Market Linkages Expert

About Chemonics

Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive and more independent lives. Since 1975 we have worked in 149 countries around the world, and currently implement 113 contracts in 68 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), but we occasionally work with foreign donors as well. We have over 600 staff based in our Washington, DC office and over 3000 staff in our project offices around the world.

Project Background

The Lebanon Community Support Program (CSP) is a multi-year project funded by USAID to support municipalities and underserved and vulnerable communities in providing better services and enhanced economic opportunities to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Beqaa regions. Under Task Order No. 3 (TO 3), the project provides technical assistance to municipalities, civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector, or other entities to increase capacity and ensure sustainable impact in providing key essential services. The main objective of this 5-year task order is to support Component 3 (Capacity Building) of the CSP Program by delivering technical assistance to enhance the sustainability of CSP interventions under Component 1 (Community Stabilization Support) and Component  2 (Community Development Support), and if required, under future Task Orders.

Position Summary:

The Expert will work with selected COOPs (maximum of five COOPs) in the Beqaa, South and North of Lebanon to promote and market their products through supporting them in the development of market linkages. The expert will be working under the supervision of the Community Support Program Technical Assistance Task Order 3 and in close coordination with the Senior Capacity Building Manager.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Meet with the selected COOPs to gain a better understanding of their products, production capacity, current sales and markets, challenges, and successes.
• Based on the COOPs production, develop a map of potential customers in each area and in Beirut with special focus on SME, restaurants, catering, service providers, organizations, exhibitions etc. The foreseen map should include the name of the company, contact person, address, phone number and e-mail address along with the interest of each entity and the preferred coordination/collaboration modality.
• Assist the COOPs to become members of well-known national COOPs or markets such as Atayeb el Rif, Souk EL Tayeb, Fair trade Lebanon etc., which will help them continue their operations beyond the CSP support.
• Help the COOPs access new online markets, where they could post their products with zero cost.
• Organize in person and virtual meetings with the COOPs and the potential buyers (one on one meetings or group meetings) to establish market linkages.
• Close deals between the COOPs and the different buyers, private sector organizations, or NGOs.
• Keep following up with the COOPs and the buyers on the execution of the deals.
• Periodically Report back to CSP TO3 on all purchases made in volume and value.
• Summon regular feedback from the buyers on the quality and the relationship with the COOPs and identify possible technical assistance activities/trainings needed to enhance the quality of the products, coordination, pricing, and other management and marketing aspects.
• Identify events and exhibitions and advise the CSP on the participation of the COOPs.

Identify new innovative products and their related markets. Advise the CSP on building the COOPs’ capacity to produce these products.

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s Degree is a plus in one of the areas related to: marketing, business management, etc.
• More than five years of experience working in similar jobs/tasks.
• Demonstrated capacity to interact with coops and business owners.
• Collaborative spirit able to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels.
• Experience in agricultural capacity building is an asset.
• Good time management skills and willingness to drive and travel to the field frequently.
• Flexible and creative; being able to offer a variety of solutions for any given problem.
• Demonstrated attention to detail; ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently as well as cooperatively with team members. Strong empathy skills and genuine care and respect for needs of potential clients.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles and values.
• Experience working across Lebanon, specifically in the North, South, and Bekaa regions preferred.
• Fluency in spoken and written Arabic and English required.

Eligibility Criteria : 

Interested individual experts shall have the capacity to enter a short-term technical assistance (STTA) contract and shall have a satisfactory performance record and record of integrity and business ethics.

 Ineligible Experts:

• Government employees.
• Individual experts that appear on the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs.

 Location of the Assignment:

The expert will be liaising with CSP TO 3 team at CSP offices in Sin-El-Fil and will be traveling to project field locations when needed

Reporting

The experts will be reporting to TO 3 Senior Capacity Building Manager.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants that can legally work in Lebanon will be considered for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination.