Export and Business Development Promotion Team Leader at CARANA Corporation

CARANA Corporation, a contractor for USAID, designs and directs innovative economic growth strategies to help countries and businesses compete globally, reducing poverty and raising living standards around the world. For over 30 years, we have specialized in market-led solutions to development challenges in more than 100 countries, packaging our expertise with on-the-ground resources for continuing, cost-effective results.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Export and Business Development Promotion Team Leader

Job ID: 2015-1064
Location: Lagos

Job Summary
The USAID Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport Program (NEXTT) supports the Nigerian government's efforts to expand trade domestically, within the ECOWAS sub-region and beyond, and improve trade efficiency so that trade, particularly in agricultural products, can provide inclusive economic growth and development to Nigeria. Using an integrated approach to trade and transport competitiveness, NEXTT builds upon Government of Nigeria (GoN) and prior USAID efforts to stimulate investment in trade-related infrastructure and services, reform trade policies and procedures, and improve the position of Nigerian firms in global and regional markets.

Over the 4-year project lifespan, NEXTT is expected to leverage past and current efforts toward realizing the following outcomes:

• $25 million in new investments in projects along the LAKAJI Corridor;
• A 30% reduction in transport costs along the LAKAJI corridor;
• Dynamic trade policy coordination mechanisms that integrate public and private sector priorities into a strategic framework for engagement with trading partners;
• Modernization of customs procedures and systems for meeting international standards for agricultural goods;
• An improved food safety and standards environment;
• A dynamic business development services (BDS) ecosystem, targeting exporting firms with high quality services, and;
• $30 million in new exports from Nigeria

NEXTT will contribute to food security and poverty reduction by contributing to Nigeria's ability to take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), and contributing to the food security initiative Feed-the-Future via the implementation of work in three components:

• LAKAJI transport corridor improvements
• Trade and Customs Policy reform, trade facilitation and food safety, and expanded export support.

Job Descriptions

• The Export and Business Development Promotion Team Leader shall contribute to export development by managing relationships with exporters and investors, in the areas of access to finance and technical assistance.
• S/he shall lead a team to match exporter and producer capabilities to market demands, provide advice and support, and identify potential recipients of the Project Development Fund (PDF) to assist SMEs reduce risks, implement technical upgrades, and access higher value markets, ultimately leading to increased exports and investment.

Responsibilities

• The Export and Business Development Promotion Team Leader is responsible for providing leadership in the project's export assistance work.
• The Team Leader will be the primary project liaison with exporting firms, ensuring that these have access to the technical assistance, financing and investment necessary to increase their exports.
• He/She will also lead the project's efforts to build a robust network of high quality, Nigerian business development services firms (BDS) who can facilitate the technical assistance demanded by exporters to rapidly increase their exports in the target value chains relevant to NEXTT.
• The Team Leader will also be responsible for leading efforts to build the capacity of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to deliver and facilitate export services related to this target value chain.
• The Team Leader is responsible for achieving the NEXTT project results related to Export Expansion. This includes (over the Life of Project): supporting at least 200 firms to increase their capacity to export through trainings, direct, and indirect support provided by NEXTT partners; facilitating $30M in exports and $25M in investment in exporting firms; ensuring at least 40 BDS providers have received assistance through NEXTT's BDS provider network; and, supporting at least 12 firms to obtain certification with international quality control, environmental and other voluntary standards.

Specific Task
Build pipeline of exporting firms in target value chains and assist these to increase competitiveness:

• Build a robust pipeline of export opportunities, in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders and counterpart USAID projects.
• Lead implementation of an intensive export support strategy, providing technical assistance (either in-house or through external labor) to exporting firms to improve their ability to export greater quantity of high quality products.
• As part of this strategy, conduct technical workshops, support quality improvement efforts, support advocacy efforts, and provide assistance to stakeholders as they develop strategies for increased exports. Support firms to access investment capital as needed. Assist firms to apply for PDF funds.

Build supply and demand for Export Business Development Services:

• Identify services needed for exporting firms in order to facilitate high quality BDS services demanded by exporting firms in the NEXTT exporter pipeline.
• Lead the development of a Nigerian BDS network of providers that are able to provide high quality support Nigerian exporters, ensuring that these have the skills and tools available to increase exports quickly
• Deliver "training of trainers" modules for BDS providers on critical subjects such as product development, access to finance, market support and project development in collaboration with NEPC and other institutions as needed
• Coordinate semi-annual seminars for BDS providers on growth opportunities and trends in demand for services in non-oil export sectors
• Organize and conduct workshops as needed for Global Shea Alliance and African Cashew Alliance national chapters on integrating BDS providers into their strategies for industry growth:

Build the capacity of public export promotion bodies to provide quality services to exporters:

• In collaboration with NEPC, design and ensure the high quality delivery of trade show participation workshops for exporting firms, in collaboration with lead firms, industry alliances, government agencies, and other stakeholders involved in tradeshow participation.
• In anticipation of trade shows, provide and facilitate technical assistance to lead exporters, together with NEPC, on trade show marketing and logistics, to assure fruitful participation.
• Develop a strategy for increased exports of Shea Butter and Cashew, including trade show prioritization and marketing strategies, in collaboration with lead export firms and NEPC,.
• Assist the NEPC to absorb the coordinating function of trade show preparation and implementation over time.
• Assist the NEPC to assume systemic oversight that can guide donor, state agencies, and NGOs in export promotion strategies.

Other responsibilities:

• Contribute to all required data collection and reporting requirements including weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports, as well as the final project report.
• Assist in implementing the gender integration and environmental mitigation plans developed for the NEXTT project, ensuring the implementation of gender, and environmentally-sensitive strategies.
• Liaise with the other project components as required, to ensure that the needs of exporting firms are included in the transport and corridor improvement and policy components of the project.
• Other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party.

Post of Duty

• Lagos, Nigeria, with frequent trips to the project head office in Abuja.

Supervision

• The Export and Business Development Promotion Specialist will report to the Chief of Party of the NEXTT Project, Mr. Marc Shiman.

Qualifications

• Must have a University post-graduate degree in a relevant field.
• Must be conversant with the Nigerian export sector and the global trade environment.
• Must have hands on experience in export business development, a thorough understanding of AGOA and the process of improving the trade and investment environment of ECOWAS.
• Must have management consulting skills and experience in business service provision and an understanding of company financial statements.
• Must have demonstrated management and leadership skills.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Or

Send their application and CV's to: [email protected]