Career Opportunities at Action Africa Help

Duties for the Entrepreneurship Officer Job

• Conducting training needs assessment for capacity building of organizations staffs and committees on business skills including online marketing strategies.
• Provide technical support and quality assurance oversight to livelihood producer groups, vendors and implementers involved in livelihood activities.
• Support entrepreneurs in the community and livelihood groups in product development, manufacture and marketing
• Provide online day to day support to customers and vendors through relationship management as they access the online marketing platform
• Logistical planning, stock movement and Inventory management of products supplied by vendors for sale.
• Mobilization and organization of livelihood groups, entrepreneurs, staffs and vendors for the development of unified market penetration strategies.
• Monitoring and reporting on progress of the online marketing platform (Kilimall) including other complementary marketing strategies employed.
• Coordinate activities at the Entrepreneurship Hub (E-Hub), while linking all capacity building initiatives (KUZA, UNTU, UoN) with the trainees

Expected Outcomes

• Livelihood products aggregated by livelihood groups, vendors, entrepreneurs and stakeholder agencies available for sale through the online marketing platform.
• Members of the SPARK livelihoods consortium and persons of concern supported with methodologies in entrepreneurship and market access.
• Stakeholders in livelihoods within the project location involved in marketing processes
• Coordinated entrepreneurship training by KUZA, NTNU and UoN

Personal Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business related studies with specialization in either Entrepreneurship, Marketing or Information Technology.
• At least 3 years’ experience in working with youth programmes including microfinance institutions; NGO’s experience in a similar environment will be an added advantage.
• Excellent report writing skills
• Solid foundations in entrepreneurship and marketing
• Qualification in project planning and management will be an added advantage

Additional Skills & Competences

• A broad contextual understanding of implementing activities in a humanitarian environment.
• Good training and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a number of teams, in a multi-cultural context where teams may be geographically dispersed.
• Knowledgeable in customer relationship management.
• A minimum working experience of 4 years in a similar role.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Considerable problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Flexible, adaptable and able to effectively execute a range of job duties

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Purpose of the role: To support the economic empowerment among PoCs in refugee camps and Host communities of Turkana west aimed at increasing their income for self-reliance, through training, value chain development, linkage and access to markets with a special emphasis on development of a sustainable savings and credit system.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Planning and design

• Lead a bottom up approach to designing of economic empowerment interventions responsive to context within refugee camps and host community.
• Design or review training manuals to aid in delivery of the intervention.
• Develop project Economic Empowerment work plan, maintain relevant database and serve as a hub of data required by stakeholders.
• Incorporate workable empowerment model in new projects.

Value chain development

• Assess the current prevailing conditions among SMEs in regards to Business development.
• Develop upstream and downstream linkages for SMEs.
• Support coaching, mentorship and business incubation of SMEs.
• Review a TWICS business model and link it with SACCO structures, business development plans, training manuals, model enterprises, enterprise development protocols, and communication and sponsorship protocols.
• Oversee Implementation of the economic empowerment design and link it with other Cash based interventions being implemented within DFID SPARK consortium.
• Monitor, evaluate and improve the economic empowerment interventions.
• Develop replication plans to a wider geographical scope.
• Support development of business start-ups to caregivers.
• Promote roll-out of products to the target communities and ensure set targets are met.

Project implementation and training

• Conduct PoC businesses needs assessment across target areas in refugee camps and host community.
• Conduct trainings to target group on savings, loans and business development skills.
• Support PoCs in development, review and evaluate business plans to ensure viability and sustainability of businesses.
• Coordinate identification & transfer of appropriate technologies and innovations to target groups.
• Forge partnerships within the project sites for the attainment of project goals.
• Collaborate with partners in corporate mobilization and service delivery.
• Engage business mentors and coaches to mentors and support individuals PoCs to enhance their business performances.
• Promote and disseminate relevant market information to the identified enterprises.

Project Monitoring& Evaluation

• Compile reports (narrative and data) and submit them to the Project Officer (M&E) as per the set deadlines.
• Participate in the design, data collection and analysis of surveys and routine.
• Ensure proper documentation and dissemination of lessons learnt.
• Evaluation of all project interventions conducted.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• Target PoCs among refugees and Host community of Turkana west are organized into groups and undertaken through various economic strengthening trainings.
• PoCs exhibit self-reliance witnessed through increased income at Household level as a results various training customized to meet their needs, savings, access to business capital, and livelihoods diversification.
• PoC data base maintained and serve as a hub of relevant data that can be shared by required stakeholders.
• 5 business associations formed and linked into a savings and credit society model for the purposes of sustainability.
• Business community meetings held on monthly basis informs provides lessons learnt and this is incorporated address livelihoods barriers among targets groups.
• 5 business associations are formed and organized into one savings and credit scheme.
• Training manuals are developed and shared across the consortium partnership for approval and mainstreaming into market based approach to economic strengthening and livelihoods resilience.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATIONS

• A Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences preferably in Entrepreneurship, Economics, Marketing, Commerce, SMES and any other relevant field.
• Diploma in Co-operative development is desired.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Strong analytical and operational knowledge of Small and Medium business, start-ups and SME business expansions needs.
• Be an excellent facilitator and can create partnerships within the project area.
• Understanding of SME business procedures including: business legal and regulatory systems, financing, human resources, IT needs, operations and sales, and marketing, financing options.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, a keen eye for details, good presentation and interpersonal skills and excellent report writing skills.
• People management skills as well as mentorship experience and capability.
• Experience of working with rural communities, displaced populations, illiterate/semi-illiterate group etc is highly desired.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS & COMPETENCES

• A minimum of three years training experience in the field of economic empowerment, group formation, SACCO development etc.
• Ability to work with a team, foster a team approach and incorporate capacity building activities into the program.
• Ability to analyse and utilize program development gaps for designing Programs