Competitiveness Enhancement Specialist Agri
Business & Processing Sector

Competitiveness Enhancement Specialist Agri Business & Processing Sector:

Chemonics International seeks an Competitiveness Enhancement Specialist Agri Business & Processing Sector for its USAID Small and Medium Enterprises Activity (SMEA).  Pakistan SMEA is a 5-year, $35 million project that is aimed at improvement of financial and operating performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan in selected high-performing industrial, manufacturing and services sectors. 

 This position shall report directly to, and be supervised by, the Competitiveness Enhancement Component Lead and the  specific tasks include: 

• Design and develop the assigned sectors development focus including sub-sectors along with the implementation work plan and budget. The work plan, budget and interventions should reflect the overall impact of anticipated activities n terms of increasing sales, jobs and exports
• Carry out outreach to SMEs in the Agri Business and Processing sectors to identify, evaluate and induct enterprises into the program.
• Conduct ongoing Business Development Services gap analysis through consultations to identify the set of BD services which can help the sector grow. Also develop the cost-value and return on investment (ROI) analysis to calculate financial impact of investment. All of the projects interventions are meant to result in increase in sales, jobs and exports for target SMEs.
• Wherever BDS providers (BDSPs) are already inducted, the person will connect SMEs with these providers for matchmaking and where SMEA does not have BDS providers for the demanded services, the specialist will identify and induct BDSPs into the program
• Develop, coordinate and record day-to-day field work activities e.g. marketing and promotional activities, liaison with sector stakeholders, individual meetings, presentation, and potential areas of working within the sector to achieve assigned targets.
• The specialist will be responsible for raising awareness, knowledge and compatibility of potential SME clients and BD service providers to strengthen the outreach and to achieve the project targets.
• Improve access of BD services into assigned sector(s) through advising, assisting and promoting SMEs and work closely with BDSPs to address the required services within a sector.  
• Assist the Women Led Business Specialist to design and develop a separate outreach and induction methodology for women owned businesses and support them through matchmaking with relevant BDSP(s).
• Establish strong relationships and work closely with the network partners e.g. academia, associations, business chambers and clubs, community clubs and government to strengthen the business development and programmatic activities within the sector. 
• Design and manage the contractual relationship between BDSPs and SMEs which is compliant with the projects policies.
• The specialist is responsible to achieve monthly, quarterly and annual targets of under the below given categories to achieve and accomplish project’s goals and objectives;
• No. of SME support cases
• Enrollment/ registration of BDSPs
• Project management of approved cases for timely completion
• Drafting and finalizing biweekly, quarters and annual reports along with any other reporting requirements
• Project marketing event(s)
• Training events/seminars/workshops
• Strategic alliances and collaborations with relevant stakeholders.
• Support cross cutting project activities related to competitive enhancement, challenge fund and business enabling environment work plans. This might include designing sector specific “innovation challenge” statements or identifying and working on policy initiatives with the Government.
• Develop exit strategy for the assigned sector and identify the appropriate stakeholders to hand over the project technical assets, publications, success stories and database after project closure.

• Develop Scope of Work (SOW), Request for Proposal (RFQ), and Request for Proposal (RFP) and Technical Purchase Action Request (TPAR) for specific work plan activities.
• Ensure close inter-component and inter-office communication, coordination and cooperation with other project components and sub-components.
• Ensure that the technical work of all local and expatriate consultants fielded under the component and ensure that all end-of-assignment deliverables and other consultant and subcontractor performance results are a) consistent with and compliant with the consultant’s scope of work, b) are of high technical quality and good overall readability, and c) are acceptable to USAID and other component counterparts and beneficiaries
• Ensure the ethical and professional transparency during assisting the BDSPs and SMEs to promote and assure fair and clean competition and selection.
• Any other special assignments/ tasks assigned by the COP/CE component lead or his designee.

Qualifications and Experience. 

The ideal candidate for the position will have the following: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business, development studies, economics or a related field
• At least 7 years of experience working with SMEs in donor funded initiatives; USAID or other donor funded economic growth projects in addition to this will be preferred
• Experience working directly with Small and Medium enterprises in the Agri Business & Processing sectors is necessary with an understanding of their challenges and the sector ecosystem
• Having working with export oriented Agri Business and Processing businesses is seen as an added advantage
• Knowledge of the types of business development services available in the market, especially those relevant to SME growth is seen as a strong advantage
• Experience working with Women Led Businesses is seen as an added advantage
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills since reporting and report writing is an essential part of the job.