CORE FUNCTIONS OF REGIONAL Business Development Coordinator
The role of the Regional Business Development Coordinator is to ensure the effective and efficient planning, coordination and implementation of business development activities in all the Millennium Village Project sites in West Africa, with a special emphasis on Mali and Ghana. Working as part of a larger team at the MDG center in Bamako, the Regional Business Development Coordinator will be in charge of identifying local entrepreneurs, advising on the development of business plans, structuring deals, promoting knowledge management, assisting in the actual implementation of the projects and ensuring the timely and effective provision of technical support at the cluster level. The following sections outlines the key activities that the selected candidate will be involved in and the approximate duration of time spent on each sub-activity

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The position includes the following responsibilities:

• Project Identification and Planning
• Identify agri-business opportunities across Millennium Village Project West African sites;
• Develop value chains for major agricultural commodities in the MVP cluster. This includes identifying potential agri-business opportunities, assessing viability of opportunity, selecting proper technologies, conducting cost analysis,
• Developing pricing models, identifying potential markets, completing business plans with P/L’s and cash flows that can then be taken for funding.
• Working closely with business development in NY so that initiatives can be funded and the investor base kept informed.
• Oversee and support the implementation and execution of business plans across sites.
• Project Implementation
• Lead the design and implementation of the MVP value chain development strategy in West African sites.
• Ensure proper coordination and build strategic partnerships with national and local partners;
• Provide timely technical advice to business development staff and farmer-based groups in MVP sites;
• Develop, organize, conduct and supervise training on basic aspects of business development.
• Partnership Development
• Promote, build and manage relationships and partnerships with business partners, including financial institutions and prospective markets, to promote collaboration and provision of services in MVP clusters;
• Oversee the development and implementation of contracts and other agreements pertaining to business development initiatives across the MVPs;
• Ensure a strong, effective working relationship among the various parties taking part in both the supply and demand side of the value chain.
• Co-operative Formation and Support
• Assist farmers and other interest groups in the MVP cluster to group together in to Famer-based Organizations (FBOs) and Cooperatives based on demand to achieve critical mass needed to access finance, technical advice, and markets. This includes: developing a curriculum to form and strengthen FBOs, assisting with legal registration, and actively supporting linkages between FBOS and different services providers.
• Information Sharing and Documentation
• Contribute to the program knowledge management efforts with technical briefings, and other reports, to record methods being used, share experiences, identify good practices, and pinpoint the gaps in knowledge in the implementation of project activities across clusters in the project;
• Work in close coordination with the Earth Institute (EI) Columbia University staff and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Centre staff whose role is to support the technical dimension of the implementation of the MVs in the business sector.
• Ensure there are high quality reports produced at regular intervals that can be shared with the investors/donors in the project.

REPORTING
This position reports the The Director, MDG Centre, West and Central Africa.

DESIRED SKILLS AND CREDENTIALS

• Master degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related area of expertise;
• At least 10 years of relevant experience working in either value chain or business development;
• Demonstrated practical experience, knowledge and application of community dynamics in an integrated community development project;
• Proven problem solving and organizational skills, flexibility and calm under pressure;
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and French;
• Must have excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills, be a team player and detail-oriented;
• Demonstrated ability to compile and report results of management activities
• Must have strong analytical skills;
• Highly motivated with a professional background in agriculture and environment;
• Computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Knowledge of agro-finance a plus

LOCATION
The Regional Business Development Coordinator will be based at the MDG Centre, West and Central Africa in Bamako, Mali. Periodic travel around sub-Saharan Africa will be required.

TO APPLY
Please send a resume, cover letter and writing sample to employment@millenniumpromise.org. Please include "Regional Business Development Coordinator" in the subject of the email.