Enterprise Programme Manager at SELF HELP AFRICA

Job Description

Organisational Strategy:
Self Help Africa’s Zambia programme works with local communities to help them improve their livelihoods. Our mission is to alleviate hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches.

Self Help Africa has been working in Zambia for over 35 years and has reached over 250,000 smallholder farmers. Our work has been focused on ending poverty and hunger through community-led and market-based approaches. Our experience working with rural communities and smallholder farmers during this time has honed our expertise in addressing climate change and its impact on food production and the environment.

We collaborate with companies – both large and small – seeking to create jobs, add value, and develop markets. We also seek relationships with international businesses and corporations seeking opportunities to invest, collaborate, and develop markets that contribute to economic growth in Zambia.

Project Background :

DURATION: July 2024 to June 2028

PROJECT REGION IN ZAMBIA: Nationwide, with a focus on urban areas and key economic development corridors.

SUMMARY : The European Union’s Green Recycling Enterprises Engaging in New Technology for a Circular Economy in Zambia (GREEN Tech4CE) project is dedicated to fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Zambia. Rapid urbanisation, increasing attention to green and circular economy, and the increasing demand for critical raw materials present concrete opportunities towards a more sustainable growth path in Zambia and beyond. The project aims to promote sustainable practices by supporting the creation and growth of start-ups and MSMEs within the green and digital sectors. Through comprehensive technical and financial support, GREEN Tech4CE will drive innovation, create employment opportunities, and facilitate economic diversification. This project operates under the broader Green Economy Promotion and Diversification (GEPD) Programme, which seeks to address Zambia’s economic vulnerabilities and environmental challenges. Together, these initiatives strive to build a resilient and sustainable future for Zambia by integrating green growth strategies and circular economy principles. The project supports the implementation of the Green Growth Strategy launched in March 2024 to generate economic growth that is also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

GREEN Tech4CE will use a combination of ‘technical assistance’ and ‘financial support’ to MSMEs, BDSPs, FSPs/investors, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)-providers to increase knowledge, skills, demand, and investment in sustainable, profitable GCD activities. The project will improve the formalisation, competences, and management of MSMEs with growth potential by identifying businesses to support, conducting needs assessment of those businesses, and facilitating development of GCD value chains.

The project will increase access to finance to improve product quality and product diversification in the GCD economy by issuing grants, strengthening capacity of FSPs, and facilitating linkages between MSMEs and FSPs/investors. The project will improve and expand the support services offered to MSMEs by Zambian BDSPs and FSPs by building knowledge on the GCD economy amongst BDSPs and FSPs and by providing grant support to BDSPs and FSPs to enable them to build upon the services and products that they can offer MSMEs.

The project will promote wider public-private sector engagement through networking, and learning/dissemination events. Finally, this project will support innovation and emerging technologies by working with a TVET-provider to establish two FabLabs.

Job Purpose:

The Enterprise Programme Manager will provide technical leadership and manage operational engagement with SMEs of the Green Recycling Enterprises Engaging in New Technology for a Circular Economy in Zambia (GREEN Tech4CE) Implementation Team. The GREEN Tech4CE is a collaboration between Self Help Africa (SHA) and co-applicants Imani Development (International) Ltd (IDIL), Prospero Limited (Prospero) and Tandem Circular Consulting (Tandem) to promote and de-risk investment in green sustainable growth in Zambia through creating and sustaining green, circular, and digital economic opportunities for women, men, and youths.

The Enterprise Programme Manager, in addition to liaising with a small portfolio of higher value/more complex projects, will support the Team Leader with challenge fund operations management and will line manage the other Technical Managers.

The Enterprise Programme Manager will work with the Team Leader to ensure a pipeline of potential applicants is generated through networking and information sessions, etc. The Senior PM will also provide leadership in the project refinement for contracting for each company within the Challenge Fund portfolio. She/He will monitor implementation progress, draw learnings from/across projects, participate in M&E activities, conduct due diligence/capacity assessments, provide technical assistance and coaching to the portfolio managers in their support role of selected businesses.

Key Responsibilities:

Application and selection processes

Provide leadership to Technical Managers in the planning and delivery of awareness raising and information sharing events for applicants;
Conduct due diligence and assess project suitability for the fund using tools for shortlisted applicants to be reviewed by the Independent Investment Committee;
Review match funding plans for proposed projects.
Develop a results framework for the shortlisted applicants, in collaboration with the Technical Managers and M&E officers.

Grantee management and support

Ensure the Technical Managers have a monitoring plan in place and undertake project monitoring visits as required;
Ensure the Portfolio Manager have common understanding and approaches to reviewing grantee reports and ensuring that they are compliant with set policies and procedures;
Work with the Risk and Compliance Manager, M&E team and Technical Managers to ensure the measures necessary are in place to reduce and manage risk in the portfolio;
Facilitate technical assistance (training, coaching and mentoring) to the SME after award to ensure increased value chain integration and sustainable and profitable operations
Facilitate SME in networking, business-to-business linkages and strengthening their supply chains;
Build relationships with financial institutions and disseminate information on available financial services;
Build relationships with other possible financiers for programme grantees;
Assess the SME capacity needs and design and provide activities that build their capacity co-ordinate with PMs to develop programmes;
Monitor programme performance to enable early anticipation of necessary adjustments to plans and budgets;
Provide guidance in the preparation of quarterly milestone reporting.

Programme quality, monitoring and reporting

Work closely with the SME and other stakeholders to coordinate coherent and consistent delivery of the programme objectives. Specific tasks include the following:

Support programme management on all aspects of the programme cycle: design, planning, implementation, quality assurance and accountability, monitoring and evaluation;
In coordination with the GREENTech4CE team, SHA Zambia and HO Technical Advisors, ensure effective integration of core technical areas – Enterprise Development, WASH and Waste Management, Social Inclusion and Gender;
Provide technical input for the implementation of the programme including in the preparation of work plans, strategies, training materials, Call Guidelines and Operation Manuals;
Facilitate effective communication between SHA and stakeholders for effective programme management;
In conjunction with the M&E Officers, conduct monitoring and evaluation of the selected SME’ outputs and compile periodic programme reports as required by the donors and SHA;
Work with the Communications Officer to capture and document learning emerging from the programme;
Represent the GREENTech4CE project at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field in close coordination with the Team Leader and the Country Management Team.

Operations and compliance

Support the Team Leader to ensure compliance by SHA and partners with contract requirements in planning, financial management, procurement, monitoring and reporting, and facilitate further training of programme staff where necessary;
Identify, assess and report on risk elements within the projects and wider programme;
Support the Team in programme design and fundraising initiatives that contribute to the growth of the Self-Help Africa;

Any other duty assigned on occasion by the line manager.

Key Relationships:

Internal

GREEN Tech4CE Team
Zambia Country Director
Head of Programmes
Head of Finance and Administration
Finance and Administration Team
All Programme Coordinators
Regional Enterprise Advisor
Imani Development, Prospero and Tandem Consulting Team
Chair, Programme Management Board

External

EU Delegation in Zambia.
Lead Firms/SMEs/Implementing Partners.
Stakeholders including government, research institutions, regional financial institutions, Financial Service Providers (FSPs), Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) providers, external auditors, and private companies and coordinating bodies.
Project Steering Committee and Technical Working Group.

Knowledge and Experience:

Essential

At least ten years’ experience in the implementation of business/enterprise development projects with mentoring and business development support to SMEs at a mid/senior level;
Strong project management skills with an in-depth understanding of business decision-making in competitive market environments; inclusive subsector development and value chain/Market Systems Development approach;
Strong analytical skills for appraising business case reports and audited financials with an understanding of performance contracting, follow-up, and execution;
Proven experience in investment and financial assets management as an analyst or assistant manager in a financial institution environment and/or enterprise development programmes;
Excellent communication, interpersonal and team building skills
Familiarity and experience with EU regulations preferred;
Excellent report writing skills and ability to present results succinctly and to varied audiences.

Desirable

Familiarity and experience with EU regulations preferred;
An understanding of the green and circular economy principles and; sustainable business practices.
Commercial business experience from working in the private sector.

Qualifications / Other Requirements:

Essential:

Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Business Administration, Management, Finance, Economics or related field relevant to the role required;
Strong computer skills especially with MS Word and Excel and other related packages.

Role Competencies :

Have a consistent record in business development and exceptional Relationship Management skills;
Have good commercial acumen and credit understanding;
Tech savvy and can use emerging technology with ease;
Passionate about supporting SME and its role in regional economies;
Ability to analyse and interpret financial and research information
Strong problem-solving skills;
Strong interest in agriculture, the environment and sustainable development;
Ability to communicate technical information to non‐technical people;
bility to lead, manage and work in a team.

TO APPLY

Please understand, that we can only accept and process applications via this link.

The closing date for receiving applications is Tuesday 10th June 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Self Help Africa strives to be an Equal Opportunities Employer

All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign Self Help Africa’s Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ vetting.