JOB DETAILS:
Job Description & Qualification Requirements
The Milele Zanzibar Foundation (MZF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2014 by a group of concerned citizens from Zanzibar and around the world with the aim of ensuring the sustainable development and improved quality life of rural communities in Zanzibar. Working with both government authorities and local communities, the organization aims to play a contributing role in the development of the islands in order to reduce the risk of poverty that many continue to face, especially in rural areas.

The MZF’s vision is for vibrant, resilient and sustainable rural communities in Zanzibar. MZF’s mission is to accelerate progress in the areas of health, education and livelihood

opportunities in rural and remote areas through holistic and sustainable development
programs.
Our approach focuses on developing and implementing community-led initiatives through a participatory and transparent process; as well as investing in structural improvements that relieve rural communities of development obstacles.

MZF is embarking on a new initiative with initiative entitled Accelerating Growth and Sustainability of Women and Youth-led Horticulture Enterprises. The project will strengthen the horticultural value chain system by building the capacity of actors across the value chain from farmers to small and medium businesses to produce better quantity and quality products. The project seeks to eliminate or reduce the barriers to small businesses experience, particularly by women and youth, to succeed in the horticultural value chain, particularly in accessing information, capacity, capital, and markets. Ultimately the project will increase employment, empower women with greater economic freedom, and open opportunities for youth to access gainful employment.

In order to execute this initiative, MZF seeks an expert an individual with capacity and expertise in supporting the growth and development of MSMEs in Zanzibar.

Job Description:
Under the general direction and supervision of the Project Manager for Green Economic Development, the Business Development and MSME Expert shall support MZF in effective implementation of project plan and priorities, ensuring timely delivery of project milestones and targets around the growth and capacity enhancement MSMEs. The BDS expert will provide technical support related to capacity building on business and entrepreneurship, mentorship and coaching, facilitating access to markets and working with relevant partners to support and sustain the growth of the MSMEs. The BDS expert will work in close cooperation with Milele Innovation Park Manager while reporting to the Project Manager Green Economic Development.

Roles &Responsibilities:
1. Ensure the project’s approaches, objectives and goals are well understood and implemented including being able to identify the best strategies to achieve the project objectives
2. Support in recruitment and selection of MSMEs at different levels to participate in the project

3. Oversee the design and establishment of an incubation and acceleration program for MSMEs along the horticulture value chain including development or adaptation of relevant training manuas
4. Manage and oversee the delivery and provision of quality BDS training and services, including mentorship and coaching, to MSMEs incubated in the project.

5. Work with relevant partners and local actors to facilitate linkages of MSMEs’, aggregators and agro dealers access finance as well as sustained access to markets
6. Conduct regular follow-up visits to project sites, gathering data and supporting with analysis/evaluation of achievements in accordance with planned objectives. Produce regular reports as required by the project.

7. Maintain good working relationships and engage regularly with relevant stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, financial institutions and the private sector as a whole.
8. Participate in review and coordination meetings internally as well as with project partners and relevant actors.

9. Performs other duties as assigned by the Project Manager.
10. Providing regular updates and reports to the Project Manager.

Education,
Qualifications & Skills
• Bachelor degree or equivalent in the fields of Economics, Business
• Administration, Entrepreneurship, or another related field.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in the field of private sector and SMEs development, enabling environment, and entrepreneurship development.

• Proven working experience with programs promoting entrepreneurship, SMEs development, Food processing and private sector development projects.
• Good understanding of entrepreneurship and private sector development context and strategic framework in the Tanzania. .
• Demonstrated experience managing donor funded projects

• Basic knowledge of project management, with conceptual understanding and required competency in planning, oversight, problem-solving and follow-through.
• Basic financial skills, including budget analysis, follow-up, and
• compliance & reporting.
• Basic skills in facilitation of development processes, including organization, mobilization and influence of partners and networking.
• Strong critical and analytical thinking skills.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to poverty-related development and gender issues.
Strong interpersonal skills and well-developed written and oral
• communications skills in Swahili/English.
• Good written English skills, particularly report writing skills.
• Strong ICT skills (Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Language requirements
• Fluency in English & Swahili.

Desired
Competencies.
• Demonstrates Flexibility, Adaptability and Initiative.
• Ownership and Accountability.
• Sense of Urgency in tackling problems and challenges.
• Result-orientation as an individual and team.
• Ability and willingness to learn and master new content areas.
• Humility, respect, and care for others.

Application details.
Are you interested? All interested applicants must submit on or before 30th November, 2024. Kindly submit an application letter, along with a C.V, relevant certificates and other qualifications and contact information to the email address with “SMEs Expert” mentioned in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.