Business Development Officer at WaterAid

Job purpose

• The post holder will be expected to perform a wide range of duties using independent judgment and initiative to determine approaches or actions to take in non-routine situations. In broad terms, the job holder will provide technical, administrative and operational support for programme management (planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, knowledge management and fundraising activities) with reference to the SHF Project delivery in Bauchi state.
• S/he will be required to interpret guidelines using policies and precedents. Most importantly S/he will be able to demonstrate sufficient professional and personal maturity to be entrusted with what in many cases will be sensitive information to the programme department and the organization at large.

Accountabilities 

• A key responsibility of the Business Development officer will be to support the Bauchi State Programme Lead to drive sanitation and hygiene business development delivering services and solutions to vulnerable communities across Bauchi state under the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund project. The position holder will be responsible for exploring new market opportunities, building relationships, contract negotiations, implementing a variety of marketing strategies and promotional campaigns. He/she will organize SMEs and entpreneurs in the Sanitation and Hygiene space in WaterAid project Areas.

General/Cross departmental/Collaboration

• Works closely with the Bauchi State Programme Lead to ensure quality and standard delivery of the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund Project activities paying close attention to strengthen the capacity of women and youth to engage in WASH-related businesses; and train women on how to produce safe and hygiene kits to people in the target communities. 
• Supports Project Leads in delivering the objectives of the programme/projects in WASH services, especially in sanitation, hygiene promotion/campaigns, ODF strategies and development of WASH strategic documents and roadmaps. 
• With the support of Head of Advocacy and Communication and Head of Programmes, develop appropriate activities and events to mark Global Days such as Handwashing Days, World Water Day, Menstrual Hygiene and World Toilet Days in Nigeria. 
• Deliver learning products on sanitation and hygiene and engage effectively in knowledge management platforms sharing WANG learning on system strengthening engagements for improved sanitation and hygiene. 
• Work collaboratively with fund raising team as may be required to deliver Country programme fundraising initiatives /projects, especially as it relates to sanitation and hygiene. 
• Encourage effective documentation and sharing of learning through workshops, seminars, exposure visits, sharing meetings etc.

Business Development

• Support the identification of investment potentials to extend access to sanitation and hygiene services to vulnerable populations in Bauchi state.
• Support innovations in technologies and other sanitation, hygiene solutions that are cost-effective, sustainable and climate-resilient.
• Work with partners to scale up market-based sanitation and hygiene to deliver quality and value-for-money products and services.
• Support innovative finance solutions and the development of national data platforms for evidence-based real-time decision-making.
• Identify, develop, and manage relationships with potential partners, including government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), private sector companies, and community-based organizations (CBOs).
• Prepare reports on business development activities and progress towards project objectives.
  Champion and support government to develop and implement WASH policies, strategies and programmes building on African Sanitation Policy Guidelines.
• Engage with, support, and contribute to sector planning processes and discussions around national sanitation approaches and strategies to funding the sector.
• Influence government agencies, private sector, political leaders, and other champions, to make WASH a political and social priority. 
• Drive stakeholder engagement that considers sanitation service chain to unlock opportunities and catalyze growth in the sanitation sub sector. 
• Support local private sector participation in the delivery of water, sanitation services and products. 
• Support engagements that will unlock the sanitation economy including developing an effective fecal sludge management framework, the Toilet Economy, the Circular Economy and a digitally driven Smart Sanitation Economy.

Research, Evidence, Learning

• With the support of the communication unit, develop case studies, position papers, policy messages /briefing notes, web articles etc. on key sanitation and hygiene issues to achieve influencing outcomes of WaterAid work in Nigeria. 
• Raise public awareness on issues of WASH, sanitation, and hygiene in collaboration with Communications and Media team. 
• Support the design and delivery of activities targeted at strengthening policy analysis and capacity of WANG CSO partners in sanitation and hygiene and WASH in general. 
• With the support of the communication unit, develop case studies, position papers, policy messages /briefing notes, web articles etc. on key sanitation and hygiene issues to achieve influencing outcomes of WaterAid work in Nigeria. 
• Raise public awareness on issues of WASH, sanitation, and hygiene in collaboration with Communications and Media team. 
• Support the design and delivery of activities targeted at strengthening policy analysis and capacity of WANG CSO partners in sanitation and hygiene and WASH in general. 
• With the support of the Head of Programme, document and share learning on WASH, sanitation and hygiene policy issues and civil society engagement, citizenship engagement/empowerment, rights of stakeholders, gender, equity, and inclusion. 
• With the support of the Head of Programme synthesize findings and recommendations from completed research(es) conducted by WaterAid Nigeria into practical WASH programming actions in sanitation and hygiene. 
• Initiate and support in dissemination events to share policy research reports in sanitation and hygiene. 
• With the support of SPEL develop, administer, and periodically evaluate institutional development tools which considers access and rights, equity & inclusion and other key components to effectively evaluate performance of the WASH sector in sanitation and hygiene.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Must have a University degree in Business Management, Environmental/Public Health, the Social Sciences, Development studies, or related fields. 
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in consulting, marketing and/or business development.
  Experience with private sector participation (women’s economic empowerment, job creation, entrepreneurship, SMEs)
• Experience with the various levels of the sanitation value chain at different levels which includes; local production of sanitation products/technologies and reuse of end-product.
• Experience with high level stakeholder engagements (government/ development agencies), experience with financial Support mechanisms i.e microloans or subsidies, to make sanitation products and services affordable driving and delivering strategic priorities. 
• Experience with building capacity of implementing partner organizations especially CSOs and government.

Desirable Criteria

• A Master’s degree or MBA in Business development, Public Health, market systems, Small and Medium Enterprises, Education and Awareness of Project Management, international development / human rights, sociology, public policy or political science will be an added advantage. 
• At least 2 years in WASH Programme/project management, with a focus on Market based sanitation with any reputable international agency.