Business Officer Job in Kenya

Vacancy: Business Officer - Kisumu
 
Our client is an association of Christians who invest in people living in poverty around the world so they can unleash their potential to earn a livelihood to provide for their families and enrich their communities.
 
The Business Officer will be reporting to the Deputy Field Project Manager, DFPM, and works closely with other Business Officers based in various regions in Kenya. 


This position will based in the field, located in the M-SAWA project County-Kisumu coordinating the organization’s work in Western, Turkana and nearby counties. 

The Business Officer (BO) will live in the relevant county, for close monitoring of project activities, and travel as authorized by supervisor, with clear trip plan, budget and deliverables
 
Job Purpose: The Business Officer (BO) will be a key field business officer for the value chain and private equity components.

Key responsibilities
  • Represent MEDA Kenya in local county and field activities.
  • Develop a monthly work-plan for supervisor review and approval.
  • Develop a monthly budget for supervisor review and approval by MEDA Kenya Finance.
  • Submit monthly reports, narrative and indicator matrix tables on all aspects of the project.
  • Submit monthly financial retirement reports of advances allowed, with legitimate receipts and expense approvals. No unauthorised and illegitimate receipts will be accepted.
  • Summary table of outputs and corresponding targets/indicators performance to date.
  • Result by result analysis: a detailed analysis of the achievements and challenges regarding output performance
  • Verify report information and record observations about beneficiary, partner and stakeholder responses to activities through field visits to selected project areas. A Business officer may be requested to make audit visits to another county, and verify colleague data.
  • Identify related activities in which local SMEs and LF may take part, with business benefits to project actors.
  • Update performance indicators covering relevant SMEs and LF in the counties covered, including updating the online database.
  • Reviewing all SME and LF data, records, reports for accuracy and authenticity, taking responsibility and ownership of reports reviewed and forwarded to MEDA Kenya management.
  • Plan and facilitate project marketing events with lead firms and stakeholders at the county level.
  • Plan and facilitate marketing training events, working with marketing experts as needed at county level, working with relevant project officer.
  • Facilitate communication of M-SAWA project work to target women in rural locations, in simple effective ways working with relevant project officer.
  • Facilitate learning opportunities especially with regard to supply/value chain development and widely disseminate lessons learnt through to actors at the county level.
  • Solicit feedback (policy and practice) from project participants and partners to ensure that program delivery is as responsive to community priorities as possible at the county level.
  • Arrange participation is regional, county and national shows like ASK shows, facilitating MEDA lead firms and business actors to show case products and services, and MEDA work at county level.
  • Working closely with SEs and SMEs, identify emerging challenges and promote best practices in gender-equitable participation, contribute to improving the business environment for SEs and SMEs, as well as bring gender perspectives to business risk mitigation at the county level.
  • Assist in designing grants criterial for SMEs and LF that practice environmentally sustainable practices, and review to check off the relevant boxes when grant applications are reviewed.
  • Track all environment indicators for the project at the county level as guided by the relevant project officer.
  • Any other tasks as may be assigned by the deputy field project manager or delegate.
  • Apply MEDA’s values in all activities – cultural sensitivity, equality, transparency and integrity in all relationships.
Required Qualifications
  • MBA or MSC, BSC Agriculture, Agribusiness and related with over 3 year’s relevant experience.
  • Experience working in the counties near Mombasa, Lamu, Kisumu and Turkana will be an added advantage.
  • Superior report-writing, editing skills and advanced use of MS office packages, and database management tools
  • Experience in mobilizing field stakeholders into collaborative partnerships.
  • Experience in supporting SMEs in decision-making and value chain development.
  • Experience in use of relational database, information and communication technologies (ICT).
  • Financial and investment experience (SMEs) and finance in private equity markets.
  • Experience in commercial business development service providers to upgrade farmer, small entrepreneurs, and enterprise competencies.
  • Appreciation and support of MEDA’s faith, values, mission and purpose.
  • Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Competencies & Skills
  • Communication skills
  • Keen eye for detail
  • Leadership skills
  • Initiative and creative
  • Customer service
  • Interpersonal and team player skills
  • Strategic and analytical thinking skills
  • Problem Solving skills
  • Aggressive, assertive and adaptable
  • Business Acumen
Salary budget: Kshs.70,000

How to apply: 

If you are interested in the position and have the skills and talents our client is looking for, we would like to hear from you through wycliffe@dorbe-leit.co.ke by the 7th July 2016. 

Only successful candidates will be contacted.