Position: Advisor - Private Sector Development
No. of Requirements: 2
Duty Station: Dhangadhi and Surkhet

Responsibilities

• Build and nurture strategic partnerships with producer organizations, businesses, cooperatives, service providers, business membership associations, micro financial institutions, government institutions and others.

• Collaborate with and support producer organizations, businesses and cooperatives that empower women. 

• Linkages: Connect producers to markets, buyers, and processors. 

• Need assessments: Identify opportunities, gaps, and barriers for local enterprises and cooperatives; identify demand trends and buyer preferences (local, national, or export).

• Business planning: Help develop or refine business plans, feasibility studies, and marketing strategies.

• Access to finance: Support in connecting businesses and cooperatives with microfinance institutions, banks, or grant opportunities.

• Support the development of value chains, especially for high-value niche products

• Linkages: Connect producers to markets, buyers, and processors.

• Aggregation: Support cooperative-based models for collective production, processing, and marketing.

• Quality improvement: Help businesses meet market standards (packaging, hygiene, certification, etc.).

• Trade fairs and exhibitions: Organize or facilitate participation in local/national events.

• Organize and carry out training and other capacity development activities

• Linkages: Connect producers to markets, buyers, and processors.

• Entrepreneurship training: Run workshops on basic business skills, financial literacy, digital tools, and financial management.

• Cooperative management: Train cooperative leaders on governance, efficient operations and marketing.

• Technical training: organize skills development courses in agriculture, energy, tourism, handicrafts, etc.

• Digitalization: Introduce mobile apps, digital finance, or e-commerce tools tailored for rural entrepreneurs.

• Adoption of green solutions: Promote sustainable practices, like solar drying, organic farming, or low-cost irrigation.

• Support financial and administrative processes of project implementation.

• Support M&E, communication and outreach, as well as knowledge management activities of the project.

Required qualifications and experience:

Educational Qualification:

• Master’s degree in business administration, entrepreneurship, marketing or related field. Equivalent qualifications will be considered.

Professional Experience: 

• At least 5 years of experience in business development 
• Experience in the agriculture or related sector is an advantage.
• Demonstrated expertise in working with producer organizations, businesses and cooperatives with a specific focus on women’s economic empowerment and climate resilience.
• Experience working with market systems approach.
• Thorough understanding of challenges of women-led businesses in Nepal.
• Experience in conducting training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Experience working on SME financing and/or agriculture insurance is an advantage. 

Skills and competencies

• Solution orientated and proven track record in driving results and implementing solutions.
• Strong networking and communication skills, capable of building and maintaining partnerships with private sector actors.
• Ability to advise producer organizations, cooperatives and facilitate business to business deals.
• Excellent documentation and presentation skills. 
• Ability to work independently under pressure with minimal guidance and meet tight deadlines.
• Open to constructive feedback.

Language Proficiency

• Excellent command of Nepali and English languages (written and spoken).