Enterprise, and Supplier Development Program
South Africa, May 2023
Role Title: Business Advisor – Enterprise Development
Reports to: Hub Manager
Grade: 7
Location: Mogalakwena (Limpopo)
Travel: Regular travel within target geography and to Johannesburg will be required.
Company Background
TechnoServe (www.technoserve.org) is a non-profit, economic development organization with a sustained commitment to its 50-year-old founding mission to work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. We are business development specialists assisting farmers and other entrepreneurs in 29 countries, increasing their access to information, capital, and markets. The increased income our clients derive enhances resilience and prosperity for their families and communities.
In 2021, TechnoServe's work helped improve 2.3 million lives, increasing the revenues of 407,000 farms, businesses, and employees by $250 million. Each of our interventions increases the impact on women, who represented 41% of beneficiaries globally in 2021. Our commitment to sustainable impact earned us the designation of the #1 non-profit fighting poverty in 2019 by ImpactMatters, the independent charity ratings agency.
In South Africa, we supported 779 beneficiaries in 2021 to gain $24.9 million (R396m) in increased revenue and wages as a result of our work. A large proportion of the beneficiaries were SMMEs and 43% of those with increased revenue are women or women-owned businesses.
Program Background
TechnoServe has been competitively selected by a large South African corporate partner to deliver the Enterprise and Supplier Development program in South Africa. The initiative offers the opportunity to deliver transformative economic change in South Africa by supporting local enterprises to grow their businesses to the next level. The initiative will look to drive broader development across the mining, agricultural, tourism, and retail sectors to support local economic development. Once fully scaled, the initiative aims to support 10,000 jobs across 15 locations in South Africa. This will be a global flagship initiative in proving the impact of shared value initiatives: namely how business can make investments that both deliver value to shareholders and deliver meaningful impact to individuals and communities in their areas of operation.
TechnoServe will deliver the Enterprise and Supplier Development initiative through a network of hubs, operating under the brand name of the corporate partner. The hub will operate in and around Mogalakwena. TechnoServe will employ a team of 6 staff to operate on the hub. The hub will deliver business acceleration services (training, mentorship, business development, access to finance, linkages to market opportunities, etc.) to eligible entrepreneurs through two program pillars – Enterprise and Supplier Development.
TechnoServe is hiring a high-caliber team per hub to deliver the program. We are seeking qualified candidates for the Business Advisor – Enterprise Development. The Enterprise Development (ED) Business Advisor will manage the ED component of the overall program; accountable for delivering targets for the ED component. S/he will be responsible for managing the end-to-end process of selecting, training, and providing "aftercare"/mentorship to 2 cohorts of SMEs per year. S/he will be the primary point of contact for the SMEs in the ED program and will be responsible for diagnosing their needs and developing a standardized and tailored support program to meet these needs. S/he will also engage with the financing partner and other program partners within the ED component.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Implementation, Roll out and project management:
Develop / refine ED operational plans for the pillar, ensuring ongoing learnings are built into evolving design
Implement all elements of delivering the ED program, including:
Program implementation and roll out.
Program promotion
Recruitment and selection of enterprises
Facilitate training
Mentor enterprises
Diagnosing individual gaps of SMEs in the program
Develop and implement a development plan for individual businesses and mentor the SMEs in accordance to the plan.
Monitor, track and report on progress of SMEs in the program
Development of curriculum:
Contribute toward the refinement of standardized training curriculum for SMEs, drawing on global materials and working with TechnoServe experts in curriculum development
Direct advisory to SMEs:
Directly provide regular 1-1 advisory services to 20+ SMEs per year
Identify and bring in other resources to meet SME needs as necessary
Monitoring and evaluation:
Report in an accurate and timely manner on performance of the ED pillar on all key metrics
Ensure all learnings from each wave are incorporated to improve the offering continuously
Demand side initiatives and partnerships:
Identify market opportunities for growth and diversification for participating SMEs on a case-by-case basis
Partner with the Corporate Partner's Value Chain Manager to identify value chain opportunities locally or nationally that participating SMEs can tap into
Create opportunities for networking between program pillars
Perform other duties that would be assigned from time to time by the supervisor.
REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, marketing, Development or related discipline
At least 5-10 years of post-graduate experience within the private sector and/or development spheres
At least 2 years' experience running own business
Experience working in SME development
Excellent oral and written communication skills (in English and local language)
Strong organizational skills
Knowledge of the South African economic, social and development context – at provincial level preferred
Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills in a multi-cultural environment
The ability to work independently, adhere to strict deadlines, and function effectively as a member of a global team
Current / past work / living in target geography (province) preferred
Strong commitment and dedication to economic development
Long-term commitment to the project
Valid driving license
How to Apply
Qualified and interested applicants should apply via the link on or before 26 May 2023. Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be considered or contacted. Applications will be considered as received. No phone calls please.
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