Alliance Bioversity & CIAT Kenya Hiring Specialist – Business Acceleration

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is seeking a motivated and dedicated Business Acceleration Specialist to join our team and co-design, co-develop and co-implement of the business acceleration activities within Bean Program and Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA | The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (pabra-africa.org).

In collaboration with other BP& PABRA Team and members/partners , the Business Acceleration Specialist (BAS) will play a crucial role in driving the growth and success of bean value chain related agribusinesses following bean corridor approach Bean commodity corridors scaling up production and market expansion for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa (cgiar.org). S/he will provide comprehensive assistance to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)  and business service providers working along the bean value chains.

Key duties & responsibilities

The main responsibilities are the following:

• Co-design, co-develop/refine and co-implement the business accelerator program structure, curriculum, and resources for SMES and related business services
  1. Assist in the identification and selection of promising agribusinesses for participation in the accelerator program based on gender inclusion.
  2. Provide hands-on support to participating ventures, including conducting needs assessments, developing customized action plans, and monitoring progress.
  3. Coordinate and facilitate workshops, training sessions, coaching and mentorship activities to enhance the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge of program participants.
  4. Conduct market research and analysis to identify industry trends, market opportunities, and potential challenges for the ventures in the program.
  5. Build and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders, including mentors, investors, industry experts, and partner organizations.
• Catalyze investments and growth of bean-engaged SEMs and business service providers by  supporting to  them to build their business cases and attract  private and public investments in their business 
• Provide research and timely analytics to track and evaluate the performance and impact of the accelerator program, collecting and analysing data to measure success and identify areas for improvement and learning .
• Contribute to the program and theme reporting by preparing regular progress agri-business reports, case studies/impact stories, and impact assessments.
• Widely publish and documents the BP& PABRA agri-business
• Co-develop proposal and mobilize resources for BP and PABRA to expand the bean-based agri-businesses
• Stay updated on emerging trends and best practices in the field of business acceleration, sharing insights and knowledge with the team and program participants.

Requirements

• Masters’s degree in business, agribusiness, economics, finance, entrepreneurship, or a related field
• Over 5 years’ experience in support SMEs/business service provider particularly women enterprise development through business acceleration, startup support, or venture development
• Strong understanding of the women’ entrepreneurial ecosystem, business challenges, and growth strategies.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills to engage with diverse stakeholders and build relationships.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to assess investment relevance and conduct market research and data analysis.
• Knowledge of the agribusiness industry: The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of the agribusiness industry, including trends, challenges, and opportunities.
• Knowledge of business modelling, financial analysis, and investment readiness is desirable.
• Passion for supporting agribusiness ventures and contributing to social impact.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number RFP 103854 – Specialist-Business Acceleration as the position applied for. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting. The Alliance collects and process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Applications closing date: 26^th August 2024

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at: http://alliancebioversityciat.org

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