African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is implementing a dynamic integrated conservation and development program in the Kilombero Valley of southern Tanzania. The program aims to catalyze economic growth in a way that enhances the livelihoods of people and protects ecosystem services. The Senior Enterprise Officer will lead in the development and management of the Conservation Enterprise Program in the Ihemi/Kilombero cluster of Kilombero Valley and support AWF partners in other Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) clusters for maximum conservation and development impact.
Responsibilities
- Identify and develop viable business opportunities that are consistent with AWF’s green growth agenda in the Kilombero landscape. Such opportunities may include tapping the financial, management and marketing resources of the private sector; creating access to venture capital, commercial loans and grants, and unlocking economic/entrepreneurial opportunities for rural communities as a catalyst for their involvement in conservation.
- Execute due diligence and business planning processes for new enterprises to ensure economic and commercial viability.
- Facilitate partnerships with the business sector in the landscape to enable market linkages to communities, delivery of economic impact at scale and large-scale conservation outcomes.
- Monitor enterprise success, including but not limited to revenue generation, income paid to communities, number of communities engaged, value of products sold, and project development progress.
- Support and advise communities on how to manage revenue, distribute and invest income, and promote enterprise planning to ensure commercial and ecological sustainability.
- Manage and monitor all conservation enterprise projects by providing well-targeted business development services and expertise, evaluating their quality and impact as well as measuring the efficiency in the provision of services and goods (including benefits management) to a rapidly changing market environment while also measuring economic viability and feedback mechanisms to the overall conservation enterprise strategy.
- Strengthen and support the development and management of appropriate partnerships with third party organizations/individuals that will efficiently accelerate the fulfilment of AWF’s conservation enterprise strategy. This involves managing relationships and propagating fair, mutual and beneficial partnerships between private sector businesses and communities in addition to responsively supporting and servicing the demands of all partners and third-party organizations relevant to each conservation enterprise project.
- Provide technical oversight, supervision and mentoring to the Project Officers to ensure delivery of all enterprise related outputs in the IUCN SUSTAIN programme, GNF and IKI grants in Ihemi/Kilombero.
Qualifications
- Bachelors’ degree in the above-mentioned fields with at least 10 years direct experience in enterprise development. Master’s degree in relevant business field is an advantage.
- At least seven years’ experience in private sector business development or management, or in enterprise development with proven experience in implementing successful businesses in challenging conditions.
- Experience in advising and designing benefit management strategies and projects that contribute to conservation threat abatement and improve value chains and the livelihoods for target communities.
- Demonstrated experience in project management including delivering to tight deadlines.
- Demonstrated experience in working in the field with communities and private sector operators.
- Capability to serve as an interface between local communities, technical experts, and private sector.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a broad group of collaborators, including proactive sharing of information and reporting.
- Proactive nature of problem-solving and the ability to assess and react appropriately to changing circumstances.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritization.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to take initiative and to work with minimal supervision.
- Excellent organizational aptitude and coordinating ability.
- Ability to work as part of a team in a multicultural environment.
- Computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and statistics programs.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Willingness to travel, sometimes to remote areas.
- Commitment to AWF and its mission.