Business Development Services (BDS) Officer

Position Information

Background

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) is an institution mandated to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and enterprise development in Ethiopia. EDI works to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem by providing and facilitating entrepreneurship training, Business Development Services (BDS), access to finance, market linkages, and other support services to entrepreneurs and enterprises.

Business Development Services are an important component of EDI’s support to entrepreneurs and enterprises. EDI therefore seeks to recruit a competent, motivated, and results-oriented BDS Officer who will contribute to the effective planning, coordination, delivery, and monitoring of BDS interventions.

Purpose of the Position

The BDS Officer serves as the operational hub for the BDS Voucher, Premium BDS, BDS Projects, and Digital BDS programs. The role provides coordination of direct one-on-one business counseling to MSMEs, assesses and supports market information and readiness gaps, coordinates the assignment of specialized BDS advisors, and facilitates market readiness follow-up to prepare MSMEs for future linkages. The Officer coordinates training and capacity-building sessions, tracks their outcomes, and acts as the primary liaison with internal support departments (Finance, IT, Admin) and EDI regional offices-following up on payments, IT support tickets, venue/logistics arrangements, and regional coordination to ensure seamless project delivery.

Additionally, the Officer conducts regular field monitoring to ensure service quality, compiles MSME feedback, identifies operational bottlenecks, collects and synthesizes reports from HQ and regional offices, and prepares comprehensive quarterly and annual standard reports with key learnings to inform management and donor decision-making. The Officer ensures all program activities are executed on time, within guidelines, and in full compliance with donor and organizational requirements.

Key Responsibilities

A. Voucher System & Premium BDS Coordination

Responsibility

• Process BDS voucher applications, verify MSME eligibility, and prepare complete files for approval.
• Coordinate the Premium BDS track -identify High-Growth MSMEs, package service requests, and facilitate delivery of premium advisory packages.
• Maintain and update the voucher database with accurate MSME records, service agreements, and financial transactions.
• Follow up with the Finance department on payment processing for BDS provider-ensuring complete documentation (invoices, delivery confirmations) is submitted and tracking disbursement status until resolved.

B. BDS Program Design and Implementation

Responsibility

• Support the development of BDS plans, activities, tools, and service packages.
• Coordinate delivery of demand-driven BDS interventions.
• Support the development of enterprise-specific support plans where appropriate.
• Ensure BDS interventions are aligned with EDI’s strategic objectives and program priorities.
• Coordinate with relevant internal and external service providers.

C. Business Advisory & High-Growth MSME Follow-up

Responsibility

• Deliver one-on-one business counseling to MSMEs, focusing on business strategy, growth, and transformation.
• Conduct detailed needs assessments and capability gap analyses for High-Growth MSMEs.
• Map gaps to specific BDS solutions and present recommendations for approval.
• Conduct regular follow-up monitoring (physical/virtual) with High-Growth MSMEs to track BDS utilization and address challenges.

D. BDS Provider Coordination & Quality Assurance

Responsibility

• Identify and vet potential BDS providers/trainers, maintaining an updated roster of qualified experts.
• Facilitate matchmaking linkages between MSMEs and qualified providers.
• Collect feedback from MSMEs on BDS service quality and flag underperforming providers..

E. Training & Capacity Building (Follow-up & Coordination)

Responsibility

• Prepare and deliver training materials and workshops on BDS selection and utilization.
• Deliver technical assistance on business planning, marketing, and financial management.
• Coordinate the scheduling and logistics of training sessions-liaise with Admin for venue/stationery, confirm trainer availability, and send timely invitations to participants.
• Follow up on training outcomes—track participant attendance, collect post-training feedback, and monitor whether MSMEs are applying the knowledge gained in their businesses.
• Regularly update the training database with participant records, attendance, and feedback.

F. Administrative & Logistics Coordination (Liaison Role)

Responsibility             

• Coordinate with the Admin/Procurement department for venue arrangements-submit clear requests, confirm logistics (seating, AV, Wi-Fi, catering), and conduct pre-event inspections to ensure requirements are met.
• Liaise with Admin for stationery and event materials-submit timely requisitions (pens, flip charts, folders, name tags, certificates), confirm receipt before events, and track usage to inform future requests.
• Coordinate logistics-arrange transport requests with Admin, submit printing orders (agendas, handouts), and ensure backup supplies are available.

G. Market Information Assessment, Readiness Gap Analysis & Advisor Assignment

Responsibility             

• Assess MSMEs’ market information needs and identify critical gaps (quality standards, packaging, pricing, branding, certifications, etc.).
• Evaluate market linkage readiness-identify bottlenecks (registration, record-keeping, negotiation skills, bulk order capacity, etc.).
• Coordinate the assignment of BDS advisors/trainers to MSMEs—match the right advisor to the specific readiness gaps of each MSME.
• Coordinate with regional offices and the provider roster to schedule, deploy, and track assigned advisors-ensuring they have clear Terms of Reference (ToR).

H. Field Monitoring, Reporting & Regional Coordination

Responsibility             

• Conduct regular field visits to intervention areas—observe whether advisory support is addressing gaps and improving MSME preparedness.
• Track overall progress and effectiveness of BDS initiatives; provide regular updates to management.
• Collect, consolidate, and synthesize periodic reports (monthly/quarterly) from HQ units and EDI regional offices on BDS activities, voucher utilization, field progress, and regional coordination.
• Prepare comprehensive quarterly and annual standard reports, incorporating key learnings, success stories, challenges, and actionable recommendations for management and donor reporting.
• Prepare periodic and on-demand analytical reports on voucher utilization, field challenges, and regional coordination.
• Maintain regular communication with EDI regional offices-align activities, share data, and ensure consistent BDS delivery.
• Compile MSME feedback and identify operational bottlenecks for management action.

I. Other Duties

• Perform any other tasks assigned by the BDS Program Manager/Director, Project Coordinator, or other program managers.

Key Deliverables

The BDS Officer will be expected to contribute to the following deliverables:

1. Annual and quarterly BDS implementation plans.
2. BDS needs assessment reports.
3. BDS service packages and intervention plans.
4. Updated BDS provider database.
5. Enterprise support and referral records.
6. Regular BDS implementation reports.
7. Beneficiary feedback and satisfaction reports.
8. BDS outcome and impact data.
9. Enterprise success stories and case studies.
10. Recommendations for improving EDI’s BDS model.
11. Contributions to integrated access-to-finance and market-linkage activities.

Required Qualifications and Experience