Business Incubation & Rural Finance Advisor at Oxfam

Oxfam Purpose: To work with others to overcome poverty and suffering
Reporting: This position will report to the Project Team Leader, based in Bauchi.
Staff Reporting: The Business Development Offlcers of the 6 LGAswiil be reportingto this position.

Job Purpose

• To provide technical expertise and project business development and rural financial services functions for the LINE project to improve the livelihoods of poor women and men farmers in Bauchi State, Nigeria.

Background

• Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 independent aid development organizations together to fight poverty and injustice around the world. Working with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries, the mission of Oxfam is a just world without poverty. With a conviction that people are well capable of building a life devoid of poverty on their own once given the chance to do so.
• Oxfam works with partners on projects in developing countries, lobbies companies and governments to take into account the interests of the poorest people and Justice/Female Leadership and Good Governance, adopting a right- based approach. The overreaching goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives.
• Oxfam in Nigeria with support from Global affairs Canada (GAC) is implementing a five-year Livelihoods and Nutrition Empowerment
• (LINE) project in Bauchi State. The project is aimed at improving the livelihoods for 10,000 poor and vulnerable households through increased farm productivity, enhanced market access, better nutrition and a more enabling environment for business development in 6 LGAs in Bauchi State.

Job Description

• Oxfam Novib is looking for qualified and experienced individuals to fill the positions of Business Development Services Expert and Microfinance Advisor for a GAC funded project on improving the livelihoods and nutrition of poor rural households in six LGAs of Bauchi State, Nigeria.
• The person recruited will also identify and work with private public sectors stakeholders including academicians to enhance project beneficiaries’ business and entrepreneurial skills and improve their overall wellbeing.

Dimensions

• Impact and influence 10,000 households in six IGA5 of Bauchi State through business association formation and village savings and loans implementation with project partners and beneficiaries.
• Developing expertise within the LINE project agro enterprise business services development and networking of rural financial services into LINE project.
• Developing expertise within LINE project to undertake rural financial intermediation and networking rural financial services and formal banking systems into the project.
• Identify and develop opportunities for new strategic partnerships.
• Seeking and developing partnership opportunities and brokering introductions to the relevant teams within the LINE Project.
• Providing specialist advice to the Project advisors agro enterprise development services that are linked to Market based agricultural and Nutrition Services systems to enhance overall project performance and possibly interfacing with media/public.
• Support partners to implement specialised business services development related to agricultural commodities and village savings and loans systems including mobilization and integration of rural microcredit financial services to benefit project beneficiaries.
• The role requires the ability to analyse and communicate complete information at a simpler level to partners and other project stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of the principles underlying the key purpose and role is required in order to partners and beneficiaries are effectively mobilized and engaged on project intervention activities.
• Influence diverse allocated internal/eternal target audiences in the State and the six participating LGAs, particularly at the community levels.

Key Responsibilities
Project Development Planning:

• To coordinate project interventions development and implementation of activities for the GAC funded LINE project including conduct of value chain analysis and packaging interventions to address critical gaps associated with targeted commodities.
• Develop annual work plans for the implementation of the project in collaboration with the project team
• Design a draft project implementation Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to guide Oxfam and its stakeholders and others in the implementation of the key partnership related activities based on an agreed framework of operations that enhances the value chain development using innovative market based agricultural models.
• Ensure a comprehensive baseline is carried out to derive quality data needed for the implementation of market based agricultural livelihoods component of the LINE project.
• Undertake financial intermediation with a focus on rural financial services intermediation.
• To identify and network relevant rural micro financial organizations into LINE projects in order to expand scope for beneficiary in rural financing of activities.
• To coordinate systematic appraisal, assessment and implementation of institutional development plans of selected project partners according to agreed plan with the Project Manager.
• To organise and lead key project development planning meetings.
• To develop, manage and implement selected value chains activity plans for LINE project.
• To support the Project Manager in managing relations wixh project partners for effective project delivery.
• To ensure quality project planning and implementation are carried out within the framework of the project.
• To assist the Project Team Leader In recruiting and line managing private consultants for specific short-term assignments including facilitating the development of their work plans, monitor their field work and organise debriefings sessions of with consultants.

Training and Mentoring of Partner staff and Project Beneficiaries:

• To organise and support business development training and services to partner staff involved in the implementation of project activities around bulking of commodities.
• To provide professional services, mentoring and counselling advisory services to partners on developing and implementing business plans with project beneficiaries.
• To work with Business associations formed and village savings arid loans groups to enhance group governance capacity and decision-making including facilitation of rural micro-financial services to the target LINE project beneficiaries.

Communications:

• To maintain effective communication on programme work with a wide range of people within Oxfam on work progress, particularly programme staff in consultation with the Project Manager.
• To maintain effective communication with external sources on the LINE in consultation with the Project Manager.
• To support Project Coordination in ensuring project learning for communication within the wider organisation with regard to Business Development arid village savings and loans.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• To produce activity reports related to project development, partner and beneficiary training, and support to project groups including activities implemented directly.
• To carry out periodic monitoring visits to project partners and project implementation sites and verify outputs indicated in progress report submitted to Oxfam by partners.
• To participate in the process of annual impact assessment for the project and participate in other similar processes in Nigeria-as advised.
• To support the Project Manager in preparing project donor reports as well reports for wider circulation within Oxfam in consultation with Project Manager-as appropriate.

Experiences and competencies Required

• Minimum of ten years working experience in managing development programmes- preferably within the NGOs sector.
• Minimum of M.Sc degree in social science, economics or any other related field.
• At least three years field experience in community development in Northern Nigeria.
• Substantial experience in working with community groups and community associations, particularly women groups.
• Demonstrated skills in Business development, private sector integration into rural livelihoods initiatives and/or microfinance development and management especially the village savings and loans schemes.
• Good understanding of diversity and gender equity, willingness and commitment to incorporate Oxfam guiding principles of project in all aspects of programme working Nigeria.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong initiative, tenacity and proven capacity to get the job done.
• Sympathy with the aims and objectives of Oxfam.
• Commitment to development principles and action.
• Previous development work experience, ideally with non-governmental organizations would be an advantage.
• Fluent in written and spoken English arid at least two of the Northern languages.
• Working experience with PCs computers, particularly excellent skills in working with word processing, excel, PowerPoint, databases and electronic communication.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong initiative, tenacity and proven capacity to get the job done.
• Ability to working dependently and under minimum supervision.