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Background information
Swisscontact is hiring Business Modernisation Lead, for the project Modernisation for Sustainability and Decent Jobs (Modernisation Project), funded by the Swiss development and cooperation.
Swisscontact was established in 1959 as an independent foundation by notable figures from the worlds of commerce and science in Switzerland. It is exclusively involved in international development co-operation and has carried out its own and mandated projects since 1961. Based in Zurich, Swisscontact currently employs over 1,400 staff worldwide and manages projects in 36 countries on behalf of public and private donors.
The Modernisation Project aims to facilitate the provision of high-quality consultancy services to businesses, to address their bottlenecks and pain points, and contribute to enhance productivity, modernisation and green transformation.
The expected outcomes of the Modernisation project are:
Outcome 1: Businesses strategically invest to increase their productivity and improve environmental efficiency.
Outcome 2: Strong and responsive business associations engage with consultancies and businesses to enhance modernisation.
The Business Modernisation Lead will be responsible to lead and organise the implementation of the interventions under outcome 1.
Business Modernisation Lead
Overall objective of the Business Modernisation Lead:
To ensure the successful delivery of project outcome 1 results and interventions related to enhancing businesses' strategic investments aimed at improving productivity, and environmental efficiency. The Business Modernisation Lead is expected to work closely with national and international consultancies, facilitating the access to businesses to tailored high-quality business diagnostics and consulting services, as means for business modernisation.
Key responsibilites:
- Facilitate coaching and mentoring programmes, leveraging both regional and international expertise, to enhance the capabilities of consultancies in conducting business diagnostics and developing tailored business solutions and services.
- Support consultancies in expanding and diversifying their service portfolios to offer a comprehensive range of business support services for modernisation.
- Provide consultancies with access to the latest tools to improve their ability to diagnose business challenges and opportunities effectively.
- Organise knowledge-sharing sessions and workshops to disseminate good practices and successful strategies in business diagnostics and tailored service provision.
- Facilitate collaboration and networking opportunities for consultancies to learn from each other and from industry experts.
- Establish and sustain effective partnerships with key business associations, consultancies, and other public and private sector representatives.
- Identify and mobilise resources, including partnership development, to support businesses in accessing the services and tools they need for modernisation.
Key deliverables:
- Design and propose project interventions to achieve the project outputs, including timelines, resources required, and risk mitigation strategies, and follow their implementation.
- Develop and submit plans detailing the approaches for achieving the project outputs, including timelines, resources required, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Support the preparation of regular progress reports documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Regular progress reports documenting the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned in the implementation of the project outputs.
- Design and implement effective coaching, mentoring, and training programs for consultancies, focusing on business diagnostics and other tailored services and solutions.
- Organise workshops, seminars, and networking events to promote knowledge sharing and the adoption of best practices among consultancies and businesses.
Skills and qualifications:
A. Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Management, or other related field (Master’s degree preferred).
B. Experience:
- At least 5 years of experience in project management, with a focus on business development, advisory, consultancy services, and sustainability.
- Proven experience in multiple stakeholder management (working with businesses, business associations, financial institutions, and public institutions).
- Corporate experience will be considered an advantage.
C. Skills:
- Strong understanding of the business ecosystem environment.
- Excellent communication, networking, and partnership-building skills.
- Ability to design and implement development plans and capacity-building programs.
- English language proficiency.
- Computer literacy (Advanced usage of MS Word and MS Excel).
D. Competencies:
- Leadership and team management (prior experience of direct management of at team of at least 5 people will be considered an advantage).
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving.
- Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
Deadline for applications:
The interested applicants are expected to submit their applications no later than 18:00 on 22 October 2024.
Please send your CV, letter of motivation and at least 3 reference contacts at modernisation.mk@swisscontact.org, with an email subject: “Business Modernisation Lead” or via the Fast Apply option.
