SJDA is seeking applications for the position of Economic Development Officer, based in Gilgit, with a technical and operational background.
The Economic Development Officer will provide market intelligence related to entrepreneurship/business development opportunities to the field staff (social mobilizers/valley coordinators), provide technical support on feasibility development/analysis to the families, and also provide guidance to the families to improve the profitability of the established businesses. This includes:
Role and Responsibilities:
Understanding the overall economy, keeping abreast with the evolving business opportunities, and maintaining up-to-date market intelligence;
Facilitating social mobilizers for developing Family Development Plans as per the aspirations of the family, tying it with the market needs; and
Researching emerging livelihood trends, providing strategic input to program teams, and facilitating beneficiary families in selecting economic pathways related to business as per the market trend.
Responsibilities:
The broader responsibilities are as follows:
Understand the overall economy, maintain and update market intelligence
Identify and maintain an inventory of the current and emerging livelihood opportunities and their profitability.
Identify the prerequisites to avail of shortlisted business opportunities and understand the candidate profiling required to avail of such opportunities.
Identify the economic pathways that are more/less vulnerable to short-term economic shocks.
Facilitate in coordination with the financial institutions to identify potential entrepreneurship opportunities for which they have been financing and remained more successful.
Arrange entrepreneurial and marketable skills training for the beneficiaries, especially youth.
Partner for field teams on Family Development Plans and managing candidates & Research
Develop a databank for potential economic development opportunities existing or emerging in the program areas; update the information from time to time as needed.
Provide technical input to social mobilizers on how to develop livelihood pathways including businesses.
Provide support to develop and analyze suggested/shortlisted business feasibilities during the process of developing family development plans.
Meet with key persons based in the area to identify the types of entrepreneurship opportunities that exist or will emerge in the short, medium, and long term.
Provide support in designing the overall training program for both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.
Facilitate in producing updated reports on the business landscape from time to time for management information.
Career development support
Provide individual career development and transformational support to beneficiary families along with social mobilizers by assessing their abilities, skills, and interests and correlating with market demand and future trends.
Develop linkages with service providers for capacity building and building market linkages for the beneficiary families.
Identify youth and arrange entrepreneurial and marketable skills training.
Identify barriers to employment and/or entrepreneurship and assist in overcoming such barriers.
Support beneficiaries in developing economic action plans and provide mentorship in achieving their goals.
Support beneficiaries in developing feasibilities for entrepreneurship options and support them in presenting their case to the relevant stakeholders.
Reporting Relationships:
The Economic Development Officer will report to the Assistant Program Manager.
Required SkillsSkills and Qulififcation:
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and networking skills.
Goal-oriented, data-driven, with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude and strong problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated ability to build strong, supportive, and collaborative working relationships with internal team members, leaders, and volunteers.
The high degree of initiative, flexibility, and agility to adapt to changing requirements.
Ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure.
Knowledge of the current and emerging business opportunities.
Strong knowledge of developing and analyzing business feasibility plans.
Experience and expertise of market research.
Experience in setting, attaining, and/or measuring performance indicators and outcomes.
Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Academic Credentials:
Master’s degree from HEC recognized university or from an internationally recognized university (for degree holders having degrees issued outside of Pakistan), preferably in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship Development or a related field.
Professional Experience:
Have a minimum of 5 years of work experience and at least 3 years in a similar capacity, preferably with a medium/large organization or as an independent entrepreneur.
Experience working in one or more of the following areas would be an asset: business skills training, business incubation hubs, business development services, etc.
Knowledge & experience of working in GBC areas in a similar capacity is highly desirable.
Language Proficiency:
Strong communication skills in English and Urdu (both oral and written).
Understanding local languages in GBC is desirable.
Travel and Schedule:
The position will be based in Gilgit with frequent travel in the Programme area.
Requires a flexible schedule in order to accommodate a non-traditional work week, including some evenings and weekends.