Youth Led Enterprise Development Officer at IITA - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2019-030
Locations: Borno & Adamawa
Recruitment Type: National (2-year renewable contract)

Duties
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:

• Lead trainees in the development of successful business plans
• Facilitate systemic, ongoing mentoring of entrepreneurs by peer and private sector mentors
• Facilitate and track the progress of funding applications to finance trainees
• Identify business opportunities and prospective and potential successful business alliance
• Participate in platform (establish these if needed) on the USAID NFO funded project value chains and establish business incubation partnership for sustainability; set up meeting with prospective partners and stakeholders in collaboration with other project staff
• Supervise and monitor developed enterprises alongside the M&E manager and the Youth and Gender facilitator
• Perform any other duties assigned, as may be occasioned by the exigencies of the service.

Qualifications

• BSc/HND or advanced degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Business Administration, or related field with at least three (3) years of relevant job experience from International organizations/NGOs/donors preferably linked to tropical agriculture or International development.

Competencies
The ideal candidate must:

• Be computer literate with a good working knowledge of computer-based control systems, shared network drives, and excel packages
• Have excellent communication, supervisory and leadership skills as well as communicate and write effectively in English
• Have understanding of youth empowerment and enterprise set up in target food shed
• Have deep understanding of the agricultural value chains
• Have understanding of developing business plans for agricultural enterprise
• Have experience of coordinating and supporting youth led enterprises and be able to efficiently conduct and support training for Agricultural enterprises during incubation and short-term trainings
• Have understanding of the approach to adopt in supporting growth of agricultural enterprises
• Have experience in working with youths and should be able to link them to private sector and finance partners for financial and enterprise development support
• Have knowledge of linking youths with Government officials and private sector to negotiate access to land and equipment for new enterprise development
• Be experienced in youth empowerment, enterprise set-up and establishing a mentorship program for youth entrepreneurs
• Be experienced in establishing and maintaining partnership with the private sector to contract youth entrepreneurs
• Have ability to communicate in one or more of northern Nigeria’s major languages is an advantage
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the supervisor

Remuneration
We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.