USAІD ЕRA looks for SME Development Officer (SMEDO)

The Ukraine Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) (8/27/2018 – 8/26/2024) was designed to strengthen the economy and improve the resilience of businesses and communities in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the seizure of territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions by Russian backed separatists.

Before the war, ERA had focused interventions on Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. In 2019 after Russia commandeered a Ukrainian naval ship and established a blockade, ERA added the Sea of Azov (Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts and municipal centers closest to the sea) to its area of operations. With the February onset of war in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russia has significantly damaged or destroyed most of ERA’s previous implementation geography, including Mariupol, Sartana, Rubizhne, and Sievierodonetsk and occupied the cities of Berdiansk, Melitopol and Stanytsia Luhanska.

The further Economic Resilience Activity’s work will be centered on three pillars:

1. Stabilization and Inclusion: building the capabilities of vulnerable populations to be able to capitalize on entrepreneurial and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) economic opportunities;
2. Business Revival: helping MSMEs relocate and rebuild marketing and supply chains; and
3. New Economy: working with coalitions and leaders to build confidence in the sustainable Ukrainian state, articulate a vision for the future, and put in place the building blocks for a modern, diverse, and MSME-friendly economy post-war.

Nowadays, ERA shifts its focus from interventions targeting businesses and communities in eastern oblasts to supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs), MSMEs, universities and other partners from those regions as they move westward to safety and re-establish operations. As a result, ERA’s area of operations has changed from “the east” to supporting IDPs and partners that originated in the east to other locations “anywhere in Ukraine.” The project is also considering temporary support to those who have fled to the EU outside of Ukraine. 

To strengthen USAID ERA’s team and business development footprint in the region, we are looking for a highly qualified SME Development Officer. You will be managing accounts of individual USAID ERA SME partners, individual business consultants that service those SMEs, provide a versatile business advice to selected dynamic businesses and share the best practices across various business facets. 

About the job

The SME Development Officer will assist, as a member of USAID ERA Innovations for Manufacturing team, to manufacturing firms in Ukraine to adapt to the challenges brought on by the armed conflict and achieve growth and market expansion through managing their relationship with the project, independent consultants, assistance in strategy development, market research, improvement of management structure and efficiency, quality certification, fostering technology upgrades, implementation of grants and procurements. The officer is also expected to perform a number of accompanying administrative activities like performance monitoring and reporting tasks.

The SMEDO should be prepared for diverse, personalized and long-term relations with individual businesses focusing primarily on increasing their sales, but also employment, foster innovation and improve their competitiveness.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be: 

• Facilitate participation of companies in ERA “Innovations for Manufacturing” program activities;
• Administer and coordinate individual consultants’ work with companies;
• Administer in-kind assistance to companies as necessary;
• Provide mentorship to manufacturing and engineering companies on a wide range of business issues which may include building modern systems and processes for sales, exports, marketing, HR, financial management and business expansion abroad, strategic management and planning, operational efficiency, digital transformation etc.;
• Introduce “Innovations for Manufacturing” program to relevant stakeholders including local business owners, local representatives and business service providers. Foster ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders;
• Catalyze business environment promoting business ties and cooperation between region’s businesses, the rest of Ukraine and foreign markets;
• Identify, assess and manage business projects in the region linked with manufacturing and engineering sectors within USAID ERA area of responsibility;
• Lead in-kind grant development for manufacturing SMEs;
• Lead procurement processes for manufacturing SMEs;
• Contribute to the team reporting in English;
• Writing readable news on activity results in English. 

About you

To be successful in this role, we expect you to have proven experience and capability to interact and successfully communicate with top management executives of Ukrainian small and medium enterprises; plan and manage consultants’ work with companies; consulting practice and professional coaching and/or mentoring cases for manufacturing and/or engineering companies in their business development efforts. 

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• MA in business, marketing, economics, or a related field, from a recognized national or international university
• Solid leadership and organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and Ukrainian;
• Good interpersonal skills, and an ability to succeed in a multi-cultural environment.

 Desirable

• Strong analytical skills
• Willingness to work in the field
• Direct, hands on private sector experience
• Experience working in the field of international economic development
• Experience with grant and procurement design and implementation. 

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension until August 2026.

Salary Level: We offer competitive market-based salary level for candidates with relevant experience.

Duty station: remote, Kyiv or Lviv

Benefits: all benefits envisaged by Labor Code of Ukraine, corporate medical insurance for employees and immediate family members.

Start date: March 2023 

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to [email protected]

Closing date for applications: February 15, 2023, COB 

For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website dai.com

If you want to learn more about Economic resilience Activity, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ERAUkraine