in project team and national business meetings, to help plan, and deliver on the project objectives as appropriate.
• Participate in learning forums at District and regional level, and best practices documented and shared.

May perform other duties as assigned (5%) 

• Performs other duties assigned by his/her supervisor or designee.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelors’ Degree or equivalent in the fields of Agriculture Economics, Business Administration, Rural Development, Enterprise Development or another related field.
• Three (3) years field and technical experience with commercial sector, agribusiness development in a mix of economic growth/trade, value chain competitiveness, investment promotion, or agriculture development.
• Experience working with youth and young women producers’ organizations/groups.
• Significant experience in building public/private partnerships, preferably in the agricultural sector.
• Strong consumer marketing, financial analysis, and management skills.
• Strong hands-on experience in managing or providing technical support to producer organisations.
• Knowledge of M4P approach
• Experience in supporting and monitoring field-based programs.
• Excellent command of Report writing, analysis and presentation skills using Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations.
• Most Critical proficiencies
• Innovative, analytical, and solutions-oriented
• A good understanding of and sensitivity to issues associated with poverty, hunger, unemployment and the environment, and knowledge of the context in which non-profit organizations operate.
• Knowledge of youth workforce development issues, especially in rural communities of Eastern Uganda.
• Good understanding of the different value chains within the agribusiness and non-agribusiness ecosystem.
• Knowledge of enterprise development and linkages to poverty alleviation.
• Excellent organizational skills, including strong attention to detail.
• Proven experience in building the capacity of partner institutions to document and disseminate industry information, manage knowledge, measure progress and plan and advocate within the industry.
• Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft Office preferred) and Internet.
• Demonstrated proficiency in English, both oral and written.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Preparing and presenting documents in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
• Ability to understand, appreciate and implement Heifer’s Value Based Holistic Community Development.
• Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
• Quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluation and ability to communicate MLE concepts clearly with leadership, partners, and staff at all levels.
• Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of direct reports and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout project area.
• May require constant sitting, working at a computer and focusing for extended periods of time and performing office environment activities while on the road and/or in remote conditions.
• Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting sometimes inflexible deadlines.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested applicants should apply online at the link below

Click Here

Deadline: 26^th February 2024

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