Handicraft Sector Lead

Position: Handicraft Sector Lead

• Organization: PETCO Ethiopia Community Organization
• Location: Addis Ababa
• Category: Program management
• Report to: Senior program Director
• Employment Term: Annual contract, renewable based on fund
• Closing Date: September 10, 2025

Program Background

PETCO Ethiopia is implementing a 5-year consortium project joint with Center of Accelerated Women Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) and Ethiopia Enterprise Development. The program is funded by the Mastercard Foundation contract to Enable Young Women and Men to Find Dignified and Fulfilling Work in Manufacturing in Ethiopia by capacitating existing SMEs. The program aims to:

• Build SME capacity to sustainably create new jobs and improve existing ones through offering tailored business capacity building and mentorship; enhancing access to markets and raw materials flow; and improving SMEs’ human resources capacity to create safe and inclusive working conditions for young women and men.
• Improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offerings to better prepare women and youth to enter the workforce (facilitate school-to-work transition).
• Facilitate a robust financial ecosystem to help SMEs access tailored financial services that allow them to grow and increase employment opportunities for young women in particular, and to invest in infrastructure that can improve young women and men’s working conditions.
• Strengthen the enablers (ecosystem) to foster private sector engagement, stakeholder coordination synergy, and policy development for sustainable and scalable job growth.

Duties and Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities of the Handicraft Sector Lead include, but are not limited to:

• The Handicraft sector Leader will coordinate the consortium’s intervention in the handicraft sector
• The Handicraft sector Leader will coordinate one of the cluster offices among the intervention clustyers.
• In collaboration with other sector leads, facilitate selected SMEs access financial services and digital technology
• Lead and define the process of the identification of SMEs capacity gap assessment and design of tailored capacity building activates,
• Coordinate with the Senior program Director, Agro-processing and food Lead, Leather lead, Garment and Textile Lead, Solid waste Lead, Access to finance and other technical Leads of the consortium members to ensure the comprehensive integration of the handicraft interventions
• Engage with handicraft SMEs, and stakeholders to ensure project activities are responsive to their needs and priorities, while also maintaining conflict sensitivity in all stakeholder engagement processes
• Monitor and supervise the overall handicraft interventions of the project:
• Define the content, plan the tailored SMEs and industry trainings.
• Establish and maintain close working relationship with relevant stakeholders and private sectors that can link with the SMEs
• Build the capacity of the SMEs in the handicraft sector in identifying local and export market linkage,
• Maintain accurate records of projects related to handicraft
• Supervise the project coordination offices and provide guidance
• Lead the design and reporting of all Handicraft sector interventions of the project.
• Prepare the program’s annual technical and budget plan and periodic reports.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in handicraft technology, Enterprise development business administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in the handicraft industry, with a focus on project management or sector development.
• Proven track record of successful leadership in similar roles, with strong networking and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of the Ethiopian handicraft industry, including its challenges and opportunities.
• Familiarity with international standards and best practices in handicraft production, environmental sustainability, and ethical sourcing.
• Practical knowledge of the market and business situation and are able to facilitate market linkages of the SMEs
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical abilities and capacity to identify innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Fluency in English (both written and spoken); knowledge of Amharic or other local languages is desirable.
• Willingness to travel within Ethiopia as required for project activities.
• Sensitivity in working with multiple cultures and beliefs, and to gender equity
• Well versed with Government rules and regulation related to handicrafts sector.