Position Type: Full-Time
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal, with travel to other locations within Nepal, as required
Reports to: Objective 2 Lead and Chief of Party

Activity Description

USAID Trade and Competitiveness is a five-year $18.9 million Activity with the aim to chart a new growth path for the Nepali economy as it recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Activity galvanizes Nepal to capitalize on global integration to diversity toward higher quality and higher value exports, foster sustainable job growth and income-generating opportunities for those that have previously been left behind by economic growth, and create greater sustainability and resiliency. The Activity is being implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP in partnership with J.E. Austin, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics, and Environment (SAWTEE) and Deloitte, Touche, and Tohmatsu India (DTTI).

Program Objectives:

The goal of the Activity is to accelerate firm and sector level competitiveness, generate employment opportunities, and increase sales of firms through interventions that incentivize public and private sector actors across the ecosystem to adopt new behaviors driving outcomes across three key objectives:

• Improve access to market-based financial and non-financial services
• Increase productivity in sectors with high growth and employment potential
• Improve the investment climate and business enabling environment, especially for targeted sectors

J.E. Austin Associates, Inc. will be managing the tourism component in close coordination and cooperation with the Deloitte team and will provide international tourism, investment, and other expertise as needed to achieve the targets of the activity.  JAA is looking to hire one long-term Nepalese tourism expert who will be the Tourism Value Chain Manager and point of contact for managing this sector. This position is based in Kathmandu, Nepal and will receive backstop support from the Home Office, international experts, and the rest of the USAID Trade and Competitiveness team.  The Tourism Value Chain Manager will report to both JAA and to Deloitte’s Objective Two Component Lead, who in turn reports to the Chief of Party. 

Tourism Value Chain Manager - Overview

The successful applicant for the Tourism Value Chain Manager position will have excellent skills of leadership and communication, enabling them to motivate tourism sector stakeholders, provide strategic assistance, and yet enabling these public and private stakeholders to take the industry leadership supported by the project. The successful applicant will have a proven capability in engaging with tourism sector participants, developing data-based strategies, and most importantly implementing strategic and/or policy initiatives of high impact within time horizons.  She/he will also be a team player, working with other project employees and with tourism stakeholders in a collaborative way while focused on timely results. She/he will lead the management and implementation of activities aimed at enhancing competitiveness, productivity and profitability of SMEs in the tourism sector. She/he will perform assessments to identify gaps and design and implement interventions to address them; facilitate the development of policies, strategies, financial services, and capacity enhancement activities; supervise technical programs and technical assistance to SMEs; develop partnerships with service providers and value chain actors in the public and private sector; and promote the adoption of digital solutions. The Tourism Value Chain Manager will work with the rest of the technical teams of USAID Trade and Competitiveness to improve productivity and competitiveness of SMEs in the Tourism value chain.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

1.Engagement:  Engaging with public and private sector tourism leaders to design and implement high priority initiatives in way that enables tourism sector leaders to lead, cooperate, and improve the conditions for the industry as a whole and for small and medium enterprises. 

2.Analysis, Review, Identification of key constraints to the growth and competitiveness of the sector

• Identify key leverage areas to address constraints and improve access to finance and non-financial services needed to increase productivity and improve competitiveness of SMEs in tourism
• Build on existing reports, diagnostic studies, and strategies and commission or undertake any gap-filling mapping exercises of the current SME landscape in the tourism value chain
• Analyze relating organizational, management, logistics, technical capabilities and other resources of SMEs to grow and become more competitive, perhaps targeting markets in new ways 
• Identify product/market segments of high priority for assistance 
• Identify key stakeholders for strategic partnerships in implementing key interventions
• Identify opportunities for financing and for direct financial transactions by SMEs with clients and customers
• Prepare the Activity’s tourism strategic plan aimed at achieving contractual targets 

3.Strategizing and Planning, Identifying Key Leverage Areas, and Designing Interventions

• Provide the tourism sector inputs for the annual workplan and for monitoring and reporting Activity progress 
• Design strategy and interventions involving various stakeholders like BDSPs, BSOs (Business Service Organizations), ESOs (Entrepreneurial Service Organizations), TVTPs (Technical and Vocational Training Providers), Training Institutes, Consultants, Experts, Academic Institutions, etc.
• Manage tourism sector stakeholders on the design and implementation of initiatives that hold promise for high impact on Activity results, as well as for SMEs in the tourism sector
• Develop strategies, plans and interventions to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the SMEs in the tourism sector and manage the implementation of tourism-related initiatives 

4.Implementation of the Strategies, Plans, Interventions, and Deliverables

• Craft scopes of work for local and international short term technical assistance and manage such short-term consultants following Activity protocols
• Take lead in the implementation of designed strategies, plans of action, and designed interventions aimed toward improving productivity and competitiveness of the SMEs in the tourism sector
• Manage relationships between the Activity and the tourism stakeholder community, such as various government and private sector actors (fund/finance providers, BDSPs, etc.) and any other associated stakeholders in relation to the cause of enhancing productivity and competitiveness in the tourism sector
• Design and contribute to the success of international expert visits
• Collaborate with Objective 1 in providing information to and linking with investors and financing institutions (bank and non-bank) to generate new investments and financing for SMEs in the tourism sector
• Collaborate with Objective 3 in the development of institutional and legal framework and implementing measures to improve the business enabling environment to encourage investment and promote the growth of SMEs in the tourism sector
• Deliverables: Take the lead role in producing all deliverables required under the USAID Trade and Competitiveness Activity related to the tourism sector, as defined by the Objective Two Component Lead and COP

5.Other General Responsibilities

• Follow protocols as indicated by the Chief of Party or Component Lead
• Maintain positive and productive relationship with tourism-related stakeholders
• Represent the Activity when requested at conferences, forums and other events
• Manage and supervise project activities, resources and personnel
• Contribute regular inputs for weekly, quarterly and annual reporting, in addition to creating success stories, as may be required
• Other tasks as may be assigned by Deloitte or J.E. Austin Associates related to the Activity.

Required Qualifications: 

• Masters’ degree in business, economics, tourism, hospitality management or related field 
• A minimum of 5 years of work experience related to development projects in the tourism industry and/or overall direction and supervision of tourism-related development, including 3 years of experience working closely with SMEs and value chain actors in the tourism sector
• Understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and SMEs landscape of the tourism sector and their competitiveness/capacity/skills gaps
• Familiarity with market systems approach to value chain and SMEs development
• Advanced English and Nepali proficiency in reading, speaking and writing
• Experience working in a team environment, possessing excellent people skills and written and verbal communication
• Practical understanding of social inclusion, gender equity, and women’s economic development preferred
• Must hold Nepalese residency