Private Sector Development Advisors at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

VSO is the world's leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. Our high-impact approach brings people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action to change lives and make the world a fairer place.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Private Sector Development Advisor

Location: Minna/Niger State, Nigeria
Employment Status: One Year

Role overview
The Private Sector Development Advisor will facilitate the development of viable economic models that link farmers to private sector markets. This includes facilitating partnerships between the target communities and the private sector, as well as with service providers such as technical institutions, producer and marketing institutions/agencies, financial institutions, other NGOs and local and international research institutes and Niger State's relevant line Ministries of Agriculture and Trade.

Responsibilities
The volunteer will have a range of tasks and activities:

• Develop Private Sector Engagement Strategy
• Facilitate the development of viable economic models that link farmers to private sector markets.
• Work with the project team to ensure that by the end of the project, at least two value chain models have been improved and scaled up for optimal production and marketing of the produce/ products with interface with national, regional and international markets.
• Assess implementing NGOs capacity, develop and carry out capacity building plans to ensure that CBOs /NGOs have the capacity to create public/private/CBO partnership platforms that plan and coordinate
• Initiate and lead market assessments and opportunities for value chain development suitable to market demands.
• Provide technical and institutional support to the project team with specific focus on linking beneficiaries to markets.
• Train partner NGO staff on market, engagement with the private sector, social mobilization and technical skills
• Other tasks as specified and assigned within the project team
• Due to the nature of our volunteer placements, it is possible that the responsibilities of this role may differ in reality and therefore the post-holder will need to be prepared to be flexible and adapt to their environment as necessary.

Key Performance Indicators
The Key performance indicators of this placement are that:

• Target beneficiaries are able to sustain their livelihoods and the livelihoods of their families.
• Opportunities identified and private sector investments in the maize or soy bean sector facilitated.
• Business models for farmer collectives Designed and scaledup.
• Business plans for partners/stakeholders developed
• Training and technical assistance given to increase revenue, reduce cost and operating like a business.
• Objectives will be confirmed in a three way discussion between the volunteer, employer and VSO in the first three months of the placement.

Competencies

• Building and Sustaining working relationships: The social skills to build and actively maintain working relationships that foster teamwork and collaboration with others for the benefit of a common goal.
• Open Minded and Respectful: A non-judgemental approach that values other people and culture.
• Seeking and Sharing Knowledge: Recognition that learning is a two way and continuous process.
• Facilitating Positive Change: The ability to analyse problems and develop lasting solutions in line with VSO approaches.
• Adaptability: A flexible approach and the ability to adapt behaviour to different situations.
• Resilience: The self-confidence to work with a variety of situations, diverse people and ambiguity.

Skills and Knowledge

• A University Degree in Business Administration or any of the Social Sciences.
• Minimum 4 years relevant experience in project management preferably for an agri-business and/or market based project.
• Understanding of the workings of the Private Sector and markets.
• Proven experience in entrepreneurship capacity building for SME development and support to rural community business management.
• Experience in value chain development and application of innovative financial mechanisms and entrepreneurship;
• Ability to work well in a team.

Desirable

• Ability to speak Hausa.
• Previous work experience in West Africa would be an added advantage.

Application Closing Date
18th December, 2015.

Interview/Assessment date(s)
TBC

Start date
TBC

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

Click here to download the Job description in PDF format