Introduction

Trade for Jobs Uganda is a five-year initiative (2025–2030) co-led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Using a market systems approach, the project leverages trade as a driver for decent job creation and income generation for women and men living in poverty in Uganda, by strengthening two high-potential sectors: dairy and tourism.

The project will build toward national objectives and priorities on developing the production, productivity and value addition of both sectors, as outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) IV (2025/26-2029/30).
It intends to do this for the project beneficiaries – women and men living in poverty, through:

• Strengthening regional and global trade of dairy products and tourism services, with a focus on micro enterprises and SMEs
• Supporting private sector development for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including through value addition, diversification, enhancing competitiveness, and improving the business environment
• Engaging with Swedish companies to leverage their expertise, services, products and private investment potential
  The project will adopt a market systems approach, as it is an approach that focuses on delivering long-term sustainable impact at scale. The approach is analysis-focused, partner driven, and driven by evidence-based adaptation.

What makes the approach for Trade for Jobs Uganda different is its unique focus on trade as a lever for decent job creation. While many development initiatives address employment or enterprise development in isolation, this project combines the ILO’s expertise in promoting decent work using a market systems development approach with ITC’s deep experience in strengthening trade and MSME competitiveness. Together, the two organizations bring a market systems lens to unlock trade-driven growth that delivers not just more jobs - but better, more secure and inclusive employment opportunities.

The project starts with an extended 18-month inception phase that includes project and team set-up, stakeholder and donor coordination, further analyses and initial piloting. It is highly probable that Trade for Jobs will continue for an additional 42-month implementation phase.

Within the policy and procedural requirements established by the ILO and the Trade for Jobs Uganda Project, the dairy sector portfolio manager will be responsible for the design and implementation of technical interventions in the dairy sector.

Reporting Lines:

The NPO will work under the supervision of the Project Manager (Team Leader) with support from the Deputy Team Leader in ITC, and in close collaboration with the remainder of the project team.

They will also contribute to coordinating and quality checking the work of international and local consultants hired during the project to support the implementation of project interventions, or as indicated by the Team Leader.

Description of Duties

• With the project team and with support from ILO and ITC specialists, support the design of market systems development interventions based on the findings of the market systems assessments in the dairy sector. This will be done by consulting with constituents, market actors, and other development partners.
• Support the project team, coordinate the planning, implementation, and monitoring of market systems development interventions through partnerships with the private and public sector. Such pilot interventions will be designed to address systemic constraints in the dairy sector and aim to create employment increase incomes for women and men living in poverty, through increased trade and MSME growth.
• Engage with relevant national and local stakeholders, including public and private sector actors, including regular liaison and visits to project partners (private and public) in project locations.
• Collaborate with other team members to ensure complementarity and adequate workload management between interventions and staff.
• Develop and guide intervention business models as well as scale-up strategies to support further mainstreaming the piloted market systems development interventions or the crowding-in of other actors to replicate pilots.
• Support the results measurement and monitoring and evaluation officers in the development and operationalisation, and regular update of the monitoring and results measurement (MRM) system, with particular emphasis on the design of business models, results chains, measurement plans, and data collection tools.
• Support the knowledge and communications officer to develop communications and learning products by providing technical information, leading field visits, facilitating meeting, and providing technical inputs to products.
• Prepare inputs for reports and presentations to inform project management, donors, and stakeholders about the progress and results on project interventions and activities. This includes presenting information on improvement areas and coordinating changes in programming in line with the MSD approach.
• Serve as the primary technical resource and advisor on dairy internally and externally.
• Facilitate the organisation of workshops, trainings and events and support the adaptation of existing ILO training materials to the local context and objectives of the project.
• Ensure that gender perspectives and attention to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are central to all the activities during both the inception and implementation phases.
• Invest in personal upskilling in the market systems development approach by completing MSD onboarding activities, participating in internal and external training, events, and peer learning exchanges, such as the ILO’s MSD Hub or regional exchanges with other ILO projects. Invest in personal upskilling on trade, including on export promotion, by working with ITC support staff.
• Perform any other duties as requested by the team leader and deputy team leader.

Required qualifications

Education

First Level University degree (bachelor’s or equivalent) in agriculture, business, economics, international development, or another relevant technical field.

Experience

• Minimum of three years of experience in dairy sector and/or the private, public and development sectors.
• Experience working for a market systems development, a private sector development programme, or in the private sector will be a distinct advantage.
• Experience working on trade-related initiatives, especially on export promotion, will be an advantage.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder activities with the public and private sector will be an advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of English (written and spoken).

Competencies

• Technical knowledge on the dairy sector in Uganda, including related to governance, regulation, actors, investments, trade promotion.
• Good knowledge of the context and challenges related to the dairy sector in Uganda
• Knowledge of the market systems development approach.
• Knowledge on trade and export promotion.
• Research and analytical skills, with the ability to develop and implement innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Political awareness and understanding of socio-economic factors.
• Ability to respond to developments in and relevant to the project with flexibility and adapt project activities and procedures as required.
• Drafting skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interpret and work within applicable rules, regulations policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
• Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.