BACKGROUND:

Passing Gifts Private Limited (PGPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heifer International USA and it provide services in educating, consulting, training, advising, and providing professional and technical services to individuals, associations, and entities in India and abroad, particularly those who support or are working in the areas of social advancement and sustainable development. This position may also require service agreements, secondment agreements, between entities, etc.

FUNCTION:

The Program Manager- Enterprise & Market Development will lead PGPL’s project activities on connecting farmer- producer organizations (FPOs) and self-help groups with market intermediaries and support the development of micro and small enterprises (MSMEs). S/he will coordinate with the Access to Finance lead in the development and execution of the overall strategic vision, goal and objectives of the access to finance component.

The Program Manager - Enterprise & Market Development will explore and collaborate with different public and private sector organizations to strengthen the forward and backward linkages in both product markets and input/service markets. This position will assist in developing and managing prototypes towards upgrading value chains and develop scale-up strategies for the wider benefit of PGPL project beneficiaries and sub-sector growth.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES: (including approximate percentage effort)

Business Development and Branding (30%)

• Carry out market research on demand and supply, value chain analysis, business venture feasibility studies, stakeholder mapping, etc., to identify viable enterprise establishment or strengthen existing enterprises.
• Support to develop bankable business plans (both at start-up and growth stages) and connect with relevant financial and non-financial service providers (medium and large-scale business ventures).
• Identify branding options for PGPL farmers’ products for market promotion (legal requirements, compliance protocols, current practices, etc.).
• Prepare FPO enterprise and Market Development strategies, roll out plans and track progress.
• Develop a digital interactive platform with Product-Price Market Information System (in goat value chain) for the use and benefit of all value chain actors and stakeholders.
• Identify and recommend the best suited market (promotion) strategies and pricing system for the business ventures.
• Identify new medium and large-scale business ventures in the selected value chains and provide entrepreneurs with assistance including formal/informal trainings and coaching, exposure visits, etc.
• Guide, coach and facilitate the Smallholder Farmer Organizations (SFOs) and other value chain actors in the process of branding products.
• Develop project implementation plans for the market development component with clear timelines and deliverables.

Build Capacity of Project Staff, Partners and FPOs (25%)

• Assist to align organizational development and business development and build stakeholders’ capacity.
• Assist in the preparation of a capacity building plan of project staff and partners in the field on market system development, enterprise and value chain development.
• Build the capacity of PGPL and FPO staff through facilitating trainings, coaching and other capacity building initiatives on leadership, conflict management, business development, governance, organization development, etc.
• Facilitate trainings and other capacity building initiatives as per the Project Implementation Plan (PIP).
• Ensure that stakeholders have strong knowledge on climate smart agri-enterprise development.
• Ensure that staff at the partner level are selected and trained as per PGPL’s process

Program Monitoring, Review and Reporting (20%)

• Ensure that partners meet PGPL’s monitoring and evaluation requirements.
• Review the project progress (physical and financial) with partner staff on a monthly basis.
• Participate in ongoing partner activities for quality control and improvement.
• Ensure the timely delivery of milestones relating to the market development component.
• Ensure that the activity-based reforecasting is prepared following the participatory method and submitted as per the schedule.
• Promote and ensure the participatory self-review and planning (PSRP) process at each level in project.
• Ensure that all project progress reports (physical and financial) are reviewed and submitted as per the schedule.
• Participate in all field trainings on a quarterly basis and regularly at the initial stage of the project.
• Ensure that internal and external field visits are organized following the organizational protocol.
• Facilitate the completion of Baseline and GIM surveys each year.
• Ensure systematic documentation of successes and lessons learnt for internal programmatic use and external sharing.
• Produce periodic reports and knowledge documents.

Develop Business Relationships with Retailers, Processors, and Other Market Actors (25%)

• Facilitate multi-stakeholder consultation meetings, workshops, and business-to-business (B2B) meetings to advance better market linkages.
• Explore public, private and producer organizations for joint initiatives to establish viable and sustainable business ventures in forward linkages of the goat meat value chain.
• Identify potential value chain actors/stakeholders (forward market linkages) and facilitate new ventures.
• Establish functional relationships with market actors to overcome bottlenecks in the market system.
• Ensure that a goat market investment plan is developed and implemented on public, private, producer partnerships.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Rural Development, Enterprise Development, Agribusiness or a related field is required, plus 7 years of relevant experience including three (3) years in managing teams in an international organization, OR a master’s degree in a relevant field plus five (5) years of experience.
• Thorough understanding of programming processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support to staff working at the community level.
• Solid skill, knowledge, and foundation in proposal development and of the project management process.
• Sound understanding of value chain development on various agricultural commodities and the livestock sector.
• Sound understanding of integrated development issues and critical analysis of the root causes of poverty in India.
• Knowledge of strategic planning, program and project development and implementation processes (including planning, monitoring and evaluation).
• Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work cooperatively, tactfully, and diplomatically with culturally diverse groups of people.
• Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of line-managed staff and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
• Knowledge of grant acquisition and management.
• Proficiency in basic statistics sufficient to analyze data.
• Understanding of the Government schemes, projects, provisions and other facilities for project communities and groups.

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES:

• Basic knowledge of financial controls and systems. Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, database and electronic mail software (Microsoft preferred).
• Strong Odia and English language skills, both oral and written.
• Demonstrate a high degree of honesty and integrity.
• Willingness to work flexibly outside normal working hours.
• Ability to foster and maintain a spirit of unity, teamwork and cooperation.
• Constant face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues, potential donors, and the public.
• Constant sitting, standing and walking, with occasional bending and lifting; may work at a computer for extended periods of time.
• Motivated to work responsibly with little supervision.
• Ability to meet and deal with others in a courteous and tactful manner.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and to always maintain confidentiality.
• Sensitivity in working with multiple cultures and beliefs, and to gender equity