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MEDA’s work is built on a foundation of Mennonite business roots and faith-based values, within the global context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We believe business solutions are effective interventions to address poverty.
Through a market-systems approach and strategic partnerships, MEDA enables access to finance and provides business and technical expertise to build transformative agri-food market systems that create decent jobs, allowing traditionally excluded groups to become active participants in a sustainable economy. MEDA welcomes all who share our values and want to join us in our mission.
To find out more about MEDA, please visit our website at www.meda.org.
POSITION SUMMARY
Greater Rural for Opportunities for Women 2 (GROW2) project is a women-focused project driven by a strong market system approach that fully integrates Nutrition, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Environmental Sustainability, and Innovation in its implementation.
The project will increase the economic and social empowerment of women farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses in the Northern, Upper West, and Savannah Regions of Ghana through increased productivity, and an improved business environment.
The Senior Small Business & Financial Services Officer will provide technical direction for the integration of business development including financial services into all aspects of the project and facilitate market linkages.
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Agriculture Value Chain Manager, the role holder will support the project in incorporating business-based approaches to project implementation. (S)he will be the lead in the implementation of the project’s special fund initiatives to promote women’s businesses.
The role holder will work closely with small businesses, aggregators, and other entities in the groundnut, soybean, and vegetable value chains to develop and support viable and profitable business interventions in the areas where the GROW2 project is operating. The role holder will also work with MEDA’s headquarters-based Technical Experts.
This position will involve frequent travel to project locations within the Northern, Savannah, and Upper West Regions.
- Job Status: Full-time Contract
- Anticipated Start Date: July 2022
- Location: Tamale, Ghana
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
General responsibilities:
- Support in the development and implementation of a market systems and business development strategy to support overall GROW2 project goals.
- Provide technical support to the Agriculture Value Chain Manager (AVCM) in planning, designing, and integrating business development services including access to finance into intervention strategies, developing sustainable women-led small and medium scale agribusinesses in Northern Ghana.
- Provide support to AVCM in ongoing market analysis, assessing constraints, strengths, and opportunities, especially relating to access to finance, business development, and end-market opportunities.
- Lead in the development of innovation and strategies to ensure women, smallholder farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses improved access to finance
- Contribute to the establishment and implementation of the GROW 2 special funds (Loan Guarantee Fund, Innovation Fund, and Matching Grant) with the local lending institutions to ensure the appropriate flow of capital to the project clients and the safety of the MEDA loan/guarantee capital.
Facilitate Business Development:
- Propose business and financial solutions for the project value chain participants and facilitate their implementation by designing, testing, adjusting, and ensuring the affordability and sustainability of those solutions.
- Assess the business viability of MEDA GROW2 entrepreneurs, women-led agribusinesses, and proposals for partnership and grantees.
- Develop strong relationships with women-led small businesses, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses, identify opportunities for business growth and upscaling, and contribute to the preparation of investment proposals and plans as necessary.
- Collaborate with the Senior Food Crops and Agriculture Officer, support in administering and monitoring the impact of innovation fund and matching grants for women smallholder farmers/entrepreneurs and agribusinesses respectively.
- Lead in developing Savings and Loans Group (SLG) and facilitating linkages with financial institutions
- Provide technical inputs in the design (e.g., review of and input to technical training manuals, etc.) and rollout of capacity building programs for project clients and partners including KFPS, SLGs, WSHFs, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses.
- Identification, analysis, and advice on the existing menu of Business Development Services (BDS) and managing relationships with financial institutions, and Business Services Providers, including KFPs and consultants.
- Facilitate the development of a comprehensive menu of BDS services/toolkits, including specific modules on environmentally sustainable business practices for agribusinesses, and facilitate the conduct of Training of Trainers (ToT) where appropriate.
- Support in recruitment (e.g., develop Scope of Work (SoW) for external technical assistance) and contribute to managing consultants, especially relating to business development and financial services intervention activities.
- Lead in ongoing monitoring and evaluation of business performance; through appropriate tools designed in cooperation with the team and KFPs.
- Work closely with government agencies, aggregators, and partners to develop and support viable and profitable business interventions.
Conduct Business Analysis for Targeted Sectors:
- Lead in the identification of existing and new business opportunities in the market in-line with MEDA targets and develop the business models based on the market needs and feasibility.
- Support integration of business analyses across the design and implementation of all field-level activities, including monitoring and evaluation.
- Design appropriate tools for conducting rapid business analyses in new areas of work before starting implementation, followed by conducting analysis this analysis
Facilitate Private Sector Engagement and Create Business Linkages:
- Lead in identifying end markets (including niche markets) opportunities and facilitating business and market linkage opportunities between farmers, entrepreneurs, the government, and businesses, within the market in general. Facilitate MEDA engagement with private sector businesses and effectively coordinate relationships with the private sector and its’ representative bodies
Documentation and Reporting:
- Provide inputs in annual work plans and reporting activities, including MEDA’s private sector engagement and business development activities; implementation and tracking tools.
- write business sections of quarterly donor reports and produce periodic updates and business-related briefs.
- Support to management – provide advice to the management team on business-related issues, concerns, trends, updates, and policies or regulations.
- Identify and disseminate best practice examples of businesses within MEDA and contribute to MEDA’s vision and achievements in terms of business development.
- Regularly organize and facilitate workshops to share lessons with partners and stakeholders
Any other duties and/or requirements as assigned
REQUIREMENTS
Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree qualification (master’s degree is a plus) in business sciences preferably in business administration, economics, including business analysis and development and/or feasibility studies, agriculture economics, or other relevant disciplines
Experience: A minimum of five years’ experience working on developing access to financial services for women including savings and loans groups, agriculture, private sector, micro small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) business development, feasibility studies, business analysis, including the designing, monitoring, and evaluation of business interventions.
Additional Qualifications:
- Appreciation and support of MEDA’s faith, vision, and values
- Understanding and appreciation of business principles, international development and MEDA’s approach of creating business solutions to poverty
- Strong grants management, financial and audit experience
- Knowledge of Global Affairs Canada regulations, systems, and procedures an asset
- Knowledge of financial systems software, computer skills in Excel, Word, etc.
- Fluency in English a must.
- Fluency in local language within zone of operations a plus
How To Apply