Title:  Senior Marketing/Enterprise Development Officer

Reports to: Project Director

Location:  Khartoum, Sudan

Salary:  $1,300 - $1,500/mo (salary is commensurate with experience)

Travel:  25 %

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidates for a Senior Marketing/Enterprise Development Officer, to be based in its South Kordofan office. For over 100 years, NEF has worked to build a more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through economic development and governance initiatives. NEF’s work is organized around three core program areas: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.

Position Description:

The Senior Marketing/Enterprise Development Officer for the Near East Foundation in Sudan will support in the development of agribusiness plans, coordinate agribusiness development trainings and will provide on-going support to cooperatives and individual agribusinesses. S/he will work closely with the Senior Natural Resource Development Officer to also support market-based distribution of seeds and implements, non-formal financing, and targeted training in improved agribusiness. S/he will have in-depth knowledge of the local agribusiness environment, value chains, value creation, micro-franchising, contract farming, horizontal organisation, techniques for supporting entrepreneurs, and an understanding of how to assist individuals and associations in developing and realising a business plan and value creation. The specialist will work closely with the market access, capacity building, and natural resource specialists to develop a coordinated and holistic interventions in support of entrepreneurs’ knowledge of specific value chains and commercialisation strategies through training, peer learning and group coaching.

The Officer will support a four-year UKAID-funded project that will form/strengthen 18 women-led associations and support women entrepreneurs involved in non-timber forest products (NTFP) and other cash crops (hibiscus) in North and South Kordofan states to increase organisation, business and production skills, market access, economic standing, leadership, natural resource base, and favourable institutional environment. S/he will also support two USAID/OFDA-funded projects, Humanitarian Support for IDPs and Vulnerable Populations in WASH, Agriculture, and Food Security in Central Darfur State and in South Kordofan State, which will provide lifesaving activities to improve wellbeing among conflict-affected people by improving their agricultural production and food security.

Main Responsibilities:

Organisation and Agribusiness

• Assist with the formation of women-led producer associations
• Training of trainer (TOT) on gendered pro-poor market and value chain development
• Organise producers to bring the value chain to the villages and integrate transportation, bulk sales, storage, and marketing
• Management and business training for implementing partners
• TOT on agribusiness development and value chain analysis and upgrade
• TOT on product aggregation, storage, transport methods, market information and access.
• TOT on value addition through better processing, packaging, storage, transportation and marketing techniques
• Facilitate regular participatory diagnostic exercises on value chain environment and opportunities
• Oversee, assess and support the delivery of the trainings (agribusiness development, value addition, market access, etc.)
• Work with the Market Access Specialist to map linkages with wholesalers, processors and other private sector and market actors (commercialization strategies) and to convene market actors to address barriers to market access, contract farming and value chain development
• Training and development of market analysis and demand/supply system (market information and analysis)
• Assist with the development of demonstration sites for post-collection handling, processing, and storage (product transformation and value addition)
• Work with the MEL team to monitor the progress of agribusinesses, markets and business activities of women-led cooperatives
• Document and share lessons learned

Micro Franchising

• Development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for micro franchising
• Development of training materials on processing methods, quality control, certification, storage, entrepreneurship modelling and financial management
• TOT on micro franchising activities and conduct training
• Assist with the selection criteria and identification of franchisees
• Oversee micro-grants to franchisees (with the assistance of the Finance Officer and Project Coordinator)
• Work with the MEL team to monitor the progress of the franchisees

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of relevant work experience in value chain development, market-systems, and agribusiness and/or private sector development
• Proven track record in curriculum development and TOT design and delivery in agribusiness, value chain and/or market systems
• Good communication skills in English, both written and spoken
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Effective organisational and time management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• An advanced degree in business or market development
• Advanced skills in English
• Previous experience working on DFID, EU, UN, USAID, or other internationally funded projects
• Experience working with cooperatives
• Experience in micro-franchising and contract farming
• Experience working in non-timber forest products and hibiscus value chains
• Excellent oral and written communication in Arabic, is required. Good English oral and written communication is a plus
• Previous experience managing projects in North and South Kordofan States

NEF will accept a rolling application until the position is filled.  Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Please note, only applications received through the Near East Foundation Careers Page will be considered.

To apply:

Please apply by visiting the Near East Foundation Careers Page at  www.neareast.org/careers with the following documents:

1. Cover letter (not more than 1 page) outlining all relevant experience and skills based on the requirements above and availability date
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. List of three references (former and current supervisors)

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org.

The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Employment Opportunities for all applicants seeing employment and NEF employees.