The Private Sector Engagement/Business Development Advisor serves as the principal advisor to the Uganda Biodiversity for Resilience (B4R) COP on conservation enterprises, private sector engagement, market linkages, business development, and small enterprise development. The Private Sector Engagement/Business Development Advisor provides technical leadership for activities that cover identification of potential products and services, value addition, quality assurance, and linkages to broader markets for conservation friendly products and services. The Private Sector Engagement/Business Development Advisor works closely with protected area managers, communities adjacent to protected areas, conservancy governance and business management bodies, entrepreneurs, investors, relevant partners and the GOU to enhance and engage private sector development and investment in targeted field sites. This role reports to the Chief of Party.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Leads implementation and strategic thinking around conservation enterprises, private sector engagement, market linkages, business development, and small enterprise development activities
• Leads cross-Outcome Community and Private Sector Partnerships Working Group
• Provides technical leadership for activities that cover identification of potential products and services, value addition, quality assurance, and linkages to broader markets for conservation-friendly products and services
• Liaises and collaborates with business management bodies, entrepreneurs, investors, relevant partners, and the GOU to enhance and engage private sector development and investment
• Supports achievement of B4R private sector engagement outcomes, outputs, and indicators as follows:
• Outcome: Economic, financial, and social investments are linked to and incentivize conservation
• Outputs:

 Strategic partnerships
 Increased investment
 Facilitated market linkages
 Increased networking capacity
 Scale-up of successful interventions

• Indicators:

 Number of people with improved economic benefits derived from sustainable natural resources management and/or biodiversity conservation as a result of USG assistance
 Value of new private sector capital investment in the agriculture sector or food chain leveraged by USG resources
 Number of microenterprises supported by USG assistance
 USD sales of firms receiving assistance
 Continued GOU support for the “basket of benefits” to create necessary enabling conditions for engaging in conservation activities, as evidenced by Uganda’s index score in the UNDP Human Development Report

• Participates in the B4R Management Committee, ensuring private sector engagement with all other project outcomes and results

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field and 10 years of regional/international experience in economic growth, enterprise development, trade, or private sector development programs; or a bachelor’s degree and 17 years of experience. Considerable working experience in Africa and/or with conservation enterprise programs preferred
• Demonstrated success in implementing programs aimed at developing conservation enterprise value chains for local economic development in developing countries
• Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in enterprise development that reaches all stakeholders, including the women, youth, the poor and very poor.
• Fluency in English required