Summary
Date Posted: 2nd January 2019 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed , Employment Type: Full-Time , Currency: RwF

JOB DETAILS:

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Market Systems Approach Specialist.

World Vision International (Rwanda) is a child-focused Christian humanitarian organization implementing development programs in 24 Districts of Rwanda.

World Vision Rwanda seeks to hire a highly qualified, dedicated and experienced national for the position of Market Systems Approach Specialist for CORE Project. The position will be based in Kigali and reporting to the CORE Project Manager.

The Creating Off-farm Rwandan Enterprises (CORE) Project is a SIDA-funded project that seeks to significantly increase the incomes of women and youth by supporting women and youth-run cooperatives and entrepreneurial ventures in Nyamasheke and Rusizi Districts. The project is implemented in partnership with the Local Government at district and sector levels.

Purpose of the position
The role of the Market Systems Approach Specialist is to strengthen the Market Systems approach in the project and especially in the tailoring and honey value chains. With a Market Systems approach, the project does not provide solutions directly to the target group, but rather facilitate the development or expansion of “market-based solutions" that are provided by the private sector or other actors in the market systems in a commercially viable and sustainable manner. The role of the project is therefore to facilitate these relationships through technical or cost-sharing support.

The major responsibilities include:

Business Planning

• Involved in Project annual plans and budgeting processes development and ensuring that the CORE activities are streamlined and budgeted for.
  
• Provide the Annual, monthly planning for the Market System Approach in accordance with the project design
  
• Participate in CORE monthly and quarterly budget review
  
• Development & implementation of strategies
  
• Coordinate the implementation and engagement of the Lead firms under the project partnership

Project implementation and Monitoring

• Identify available and suitable Lead Firms(LFs) working in Tailoring and Honey value chains
  
• Conduct additional assessments to determine the commercial viability of selected VCs
  
• Structure collaboration with LFs in each value chain
  
• Support LFs in organizing groups engaged in Honey and Tailoring VCs
  
• Promote selected value chains and establish the linkages to markets/market actors through trade fares and exhibitions
  
• Facilitate LFs’ interventions to strengthen the selected VCs
  
• Work with other partners to develop suitably and with an “attractive” name and packaging for new products and services
  
• Identify, promote and document innovation from CORE project
  
• Work with CORE manager to develop and rollout a suitable training module for staff, communities, and clients on Off-farm components, products and value chain development
  
• Work with private sector federation to create a business promotion forum
  
• Facilitate workshops to expose expert designers to tailors (matchmaking)
  
• Monitor & Evaluate the performance and partnership with LFsTrain Project staff on guidelines for structuring technical and financial support to Lead Firms and guiding principles for facilitation
  
• Monitor the implementation of Lead Firms on a monthly basis
  
• Regularly monitoring of the Market System Approach strategies, in both performances in the district.
  
• Monitor results and impact of the Market System Approach by relating them to operational indicators
  
• Lead the collection and documentation of impact and success stories.
  
• Regularly conduct surveys and focus group discussions to determine client satisfaction on the CORE products and services.
  
• Monitor business progress of all entrepreneurs
  
• Write monthly progress reports

Reporting and documentation

• Produce and timely submit Monthly Management reports (MMR), Quarterly reports, and Annual Reports to CORE project Manager
  
• Develop and circulate Market system promotional material, e.g. brochures, leaflets and fliersl related to Market system approach component
  
• Document lessons learnt and better practices on Quarterly basis

Community engagement and Training

• Innovatively mobilize communities and market program products (Honey and Garment) and activities for high adoption.
  
• Promote and use business forums in sectors and districts to market Honey and tailoring products and to function as coaching and mentorship youth and women forums.

Capacity Building and Performance Management

• Lead the identification of capacity building gaps for staff and project beneficiaries
  
• Train LF’s and other partners on the Donor and WV standards.
  
• Build capacity of project staff and local leaders on MSA & Implications
  
• Equip the LFs with Technical skills depending on the sector of intervention
  
• Facilitate the LFs capacity building to support efforts to expand commercial distribution of machinery/ machinery rental
  
• Ensure capacity building initiatives and learning platforms for the staff.

Child Protection and Wellbeing

• Monitor the impact (positive & negative) on the wellbeing of children in relation to the Market system.
  
• Ensure that the implementation of the component of Market system, products and activities do not contribute to any form of child abuse or infringement of child rights,
  
• Promote and sensitize communities, clients and other stakeholders about children's rights and responsibilities.
  
• Ensure that child protection policy and guidelines are strictly adhered to among all staff, communities, and clients you interact with.

Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical/Skills and Experience
The following knowledge, skills, and abilities may be acquired through a combination of formal schooling self-education, prior experience or on-the-job training.

Minimum Qualification required:

• Having 3 years of relevant work experience in project implementation,
• community development,
• Marketing,
• working with the private sector,
• business development.
• Value chain development expertise and having strong experience in partnering and networking.
• Bachelor's degree in Agri-business, economics, development studies, business administration, and Marketing.

Additional Qualifications and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Agri-business, economics,development studies, Marketing and business administration
• experience of 3 years in market systems and value chain development expertise is and added advantage. 

Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Experience:
Ability to demonstrate the following desired knowledge, skills, technical capacity, and professional competency

• Track record demonstrating high integrity, reliable and dependable
  
• Excellent communication skills
  
• Networking and influencing skills
  
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
  
• Certified in project management and experience in project monitoring, evaluation and report writing is essential
  
• Must be familiar with economic development models e.g. Business Facilitation, Value chain development, and off-farm business.
  
• Fluency in English and French.
  
• Excellent project management skills and a good understanding of the project life cycle PMD Pro1
  
• Experience with development project management tools such as log frames, monitoring and evaluation tools, and budgets.
  
• Experience in supervision skills, including training, mentoring and supporting staff
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report-writing and formal communication skills.
  
• Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in MS Office and Lotus Notes (or another main email system such as Microsoft Outlook).
  
• Strong negotiation skills.
  
• Cross-cultural sensitivity, flexible worldview, and ability to work with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
  
• Emotional and spiritual maturity and ability to lead a team of professionals.
  
• Good understanding of World Vision and Sphere relief standards.
  
• Knowledge of and adherence to the Red Cross and NGO Code of Conduct.
  
• Ability to exhibit exemplary lifestyle as interpreted in specific local cultural context
  
• Experience in off-farm business and market systems approaches
  Salary
  
• The salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience

N:B: Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Job application procedure
Should you wish to apply for this position, please go to http://careers.wvi.org/job-opportunities-in-rwanda  If this is your first time applying online via the World Vision International careers website, you will need to register an account along with your application details. This site will provide you with additional functionality, such as saved searches and email alerts. Registration requires minimal information to create your account. Further details will be collected during the application process All applicants must apply using our online application system, CVs received via email or standard post will NOT be considered. In case you face any challenges in applying, please let us know on wvrwanda-recruitment@wvi.org (no applications will be accepted through this email) The closing date for submission of applications is January 11, 2019; no late applications will be accepted As a child-focused organization, World Vision is committed to the protection of children and does not employ staff Whose background is not suitable for working with children. All employment is conditional upon successful completion of all applicable background checks, including criminal record checks