Enterprise Development Officer

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

About the Power, Water, and Internet Project

The Power, Water, and Internet project was launched in June 2022. The overall project goal is “improved incomes and resilience of 5000 smallholder farmers engaged in dairy, beef, Oil seeds and horticulture value chains”. In FY23/24, Heifer Uganda will focus on two (2) major investments under PWI, scaling up the access of clean energy for dairy milk chilling and provision of productive assets within selected value chains. The two (2) investments will translate into increased revenue for small holder farmers and Agri-enterprises to close the living income gap.

Function

The Enterprise Development Officer (EDO) will work closely with the Project Manager PWI to provide business development services including business modelling, credit appraisals to stimulate uptake of power, water and internet products and services. S/he will be responsible for the oversight of field-based business development activities. S/he will collaborate with the hubs/agribusinesses, commercial service providers, and regulatory bodies/ boards to enhance value-chain actors’ benefits and leverage service delivery at each level of contact with all actors. S/he will also work closely with private sector players (EPC contractors, financial service providers), government agencies and development partners to align appropriate business development services that improve the business performance of hubs/agribusinesses with access to efficient energy, water, and internet infrastructure.

The Enterprise Development Officer will be responsible for building capacity of the cooperatives in business management, supervision of equipment sales, recoveries, and reporting. He/ she will provide field-based business support to increase access to productive equipment by the farmers and agribusinesses. He/ She will work with commercial service providers and cooperatives to organize farmer awareness, training, marketing, and promotion activities.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS

Proactive, creative thinker, a team player and able to structure and manage complex tasks.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES

A. Strengthen Agribusiness Hubs/agribusinesses and Sustainability (50%)

• Ensure that the hubs/agribusinesses within the project area have an efficient and functional equipment supply chain by establishing collection and marketing centers.
• Ensure that existing hub business ideas and enterprises are well structured and managed to create revenue for self-sufficiency to increase credit uptake and repayments.
• Support hubs/agribusinesses to identify potential priority areas of investment and develop business strategies/plans that will address the constraints for maximizing opportunities within the equipment value chain for the hub.
• Identify investment opportunities in the value chains and coordinate and support business strategies and plans for the clients.
• Support development of asset financing products
• Ensure that hubs/agribusinesses are well linked to have access to supplies, services and markets that are important to increase production, productivity, and incomes.

B. Capacity building of Hubs/agribusiness, partnership engagement (40%)

• Build and strengthen sustainable business partnerships among hubs/agribusinesses and key value actors mainly commercial service providers.
• Support hubs/agribusinesses to develop and roll out resource mobilization strategies to enhance business investments and growth.
• Ensure hubs/agribusinesses have developed strategic and operational plans and understand holistically the specific equipment value chain landscape and the key drivers of growth. The focus to be on taking a quantum leap in equipment marketing, and production enhancing services so that the hubs/agribusinesses are a catalyst in the equipment development of the cluster.
• Improve governance, financial and management skills of hubs/agribusinesses and management through the design and delivery of business-related training programs.
• Hubs/agribusinesses develop and roll out key business lines to offer services to members such as credit provision, market information and training as well as market access.
• Ensure hubs/agribusinesses understand and comply with contractual obligations and procedures of donors and regulatory bodies.
• Initiate and create linkages of hubs/agribusinesses and enterprises with the wider BDS ecosystem including opportunities for mentoring and coaching by other peer hubs/agribusinesses/ entrepreneurs.

C. Planning, reporting and documentation (10%)

• Monitor monthly and report on revenue generated per product, cumulative revenue, variance (Planned versus Realized)
• Work with the Renewable Energy coordinator to monitor the number of clients reporting faults with the equipment distributed.
• Business performance and progress reports developed and shared each month for management review and to inform hub business strategies.
• Provide timely documented evidence to commercial service providers including financing partners on the key gaps and opportunities to increase efficiency in accessibility of services.
• Participate in project team and national business meetings, to help plan, and deliver on the project objectives as appropriate.
• Participate in business learning forums at District and national, and best practices documented and shared.

E. Any other duties

Minimum Requirements

1. Bachelors’ Degree or equivalent in the fields of Agriculture Economics, Business Administration, Enterprise Development or other related field.
2. At least 5 years of professional experience in the field of agriculture and agri-enterprise capacity building. Have a technical experience with commercial sector, agribusiness development in a mix of economic growth/trade, value chain competitiveness, investment promotion, or agriculture development.

Preferred Requirements

1. Significant experience in building public/private partnerships, preferably in the agricultural / energy and Water sectors.
2. Strong consumer marketing, financial analysis and management skills.
3. Strong hands-on experience in managing or providing technical support to producer organisations.
4. Knowledge of market system development
5. Experience business start-ups, mentoring and coaching.
6. Excellent command of report writing, analysis and presentation skills using Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
7. Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships.
8. Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations.

Most Critical Proficiencies

1. Clear understanding of the agricultural value chain.
2. Innovative, analytical, and solutions oriented.
3. Knowledge of enterprise development, market systems approach and linkages to poverty reduction.
4. Strong interpersonal management skills.
5. Excellent oral and written communication skills
6. Excellent organizational skills.
7. Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft Office preferred) and Internet.
8. Demonstrated proficiency in English and other local languages, both oral and written.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

1. Preparing and presenting documents in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
2. Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
3. Quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluation and ability to communicate Monitoring and Learning concepts clearly with leadership, partners, and staff at all levels.
4. Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout project area.
5. May require constant field travels, 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.
6. Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.
7. Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting sometimes inflexible deadlines.

Deadline for Submission of Application: 4th August 2023