Business Advisor

at  TechnoServe South Africa

ABOUT TECHNOSERVE:

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of businesses and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics, and increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they can access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

JOB SUMMARY:

Working closely with the Senior Business Specialist, the Business Advisor will play a critical role in the programme by overseeing advisory services and conducting all program activities and training services to beneficiaries. TechnoServe pillar, will provide customised capacity building to small and medium growing recovery businesses and promote connections among market participants in targeted recycling routes. TechnoServe will directly develop the capacity of opportunity-driven business-owners through training, advisory, mentorship, and aftercare including access to finance and access to markets interventions, gather market intelligence and monitor performance. This pillar is complementary to Pillar 1 as recovery businesses have a critical role to play to enable and support micro business creation in communities they operate inwhile also facilitating formal and informal networking and linkages with various stakeholders.
The tasks outlined below are the key responsibilities of the business advisor, however, the employee will be expected to perform any tasks that are necessary within the context of the evolving needs of the project.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Marketing, Business Enterprise, Project Management, or relevant Social Sciences/ Humanities related discipline with 2 years’ experience in working with communities in educating clients/beneficiaries on business development and marketing goals while nurturing relationship with relevant stakeholders or 4 years in business advisory.
• Demonstrated ability in working with small and growing businesses for at least 4 years.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, data collection and analysis, digital training delivery, and report writing.
• Ability to engage and advise a broad range of stakeholders, including senior management of private sector companies, donor representatives, and others;
• Demonstrated experience in report writing.
• Experience in the waste management or recycling sector.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); familiarity with data collection tools such as Comcare is advantageous.
• Must have strong interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
  Required Languages: Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English. Proficiency in the local languages is an advantage.
  Travel: Regular visits to the beneficiaries and stakeholders.
  Supervisory Responsibilities – None

Project Inception Phase

• Provide support to short-term consultants during the inception phrase analysis study which, will include a socio-economic baseline, macro level baseline, and gender analysis.
• Assist the Senior Business Specialist and Implementation Manager in developing the detailed project work plan, including training material content.

Project implementation

• Conduct recruitment/enrollment of program beneficiaries using predetermined criteria.
• Lead the implementation of the project’s digital strategy, ensuring beneficiary adoption and engagement.
• Facilitate training sessions for beneficiaries, monitoring attendance and engagement to ensure adherence to program guidelines.
• Business diagnostic to determine areas of improvements
• Provide mentoring sessions to beneficiaries and monitor and document improvements.
• Provide crucial linkages between plastic collectors and aggregators, and between aggregators and recyclers.
• Monitor the recruited plastic collectors, aggregators, and recyclers to ensure they are operating within the terms and conditions of the program’s agreement.
• Facilitate off-take agreements with the recyclers and micro aggregators
• Participate in monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, contributing to the program’s reporting and knowledge sharing.
• Ensure adherence to the program work plan, identifying and mitigating risks to successful project implementation.
• Collate feedback from the program beneficiaries through the program’s feedback mechanism.
• Embody and promote TechnoServe’s values, vision, and strategy, ensuring these are integrated into all program activities.
• Perform other duties in line with the evolving needs of the program.