ABOUT RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE (RTI)

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years of experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, an independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 5,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI's Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG& R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&;R will leverage RTI's experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

ABOUT SG&R’s Global Food Security and Agriculture portfolio

SG&R’s Global Food Security and Agriculture portfolio is working to strengthen agricultural markets, engage youth and women as critical leaders of the on- and off-farm workforce, and tackle the dual burden of malnutrition around the globe. RTI’s work is helping foster stronger food systems, reduce malnutrition in all its forms, build resilience and engage the next generation of food security leaders. RTI is currently partnering on nearly 30 projects in East Africa, including activities focused on private sector- driven agricultural growth in Rwanda and market systems development in Kenya.

ABOUT FIRST CONSULT

First Consult is a leading economic development consulting firm implementing projects in Ethiopia. Founded in 2006, First Consult (FC) has grown to design and implement projects across the agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors. Our multidisciplinary teams combine a capacity to execute with clarity of the local context. As a result, we have delivered at-scale real impact in terms of jobs & wealth creation, business formation & growth, and investment attraction & mobilization.

ABOUT THE PROJECT/PROGRAM

The purpose of the USAID/Ethiopia Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Activity is to increase access to healthy diets, particularly for women and children, by improving competitiveness, inclusiveness, and resilience of the Ethiopian food and agriculture system. FAST will also increase incomes gained from agriculture by as much as 40 percent over the next five years. To achieve its goals FAST must collaborate intensively with other USAID-funded projects working in the food and agriculture sector.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Business and Investment Specialist, based at the head office in Addis Ababa, is responsible to engage with business advisory service providers to provide support in identifying and developing investment strategies for local firms aligned with investors’ interests, developing pipelines of potential firms, screening and validate opportunities, and help parties structure and negotiate transactions.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leveraging relationships with business advisory service providers to identify ways for local businesses to improve their access to supply chain opportunities with multinational corporations

• Provide technical assistance to build a network of viable local businesses seeking international and domestic investment and identify viable and cost-effective ways to facilitate investment

• Support increasing value of investments in the agriculture and sustainable natural resource management industries, including for women-owned businesses

• Designing technical support to increase the capacity of business advisory service providers to meet the needs of local enterprises

• Develops or facilitates the development of the business plan based on the demand from beneficiaries and market context

• Develop strategies for discovering and securing new business opportunities, diagnosing opportunities and identifying constraints and monitoring new developments in the sector either locally, regionally, or nationally

• Identifies all the existing private or government institutions that are assumed to be beneficiaries of the business development services and capture key performance indicators with a particular focus on job numbers;

• Assesses the need for market information and identifies market outlets for their goods and services

• Conduct a training needs assessment of different stakeholders on the business aspect;

• Enumerates exhaustively the consumable training materials requirements, assesses their acquisition cost and estimates the total costs and is responsible for the development of business training modules

• Create a business development database & financial reporting system to evaluate the performance of providers

• Prepares and submits periodic analytical reports;

• Support the collection and accurate reporting of impact data related to the project as guided by the M&E Coordinator

•  Pay regular field visits to the intervention areas to observe progress, with a focus on ensuring ‘quality’ of service

• Advise on the design of sales and marketing strategies and campaigns to create a sustainable demand for businesses and service providers

• Support banks and MFI for the development of financial products tailored to the project theory of change

• Performs additional duties as assigned

REQUIRED SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree (or higher) in economics, business, social work, public policy and/or other closely related fields from a recognized University/College

• Minimum of 5-8 years of experience with USAID compliance and reporting requirements;

• In-depth familiarity with, understanding of, and ability to successfully navigate within the Ethiopian context preferred;

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capacities – ability to identify issues with contractual implications, ensure consistent donor reporting and support teams in providing appropriate analyses of activities.

• Good interpersonal skills and a good team player

• Ability to work independently and shoulder delegated authority

• Strong technical and analytic capacities and sound judgment

• Professional fluency in English (both spoken and written) and strong command of Amharic is required, additional local language is a plus;

• Excellent computer skills; Good proficiency in Microsoft Office

REPORTING

The Business and Investment Specialist report directly to the Food Systems Transformation Manager.

HOW TO APPLY

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