Enterprise Acceleration Lead (Republic of the Congo)

Job Description

Resonance is currently seeking Enterprise Acceleration Lead candidates to propose for an upcoming 5-year USAID-funded Conservation Through Economic Empowerment in the Republic of the Congo (CEERC) project. The purpose of this activity is to deliver services in the biodiversity and sustainable landscapes sectors in support of maintaining the ecological integrity of the humid forest ecosystem of the Congo Basin.

The Enterprise Acceleration Lead will report to the Chief of Party and lead the design and execution of work related to the acceleration of conservation-friendly enterprises and green industries that improve the well-being of forests, wildlife, and rural dwellers. They will be responsible for managing and working with consortium partner technical staff working on social enterprise acceleration and green economy development. The Enterprise Acceleration Lead will also be responsible for tracking and reporting on the related program activity progress.

Responsibilities:

• Support the design and execution of activities related to the acceleration of conservation enterprises and green industries that improve the well-being of forests, wildlife, and rural dwellers;

• Initiate partner relations to investigate innovative ways for cooperation within and between sectors (alternative energy, forestry and non-timber forest products, behavior change, etc.);

• Improve the local business enabling environment for entrepreneurship, startups, and youth;

• Work with individual conservation enterprises to develop and strengthen their business models and plans;

• Build entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems and green economies;

• Engage with key economic actors such as merchants, traders, bankers, green-oriented funds and consumers;

• Support the creation and/or strengthening of enterprise incubators;

• Work with the Private Sector Engagement Lead to develop market-based, corporate, and financial sector partnerships supporting the development of financing channels and access to supply chains;

• Support the project leadership team in the development of the project strategic framework and work plans for the program implementation to ensure the achievement of the program goals;

• Develop systems and work with the project team to track and report on program activities; and

• Document implementation successes, challenges, and lessons learned and share them with through regular program reports.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree (or higher) in business, international affairs, forestry, clean energy, or a related field;

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant technical experience in sub-Saharan Africa;

• Past enterprise development experience that fostered the growth of enterprises in frontier markets from ideation to the creation of a minimum viable product (MVP) – preferably within the biodiversity conservation sector;

• Proven ability to manage a technical workstream and meet project targets and deadlines;

• Experience in providing technical assistance, including organizing and conducting workshops and trainings;

• Demonstrated experience working in cross-cultural teams effectively;

• Excellent English language verbal and written communication skills; and

• Ability and interest to live and work in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in conservation-friendly enterprises and industry, green economic growth models, enterprise development and acceleration, and other related areas;

• Demonstrated experience managing a U.S. Government funded sub-award program that serves clients in developing countries; and

• Three years of relevant work experience in the Republic of the Congo.

How to Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and three references to jobs@resonanceglobal.com. Please include “Enterprise Acceleration Lead” in the email subject line, and save documents (cover letter, resume, and references) in one PDF as ‘Last Name_First Name.pdf’. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please. Resonance is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

About the Organization

Resonance is an award-winning frontier market solutions firm based in Burlington, Vermont that helps a variety of donor, commercial and investor clients around the world to catalyze lasting impact. We envision a prosperous and just world of thriving markets, healthy ecosystems, and vibrant communities where business, governments and citizens work together creating a better world for all. Resonance seeks to catalyze large-scale social, environmental, and economic change by fostering new and dynamic forms of collaboration. We do this by fostering public-private partnerships, facilitating sustainable investment, and providing deep analytical insights in frontier markets. We strive to merge strategic insight with practical on-the-ground knowledge into an integrated approach that emphasizes results. We seek candidates who are ready to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to some of our planet’s greatest challenges in an entrepreneurial, fun, and fast-paced environment. We are looking for passionate and committed people who can work in a highly collaborative environment to deliver results for our clients and stakeholders around the world.