Adam Smith International are an award-winning professional services business that delivers real impact, value and lasting change through projects supporting economic growth and government reform internationally. Our reputation as a global leader has been built on the positive results our projects have achieved in many of the world’s most challenging environments.

Adam Smith International has a strong corporate presence globally, with 146 current projects across 49 countries and over 1,000 staff and associates. Headquartered in London, our regional headquarters are based in Africa (Nairobi, Abuja, and Pretoria), Asia Pacific (Sydney) and South Asia (Delhi), with numerous registered offices across Africa and Asia.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Private Sector Engagement / Local Economic Development (PSE/LED) Manager

Tracking Code: 1131-112
Location: Kano, Nigeria 
Department: Private Sector Development 
Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Programme Background
Mafita is a large-scale, six-year youth employment programme operating in Nigeria’s northern states, funded by DFID and implemented by Adam Smith International.  Through a combination of innovative skills development and job creation interventions, Mafita will support over 60,000 marginalised young people to find employment or become entrepreneurs by 2021. 

Within the above scope, Mafita is mandated to support the economic empowerment of Northern Nigerian women, whose economic disenfranchisement has direct and adverse impacts on the country’s economic prosperity and development at the national, regional and community levels. Through its work, Mafita seeks to support women to access economic resources both directly by supporting women’s entrepreneurship, employment and access to finance, and indirectly by creating a more enabling environment for women.

Areas of Responsibility

• Develop and implement the strategic direction (vision) for the PSE/LED unit within Mafita interventions, in partnership with other Units and sector stakeholders
• Ensure developed PSE/LED strategy is refined and properly implemented along the log frame targets.

Main Tasks

• Develop and implement the strategic direction (vision) for the PSE/LED unit within Mafita interventions, in partnership with other Units and sector stakeholders.
• Design, plan and deliver the activities and responsibilities of the PSE/LED activities.
• Focal point for all PSE/LED interactions of the programme.
• Develop annual and monthly work plans that align with the overall PSE/LED strategy and Mafita programme objectives.
• Manage the PSE/LED team members and their work, ensuring that the team as whole achieve all quarterly objectives and payment milestones.
• Encourage personal development within the team ensuring that the team are able to access professional development opportunities.
• Support state governments in the implementation of MSE support and job creation strategies.
• Facilitate the development and implementation of effective business development services for MSEs and new start-up entrepreneurs.
• Facilitate the development and implementation of effective and affordable financial products and services for MSEs and new entrepreneurs.
• Facilitate the establishment of an effective brokerage system by selected trade associations for provision of BDS and financial services to members and new start-ups.
• Support the provision of BDS and financial services at COSDEC support centers through the establishment of MSE support centres.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a sustainable job creation strategy for Mafita.
• Identify and lead opportunities for the PSE/LED team to collaborate with other intervention units to avoid duplication and encourage effective implementation.
• Lead in the relationships with the private sector and explore different areas of collaboration as described in the PSE/LED strategy.
• Constantly review and sense-check all intervention strategies to ensure all Mafita’s beneficiaries have access to adequate support for access to the job market or startup companies.
• Advise Team Leader and Mafita technical team on PSE/LED related activities where necessary.
• Liaise with the Communications Specialist on development and dissemination of relevant PSE/LED related communications material.
• Revise/update PSE/LED Manual, where deemed necessary.
• Provide guidance to staff interacting with other stakeholders on PSE/LED-related issues.
• Develop and cultivate good relationships with relevant stakeholders.
• Train program staff on working with PSE/LED initiatives from the northern region.
• Supervise and support short-term consultants assigned to the PSE/LED interventions.
• In discussion with Team Leader and project managers, provide flexible project assistance where needed for successful project delivery, especially during times of milestone delivery.
• Ensure that PSE/LED aspects are included in all intervention strategies.
• Support the Research Team to ensure PSE/LED issues are considered as appropriate in all programme related studies.
• Work with the MRM team to enable colleagues provide dis-aggregated data on all results reported as well as on effects of interventions.
• Facilitate and document the inputs of consortium partners.
• Provide overall direction and guidance for the unit’s activities and ensure timely delivery of unit activities.
• Liaise with intervention units to ensure synergy and coherence across work plans and activities.
• Coordinate the unit’s contribution to the programme’s Quarterly Reports.
• Review and approve monthly timesheets and leave requests.
• Lead the process of performance review for the unit.
• Work closely with the PSE/LED unit (as well as other team members) to ensure coherent messaging and strategy for engagement with apprentices and MCPs.
• Generate interest and appetite among key community actors for the programme.
• Introduce and Communicate broader programme interventions to key community actors.
• Liaise with Intervention Managers and Team Leader on broader programme strategy to ensure synergies are identified and programme coherence is guaranteed.
• Lead in the liaison with other donor programmes working in the same geographical areas to achieve synergies – where appropriate.
• Support the Communications Specialist in the development and review of communication materials on a regular basis.

Required Skills

• University Degree in Education, Management, Social Sciences, Economics or any related field
• At least 10 years of working experience in TVET, employment promotion, Private Sector Engagement projects (PPD/PPP), entrepreneurship and/or economic support programs.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, management and leadership skills.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and oral English skills.

Required Experience:

• Regional working experience in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Deep understanding of the challenges in MSME growth and practice in the facilitation of an enabling business environment.
• Extensive experience in institutional capacity building and skills transfer projects (school-to-work transition, creation of income generating opportunities, support to self-employment etc.).
• Sound knowledge of all aspects of the project cycle management.
• Experience working on donor funded programmes is an added advantage.
• This position will be based in Kano, Nigeria with frequent travel to Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina states.
• The successful candidate will be contracted for 110 days till March 2019 however we expect the role to receive a further allocation of days with the new programme year beginning April 1st, 2019. The allocation will be subject to programme needs.

Duration and Location

• This position will be based in Kano, Nigeria with frequent travel to Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina states.
• The successful candidate will be contracted for 110 days till March 2019 however we expect the role to receive a further allocation of days with the new programme year beginning April 1st, 2019
• The allocation will be subject to programme needs.