Officer, Business Development Service, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Grant Position

Reports to: Manager, Business Development Service

Purpose: The job holder is responsible for providing capacity building and technical support to Business Development Service (BDS) centers to upgrade their capabilities to serve Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He/she will be working with all concerned stakeholders and service providers to assess the needs and performance of existing BDS centers and help them to become financially self-sustaining. The job holder will also collect data from BDS centers to monitor the development and report findings to the BDS manager.

Responsibilities:

Implementation and Reporting

• Report the BDS centers' performance to BDS capacity manager
• Run day-to-day activities, functions, communication, input into the work plan, routine project reports, special studies, presentations and so on
• Develop and/or provide technical input to scopes of work being developed for consultants who could support Business Egypt’s (BE) activities
• Provide input to the development of technical specifications and/or requirements related to the procurement of any services applicable to entrepreneurship, innovation, and information technology
• Support the development and drafting of various reports, research and presentations prepared for BE, government officials, or USAID
• Participate as necessary in drafting and/or reviewing relevant sections of the work plan, quarterly and annual donor reports, as well as internal DAI reports

Networking and Capacity Building

• Prepare and organize capacity building, and training sessions to BDS staff and MSMEs
• Organize Business-to-Business (B2B), linkages and awareness workshops and training sessions and invite prominent speakers
• Coordinate with marketing, communication, operation, and IT departments to assure that functions are conducted on time

Research and Administration

• Conduct research and provide technical support to activities related to innovation, entrepreneurship, incubators, and start-up accelerator programs with focus on business development Service delivery
• Analyze data and coordinate with Monitoring and Evaluation Learning Performance (MELP) that data captured are uploaded on DAI system
• Draft request for proposal for required short-term and long-term consultants to work on BDS assessment, mapping of service providers, Industry studies, specific-sector BDS centers and supervise their performance
• Support BDS centers with required information and link them to service providers
• Perform any other related tasks as assigned

Requirements:

Minimum Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in related fields
• Master’s is an asset
• Project management certifications is a plus

Experience:

• 9 years of work experience with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in international development projects, BDS and Entrepreneurship Centers Management, MSME consultancy and empowerment
• Must have experience in working with BDS Centers or consultancy firms to provide support to MSMEs; and improving access to finance and addressing constraints to MSME growth; and brokering market-driven alliances with anchor firms across diverse value chains
• Previous experience with USAID projects is an asset

Skills:

Technical Skills

• Business technical support, administrative, and capacity building skills
• Capable of resolving conflicts and work hurdles
• Must command excellent report writing and good communication skills, fluency in English and Arabic
• Strong strategic planning and agile project management skills necessary to set and evaluate progress against goals, develop plans and timelines, establish policies and procedures and manage data to meet tight deadlines while maintaining good relations with colleagues
• Strong ability to manage different stakeholders
• Managing data gathering tools such as interviews, surveys, focus groups and so on through both online and field research

DigitalSkills

• Ability to manage and analyze complex data both quantitative and qualitative using spreadsheets
• Efficient in using Microsoft Office, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other digital business dissemination tools

Interpersonal Skills

• Self-motivation and the ability to work effectively both individually and in teams
• Ability to interact and effectively communicate with a wide array of constituents exhibiting the project’s objectives and deliverables
• Proven ability in developing and managing effective relationships across all levels and functional areas of an organization; ability to collaborate and influence at a high level
• Ability to respond quickly to changing business needs and priorities; ability to balance strategic thinking with tactical implementation
• An engaging, collaborative and confident communication style, effective with both individuals and groups, coupled with excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic
• Highly collaborative and productive with the ability to turn strategy into action
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and effectiveness in problem-solving

This position is open until December 11, 2022

Placement is based on the candidate’s experience and skills. Only candidates who make it to the short list will be contacted.

"The American University in Cairo is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply."

“We thank all individuals who have expressed interest in working at The American University in Cairo.”