Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Experts

iDE is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to create income and livelihood opportunities for poor, rural households. iDE implements market-based, climate-smart development programs that foster innovation, build inclusive market systems, and empower entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers, women, and youth to improve their economic and social well-being.

Position Summary

iDE Ethiopia is seeking a qualified and highly motivated Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Expert to strengthen the growth and resilience of youth- and women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The Expert will lead enterprise identification, profiling, and capacity assessments to identify business needs and growth opportunities. The role will design and deliver tailored Business Development Services (BDS), provide entrepreneurship and business management training, coaching, and mentoring, facilitate market linkages and access to finance, and support enterprise incubation and growth. Working within a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, the Expert will collaborate with public and private sector partners to foster sustainable enterprise development, economic empowerment, and job creation. .

Position Summary

iDE Ethiopia is seeking a qualified and highly motivated Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Expert to strengthen the growth and resilience of youth- and women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The Expert will lead enterprise identification, profiling, and capacity assessments to identify business needs and growth opportunities. The role will design and deliver tailored Business Development Services (BDS), provide entrepreneurship and business management training, coaching, and mentoring, facilitate market linkages and access to finance, and support enterprise incubation and growth. Working within a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, the Expert will collaborate with public and private sector partners to foster sustainable enterprise development, economic empowerment, and job creation. .

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, mobilize, and profile youth- and women-led formal and informal MSMEs, including start-ups and existing enterprises.
• Conduct enterprise capacity and needs assessments to identify technical, managerial, financial, operational, and market-related gaps.
• Develop enterprise profiles and individual business growth plans based on assessment findings.
• Design, coordinate, and deliver customized Business Development Services (BDS) tailored to enterprise growth stages and needs.
• Provide continuous business coaching, mentoring, and technical advisory services to improve enterprise performance and sustainability.
• Deliver entrepreneurship, business management, financial literacy, and digital business skills training.
• Support enterprises in developing business plans, marketing strategies, financial records, pricing, costing, and business models.
• Facilitate enterprise formalization by linking businesses with relevant government registration and licensing services where appropriate.
• Strengthen the capacity of MSMEs to improve productivity, quality standards, innovation, competitiveness, and business resilience.
• Facilitate access to finance by preparing enterprises for investment and linking them with banks, microfinance institutions, SACCOs, digital financial service providers, investors, and grant opportunities.
• Establish and strengthen market linkages by connecting MSMEs with buyers, suppliers, input providers, off-takers, and other market actors.
• Collaborate with TVETs, business incubators, accelerators, financial institutions, private sector companies, government offices, and other ecosystem partners to strengthen enterprise support services.
• Develop and maintain an up-to-date MSME database and enterprise information management system.
• Monitor enterprise performance by tracking key indicators such as business growth, sales, profitability, employment creation, access to finance, market expansion, and business survival.
• Collect, analyze, verify, and report high-quality MERL data using digital data collection systems and project monitoring tools.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, annual, and donor reports documenting progress, achievements, lessons learned, success stories, and recommendations.
• Conduct periodic follow-up assessments and learning reviews to measure enterprise outcomes and inform adaptive management.
• Ensure compliance with project guidelines, donor requirements, safeguarding standards, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) principles, and organizational policies.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor that contribute to enterprise development, economic empowerment, and project objectives.

Duty Stations:

1.Addis Ababa – 2 positions, with frequent travel to project implementation areas and field locations as required:

1 position: Six (6) months, consultancy-based contract.

1 position: One (1) year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension based on performance and project requirements.

2.Nekemte (Guto Gida Woreda), Oromia Regional State – 1 position: One (1) year fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension based on performance and project requirements

Salary and benefit package:  As per the scale of the Organization.

Closing date: 7 (Seven) calendar days from the first date of announcement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business Administration, Economics, Management or other related field. A Master’s degree is an advantage.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in MSME development, entrepreneurship, enterprise development, Business Development Services (BDS), business coaching and mentoring, private sector engagement, market linkages, and enterprise capacity development.
• Strong understanding of Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches.
• Experience in designing and delivering entrepreneurship and business management training.
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and enterprise performance tracking.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, coaching, and communication skills.
• Excellent report writing and computer skills (MS Office and digital data collection tools).
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Language Requirements

• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English and Amharic.
• For the position based in Guba Koricha Woreda (Chiro), West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, proficiency in Afan Oromo is required.
• Knowledge of additional local languages relevant to the project implementation areas is an advantage.