Business Development Assistant for Central and Eastern Region (2 posts)

Baucau | Manatuto | Viqueque

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: Baucau | Manatuto | Viqueque
Grade: Administrative support - Administrative Services and Support - Generally no need for Higher Education
Occupational Groups:
- Operations and Administrations
- Administrative support
- Sustainable trade and development
- External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
- Sustainable Business Development
Closing Date: Closed

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP has been long supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in fostering youth-led MSMEs. The initiative was sharpened in 2021 under the Supporting Employment and Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (SEEWAY) Project and later was scaled up and sustained under the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills (YEES) Project from 2022-2027. To this date, UNDP has been supporting over 300 youth-led enterprises across the country in different sectors and value chains aligning with the government’s priority, such as in agriculture, tourism, and small industry. The youth entrepreneurs were supported through a series of business training and financial access, such as soft loans and grants through the Business Innovation Challenge.

The YEES project is focusing on producing two medium-term sub-outcomes: 1) youth become employed and 2) youth become entrepreneurs, which will contribute to UNSDCF/CPD outcome 2: By 2025, institutions and people throughout Timor-Leste in all their diversity, especially women and youth, benefit from sustainable economic opportunities and decent work to reduce poverty, with three interrelated outputs:

Output 1: Youth obtain skills, competencies, and knowledge to be employed.

Output 2: Service providers are available to deliver holistic support to enhance employability.

Output 3: Youth, including migrants/returnees, obtain skills, knowledge, and services to start or expand their business.

To achieve output 3, the YEES Project will deliver a series of entrepreneurship skills development support for youth, including business competition, entrepreneurship training, and monitoring of the status of business to help youth entrepreneurs generate their business ideas and establish and scale up their businesses. Against this backdrop, the YEES Project will hire three Business Development Assistants to support entrepreneurship development focusing on the operating business competition including the Business Innovation Challenge in the Eastern Region (Lautem, Viqueque, Baucau, Manatuto).

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide assistance to monitor youth-led entrepreneurs who are supported by the YEES project in Timor-Leste to launch, register, or/and expand their business by providing mentoring, monitoring, and guidance on their business plans, management, procurement, etc.
Assist the project team in organizing events such as the Business Innovation Challenge by providing logistic and training support in the Eastern Region (Lautem, Viqueque, Baucau, Manatuto).
Assist the project in preparing event reports, analytical presentations, infographics, data, etc, on the demographic of applicants, types of business ideas, bottlenecks, issues, challenges, and needs to support the beneficiary.
Assist Field Coordinators to implement the project activities at the municipal level and coordinate/laisse with municipal level partners and stakeholders.
Work collaboratively with the Finance and Procurement Unit in the overall management and procurement process of the Contract to have cash transfers or equipment for beneficiaries, such as preparing direct contracts (Individual and corporate), quotations (DQs) for the procurement process, conducting micro canvassing for collected DQs, organizing purchase orders (POs) and following-up with vendors.
Assist the project manager in providing input for communication materials, such as success stories and news articles, to disseminate the project activities’ results/impact.
Any other business support required by the YEES team.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Business Development Assistant will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager in collaboration with the Business Development Specialist and all other YEES team members. The cost of travel to different locations shall be paid by the UNDP YEES Project and the project will support the provision of transportation services.

Competencies

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Management	Communication	1. Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience 2. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels
Business Management	Monitoring	1. Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results
Business Management	Evaluation	1. Ability to make an independent judgment based on set criteria and benchmarks. 2. Ability to anticipate the client's upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management	Customer Satisfaction/Client Management	1. Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 2. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 3. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 4. Ability to anticipate clients’ upcoming needs and concerns.
Business Management	Operations Management	1. Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. 2. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.
Digital & Innovation	Digital business analysis	Ability to support digital business processes across a range of digital projects, programmes and activities.
Digital & Innovation	Experience design	Knowledge of experience design methodologies and ability to design end-to-end experiences that meet user and business needs.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Secondary education is required.
University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in business, economics, management, or any relevant major will be given due consideration but is not a requirement

Experience:

Minimum five years (with Secondary education) or 2 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant working experience in providing business training, capacity building, incubating start-ups, or supporting young entrepreneurs to open or scale up their business.

Required skills:

Previous experience with UNDP or United Nations/INGO youth innovation and entrepreneurship program would be an advantage.
Experience working with government counterparts, international organizations, etc. is an advantage.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

Basic knowledge of data collection in excels and other digital tools.
Strong contextual understanding of the municipality and strong connection with youth group Sen experience in delivering training or organizing an event in youth empowerment-related areas.

Experience in monitoring, and event organizing related to entrepreneur.

Required Language(s):

Fluency in English and Tetum is required.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Scam warning

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This vacancy is now closed.
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