Job Purpose / Summary

The Enterprise Development Officer is responsible for implementing its respective Cluster MaYEA Program enterprise development component in selected Woredas of each zones in each region. He / She will work within the wider MaYEA program team and other SOSSE staff. He / She is accountable to the respective cluster coordinator and other program officers within his/her cluster and the other SOSSE cluster office. Moreover, he/she is responsible for the follow-up of the overall MaYEA resource management and communications of the Cluster's enterprise development component to adhere to all universal and MasterCard Foundation, SOSSE, Federal and Regional Governments, and program-specific standards and procedures.

 Duties and Responsibilities

 Program and Partnership Management

• Collaborate with the three cluster officers (Apiculture Development; Gender, Youth and Safeguarding; and Programing, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officers) and the cluster Finance & Admin Officer to support and follow up the Woreda program officers as well as other stakeholders in their effort to properly implement the MaYEA program with the required quality and magnitude in their jurisdiction.

• Ensures quality of program delivery and efficacy of the program resources allocated for enterprise development and establish and maintains closer working relationships with relevant program stakeholders at the regional, zonal, cluster and woreda level with regard to the enterprise development component.

• Ensures all program resources of the enterprise development component (human, financial, material, time, and other resources) are effectively and properly utilized for better impact and fulfillment of the program objectives.

• Nurture and demonstrate team spirit to create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect that motivates program staff to deliver more.

• Ensure all activities of the enterprise development component of the cluster respects the law of the land and complies with MasterCard Foundation's, & SOSSE’s rules, regulations, and procedures.

Programming, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Based on the program document, with the support of the cluster coordinator, prepare detailed annual implementation plans of the enterprise development component of the cluster for every fiscal year specified on the contract agreement between SOSSE and IIRR (the lead agent) and get the plan approved by the concerned.

• Ensure records of the enterprise development component are well kept, consolidated cluster-level ad-hoc, quarterly, and annual reports are timely produced and communicated to all concerned.

• Ensure enterprise development component stakeholder, partners, and program participants’ have access to reflect on interventions of MaYEA, and all programmatic and operational learning and results of the enterprise development component of the cluster are fully documented, shared, and used to facilitate learning, knowledge management, and informed and adaptive management systems across all project components and stakeholders.

Program Implementation

• Build the capacity of the cluster team including the Woreda program officers and ensure that they have a proper understanding of the enterprise development component and approaches.

• Collaborate and work with the other cluster program officers and the sub-national program hub and others on improving the enabling environment for youth, the apiculture sector development and improvement of honey quality to meet international and national standards.

• Coordinate with the other technical officers of the cluster to plan, implement and follow up the commercialization of existing apiculture enterprises, establish new youth lead apicultural enterprises, organize cooperatives and promote contractual farming.

• Coordinate with the other officers of the cluster to strengthen both public and private apiculture related extension system and encourage private sector engagement.

• Coordinate with the apiculture development officer of the cluster to avail important inputs (like beekeeping equipment, bee colony, bee hives etc.), finance and other resources required for the proper implementation of the program.

• Coordinate with other technical officers of the cluster to plan, implement and follow up the promotion of digital financing, digital marketing and credit scoring system that can benefit the youth.

• Coordinate with the apiculture and other technical officers to plan, organize, implement and follow up business opportunity identification, business plan development, market studies, input and output market development activities and promote market driven production system that meet quality standards.

• Coordinate with the apiculture development officer of the cluster and the sub-national hub technical leads to plan implement and follow up apiculture and apiculture allied value chain development activities ensuring business creation agro-processing, and addition of value chain points and forward and backward linkages.

• Coordinate with the sub-national capacity building and policy lead to plan, implement and follow up all the enterprise development capacity building interventions of the program in the cluster.

• Coordinate with the sub-national capacity building and policy lead to plan, implement and follow up all the policy related interventions of the of the enterprise development activities of the program and support the implementation and enforcement of related policies, regulations, proclamations and initiatives.

• Coordinate with others to create enabling environment for enterprise development and intensively work on multi-stakeholders platforms and other coordination mechanisms.

Youth Engagement, Gender Equity, and Inclusiveness

• Ensures an enabling environment is created and mechanisms are in place in the cluster for real and effective engagement of young people in the apiculture and allied value chains, especially those of young women and other vulnerable groups.

• Coordinate with the other officers of the cluster to plan, implement and follow up a youth focused targeting strategy and prioritize young women (at least 80%) and  other vulnerable groups (at least 10%) to engage in apiculture based Agro-enterprise.

Networking and  Communication

• Ensure that at the cluster level, the program is well networked with all critical apiculture and allied value chains actors and enterprise development stakeholders and networks to better contribute to and benefit from networking.

• Actively participate and support effective functioning of Participatory Review and Reflection Sessions (PRRS), Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSP), Value Chain Actors Platforms (VCAP), and other arrangements as necessary.

• Ensure the program's objectives and approaches and standards especially that of the enterprise development component are well communicated to all stakeholders and program participants in the cluster.

• Ensure that all periodical and ad hoc communications of the enterprise development component of the cluster are accurate and timely.

• Ensure that feedback is collected and project gains and progress in the enterprise development component are documented and publicized to concerned stakeholders and the wider audience.

Safeguarding and Accountability

• Make sure every enterprise development related activities of the program in the cluster are in line with universally accepted safeguarding principles and SOSSE’s and MasterCard Foundation’s Safeguarding policies and procedures.

• Ensure that project participants are aware of safeguarding policies and how to rise and report concerns.

• Serve as a liaison between the cluster and project participants on safeguarding matters.

• Ensure the implementation of safe enterprise development activities by being alert and responsive to safeguarding risks.

• Ensure appropriate reflection mechanisms are in place for stakeholder, partners, and program participant of the enterprise development program to ensure that program interventions in the cluster are effective and downward, horizontal, and upward accountability among the program stakeholders is materialized.

Number of Position: Three (One in each town)

Job Requirements

Qualification and Competence

Educational Background

• BA/MBA in Agri-business, Agro-economics, Business Management, Economics or closely related fields.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience for BA/BSC and six years for MA/MSC, with a minimum of 4 years direct experience related to the position.

• Experience in executing complex programs related to livelihood development, rural finance, agribusiness development, marketing and value chain, youth employment, and inclusive development is essential.

Skills and competencies required

• Proven skill and track record in team work, coordination, partnership building, multi-stakeholder engagement, networking, effective communication & facilitation, problem solving & decision making.

• Ability to meet tight deadlines and work independently

• Ability to think and lead strategically while managing details

• Advanced computer skill.

• Integrity and honesty, hardworking, firm belief in human equality, transparency and respect to others are core values needed.

• Prior experience in apiary and honey and allied value chain development is advantageous.

*   Preference

Women and people with disability are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Interested applicants to send a single page cover letter and maximum of 3 pages CV and the applications shall be addressed to sos.sahel@ethionet.et 

N.B. write the job title on the subject line of your email

Application deadline is on 20, December 2023.