Business counselor | Basrah – Iraq | 2021

Chemonics seeks a business counselor to advise and work with micro-, small- and medium- businesses in Iraqi communities for the Durable Communities and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) Project which aims to promote and grow Iraqi businesses. The business counselor will be the face of the project working collaboratively with businesses, entrepreneurs, and relevant associations. The business counselor must be located in Basrah. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities include:

• Identify, profile, and assess potential partner firms, leading and/or actively supporting the selection process within the wider BCJCI team, and build and maintain close and trusting professional relationships with selected partner firms within their portfolio
• Work closely with selected Iraqi businesses, of all sizes and in any sector, to identify key constraints to sales and jobs growth faced by partner firms and support the development of Client Growth Plans under the guidance and leadership of the BCJCI Director and other staff
• Identify needs of buyers and markets, and opportunities for those buyers and markets to source from local companies in the targeted geographic zones of the program
• Provide direct technical assistance and/or identify other means to provide agreed upon targeted support to firms within their portfolio, in line with agreed Client Growth Plans, in order to overcome the identified growth constraints; for example, by improving business operations, strategic planning, upgrading packaging, product design, packaging, production techniques, organizing supply, upgrading technological innovations, assessing credit and finance needs and investment portfolio and/or cash flow management options
• Coordinate with the DCEO Enterprise Support Fund in the development, oversight, and management of all technical assistance scopes of work, consultants, and support mechanisms to ensure cohesive demand driven activity implementation.
• Coordinate with the DCEO MEL team to incorporate explicit data collection and verification requirements into all Client Growth Plans, and ensure that these plans set realistic targets and periodic data collection requirements to track key indicators over several years

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably in a field related to business administration, finance, or economics. DCEO may consider equivalent years of working experience and exceptional skills in lieu of a formal degree
• Minimum three years of work experience, with two years of direct, demonstrable experience working with or in the Iraqi private sector sector, including business, finance, sales, production, marketing, and management consulting, especially in a managerial capacity
• Actively involved and/or demonstrated knowledge of business networks (formal or informal) preferred. In addition to proven knowledge, and/or understanding of market demand, flow, opportunities working backwards from market driven demands, not supply push
• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to a changing business environment
• Demonstrated problem solving and analytical skills
• Excellent verbal, written communications, and interpersonal skills, ability to work closely within a team and across a matrixed organization, in addition to a demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• English and either Arabic or Kurdish language proficiency required

Application instructions:

Please send an email with your CV and cover letter attached to: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2fb2b23a5c4e4110948d5e28965d0855 by February 25, 2021. No telephone inquiries, please. Chemonics will contact finalists.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.

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