Title: Senior Market Access Specialist

Reports to: Project Manager

Location: Ramadi or Baghdad, Iraq

Travel: Yes, 50% of time

For over 100 years, NEF has worked to build more sustainable, prosperous, and inclusive communities in the Middle East and Africa through education, governance, and economic development initiatives. Working through a network of country offices and local partners, NEF currently operates in ten countries: Armenia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, Palestine, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria and Sudan. Its programs are organized around three themes: Inclusive Economic Development, Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, and Peacebuilding.

The position

The Near East Foundation (NEF) is seeking candidates for a Senior Market Access Specialist position to be either based in or with frequent travel to Ramadi, Iraq. This position requires the ability to (1) build capacity of a cohort of locally embedded Master Trainers and associated modules and systems to support individual beneficiary businesses to conduct rapid market research; (2) assess relevant market actors and facilitate innovative market partnerships to support improved access to markets for the project beneficiaries; and (3) facilitate market access events such as fairs, outlets, and facilitated partnerships with peer businesses, large businesses, and business associations.

Main duties include:

• Support the capacity building of Master Trainers and Coaches in three locations through training, coaching, mentoring and monitoring in areas related to market engagement and market access;
• Lead on updating business diagnostic and development curricula in relation to market access;
• Oversee and optimize the market engagement and market access development process, including the development of post-financing coaching and mentoring to facilitate improved market access for enterprise growth and job creation;
• Build and maintain relationships with entrepreneurs, Master Trainers, and local partners;
• Monitor and report on market trends, including market and enterprise-level analysis to inform programming;
• Conduct internal technical reviews, programmatic reflections, best practices, and learning and adaptation exercises on market access;
• Oversee the design and implementation of market and labor study and regular market research exercises to inform market access facilitation;
• Develop the market engagement strategy to facilitate the delivery of project outcomes;
• Oversee the development and the implementation market access events such as fairs, outlets, and facilitated partnerships with peer businesses, large businesses, and business associations;
• Oversee the rollout of Siraj Market platform and the onboarding and the utilisation of the platform by supported enterprises;
• Collaborate with other teams to ensure mainstreaming and integration of technical or supporting area related to market access facilitation and sectorial and enterprise growth;
• Ensure tight management of milestones and progress of supported businesses;
• Support periodic reporting to funders and donors;
• Support other NEF activities as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• University degree in any relevant field;
• Five years of demonstrated experience in business development;
• Three years’ relevant experience in market engagement and facilitation;
• Ability to use known business and market analysis tools to identify problems and to propose solutions;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office package (Excel, Word, Outlook);
• Strong verbal and written communication in English and Arabic, consultation and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent facilitation skills;
• Capacity to work independently, and collaboratively in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Based in Al-Anbar province, Iraq;
• Experience in market systems or value chain development;
• Experience in Training of Trainers.