ESME SME Development Specialist (EA)

Reports to: ESME Manager

Based in: GVEP International East Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya

Responsibilities and Tasks

Purpose

This is a fixed term (16 months) contract (with a possibility of extension) to support the East Africa Regional Office in managing the ESME programme under the World Bank administered Russian Fund.

The fund is for supporting Energy SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen their capacity to provide energy services to poor communities in the SSA region.

GVEP International has $5m in funding to provide technical assistance, business development services and assistance in accessing finance for SMEs in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Mali and Senegal. Government agencies in these countries also receive funding from the Trust Fund to support SMEs through specific programmes which GVEP International has helped design.

The primary focus of the GVEP International programme is on assisting eligible SMEs and energy infrastructure projects to access the support being provided through government agencies and ensuring they become sustainable and successful enterprises.

Activities also extend to assisting SMEs and projects to qualify for finance from other sources, e.g. other government initiatives, donor programmes, banks and external investors. Follow up with these various enterprises to enable them to realise their potential is a key part of the GVEP International work plan agreed with the World Bank.

In East Africa the focus is on supporting small electricity generation projects (<3MW) sponsored by private sector developers and on working with solar lighting companies to expand the market for low cost solar lighting solutions.

A small number of businesses, selected through a careful screening process, will be assisted with project development and business planning, and will be helped with accessing grants and other funding.

The Role

The ESME SME Development Specialist will be an integral member of the team supporting the implementation of the ESME programme.

The post holder will provide general business support and preparation for grants/investment to SMEs in the programme.

This will include but is not limited to working with SMEs to prepare business plans, identifying opportunities for growth and creating expansion plans, implementing growth and operational efficiency initiatives, helping SMEs absorb and best utilise new funding, and other business advisory services as appropriate.

These services will be provided in cooperation with other ESME SME support staff including those with technical (engineering) and financial (structuring, analytical) expertise. The post holder will focus on Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

For this reason the post is based in Nairobi.

The post holder will report to the ESME Manager, based in the Nairobi.

Main responsibilities include:

• Assist in all stages of the ESME grant investment process:

1. Pre-investment: assistance in creating and refining business plans, technical feasibility and support, and operations, market and value chain analyses.
2. Post-investment: oversight and ongoing support of SMEs including strategic planning, operational and process development and support, tax and legal support, and monitoring and reporting (particularly operational and SRI).

• Developing implementation plans for portfolio companies, ensuring that all recipients of capacity building support achieve strategic and financial targets. For portfolio companies that are having difficulty, work with them to strengthen, scale down or modify their activities.
• Close and effective coordination and communication with ESME programme staff in Nairobi and staff in the GVEP London headquarters.

Requirements:

• 3-7 years experience in business development services, impact/SME investing, strategic or management consulting, or business technical assistance. Candidates with a strong client- or operations-focused background in finance will also be considered. Prior experience working with SMEs in Africa (or another developing region) is preferred.
• Experience in the energy sector including renewable energy project development, operations, and financings (grant, equity or debt investments).
• Knowledge of basic production processes and principles of quality control.
• Experience in the evaluation of SMEs operations and creation and implementation of growth, expansion and operational efficiency plans.
• Experience working with rural or small businesses, and an understanding of unique challenges faced by African SMEs.
• Extensive experience creating and refining business plans, financial statements, and cash flow models.
• Refined communication and personal presentation skills.
• A can-do and collaborative mindset – comfort with the ambiguities and demands of a rapidly evolving environment.
• High level of inter-personal skills and ability to communicate and collaborate with colleagues, SMEs and other stakeholders.
• Fluent in English.

The position will require regular travel within East Africa.

To apply please send your CV plus a covering letter (in English) outlining how your knowledge, skills and experience match the job specification to E-mail: recruitment@gvepinternational.org

Deadline for applications submission is 22 August, 2011.

GVEP International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.