SME Entrepreneurship and Development Director

What You’ll Be Doing

Nathan Associates, a Cadmus Company, is seeking an SME Entrepreneurship and Development Director for the USAID-funded Future Ghana Trade and Investment Activity (GTI). This is a long-term position (until November 2025). S/he will report to the Chief of Party and work closely with the technical staff. S/he will be responsible for leading Objective C of the GTI Activity. Objective C is to increase investment, particularly among SMEs, and it includes four key results areas:

• At least 80 percent of businesses, especially SMEs, report increased incremental income,
• A minimum of 50 firms completing business transactions valued at more than $ 2 million per firm,
• Exports from SMEs increased by at least 50 percent, including through, but not limited to those using AGOA; and
• Businesses employ at least 15 percent more skilled workers, especially women, youth, and people with disabilities.

Who We Are

Nathan, a Cadmus Company, is a leading provider of analytic and economic consultancy services worldwide. In the past decade, we have implemented more than 120 projects in more than 50 countries leveraging our global presence in Washington DC and London. From improved transparency and deeper stakeholder engagement to more effective policies and more resilient businesses, we deliver results that impact economic growth, human development, and poverty reduction. We are passionate about applying our deep analytical expertise and advanced proprietary tools to generate economic solutions tailored to our clients’ unique challenges. Nathan focuses on a range of economic development subject matter areas including Trade & Logistics; Economic Policy & Governance; Private Sector Development; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and Financial Solutions.

Nathan's Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment (GTI) Activity seeks to improve the enabling environment for Ghana’s economic growth by (1) facilitating growth in export-oriented trade; (2) improving and developing product standards; (3) catalyzing investments in private enterprises related to high-value commercial crops; (4) promoting job creation, particularly among women and youth; (5) promoting economic diversification; and (6) increasing foreign exchange revenues from high-value export crops. GTI will facilitate investing in firms that trade goods across borders, spur innovation, and build the capacity of the entire trade sector.

Responsibilities:

• Assists the Chief of Party (COP) with policy development, strategic planning, and coordination of strategies.
• Oversees the technical operations of Objective C to increase investment and exports of SMEs.
• Develop Ghana TI strategy for developing, implementing, and monitoring financing operations for SMEs.
• Identifies potential collaborating partners on successful financing of SMEs and develops a leading knowledge database on SME financing solutions and best practice risk management strategies for successful operations financing SMEs.
• Collaborates closely with other institutions to ensure complementarities and synergies in the development of successful SMEs to achieve overall strong developmental results and impact.
• Acquires knowledge through research, analysis of performance data, participates in think tanks and workshops, and keeps updated on the published literature on financing and developing SMEs lending.
• Formulates proposals for mobilizing funding from various donors, foundations, and partner banks, for implementing training programs/seminars/events/initiatives targeting development and financing of SMEs.
• Identifies existing financial products, designs new financial products, and introduces new financial products to increase access to financing for SMEs and to meet their needs.
• Monitors, supervises, and reports on ongoing SME operations; measures and analyzes results, outcomes, and impacts of the SME operations.
• Provides input to annual work plans, weekly reports, quarterly and annual reports, success stories, briefs, and any other communication needs requested by the project.
• Performs other duties and special programs, as assigned by the COP.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in business administration, economics, or a relevant related discipline (e.g., finance, or a related field), or at a minimum a bachelor’s degree in these areas and additional two years of experience.
• Five (5) years of relevant experience related to SME and entrepreneurs’ development and other related fields with demonstrated results.
• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible management experience working with programs that are of similar scope and complexity. USAID cooperative agreement or contract management experience is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in project designs, strategic planning, and implementation of SME development, finance, investment, market systems and private sector engagement. Proven leadership in adaptive management and CLA approaches.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of and experience managing SME development, finance, investment, market systems, and private sector engagement programs.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to lead collaborative working relationships with a diverse group of relevant stakeholders (producers, private sector, NGOs, government, and research institutions).

How to apply: Please be sure to send your cover letter and CV to gtirecruit@ghana-ti.com. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and if candidates applied previously for this position, there is no need to reapply.