TEAM LEADER, B-SKILLFUL PHASE II (READVERTISEMENT) At Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation

We are hiring the next team leader of our flagship programme in Bangladesh: B-SkillFUL Phase II.

(Yes, we are yet to find the ‘best fit’ applicant, hence this is a readvertisement. If you have already applied in the previous rounds, you do not need to apply again.)

Do you relish working in a vibrant environment with a dynamic team? Does leading and mentoring a diverse team of sharp professionals excite you? Are you a development professional with an appetite for leading an exciting and ambitious programme with a focus on enterprise development, market systems thinking and skills development? Are you adaptive enough to work in these fast-changing times? Does driving innovation leading to large scale, lasting impact motivate you? If you have answered any of these questions in the affirmative, this position might just be for YOU!

At Swisscontact, we offer attractive working conditions in an international and multicultural context. We see our work as a joint effort in an agile organisational culture: mutual respect, trust, and teamwork.

More on the programme if you are interested

At B-SkillFUL Phase II, we aim to improve productivity and competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and create better jobs in the furniture making, light engineering and leather goods manufacturing sectors in Bangladesh. Systems thinking leading to lasting impact is central to the project. We promote (a) workplace-based training, coaching and mentoring services for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers and management staff at SMEs and (b) specialised Business Development Services (BDS) targeting production methods and working conditions in SMEs.

B-SkillFUL Phase II is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), represented by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh. After a successful Phase I, we started our journey of Phase II from September 2020.

What would be your major tasks?

• You will lead and implement a strategy to design, test, adapt and scale enterprise development models for SMEs in selected clusters and sectors

o through private sector led sustainable models for skilling and up-skilling workers and improving their working conditions, and

o through sustainable provision of Business Development Services (BDS) to SMEs.

• You are responsible for achieving qualitative and quantitative outcomes and intended impact of the programme.

• You will ensure that gender and social inclusion and environmental sustainability aspects are mainstreamed and achieved in the programme.

• You will establish an adaptive programme management process utilising the results and evidence from the Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) system.

• You will lead the overall knowledge management of the programme.

• You will mentor and coach around 25 staff members on important technical and programme management issues.

• You are responsible for developing programme progress reports maintaining excellent analytical quality in all aspects.

• You are responsible for the fiduciary management of the programme, and

• You will manage communication and relationship with the funder and key public and private stakeholders.

What are the requirements we are looking for?

• You have minimum 10 years of progressive professional work experience and at least 6 years of experience at strategic leadership role in managing complex private sector development programmes.

• You have a master’s degree (or higher) in a field relevant to the programme.

• You have solid track record in designing, implementing, and managing enterprise development, and/or market systems development programmes/ initiatives.

• You have strong understanding of business development services (BDS) for SME development.

• You understand private sector-led skills development interventions, along with private sector development and business decision making processes.

• You have experience in leveraging private sector investment (ideally for business modernisation, workforce development, and business growth).

• You have experience in managing medium to large-scale development cooperation programmes, especially with different financing modalities and aiming at achieving systemic results.

• You can demonstrate hands-on experience in financial management, including budget cycle management and risk management.

• You can lead a diverse team and build teams across different programme locations.

• You have excellent analytical, negotiating, problem solving and decision-making skills.

• You can manage working relationship with diverse public and private stakeholders.

• Experience of working in Asia will be an asset; and

• You have advanced communication skills in English (verbal, writing, listening and presentation skills) with excellent computer literacy in MS Office programs, specifically MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

When does the employment start? What would be the contract duration and place of work?

The employment starts as soon as possible, ideally from November 2021. We provide an initial contract of one year, with options to extend until August 2024. You will be based in our Dhaka office, with regular visits to the programme’s field locations within Bangladesh.