Small and Medium Business Adviser – Remote at VSO

Role Overview

The ideal Candidate will be providing technical support to microfinance institution (s) to improve their capacity to strengthen loan scheme systems targeting smallholder farmers in Zanzibar Island, Tanzania. Liaise with Small Business advisors to advise CBOs / Parents to set up appropriate income generation activities.

Skills, Knowledge And Experience

Skills, qualifications and experience

• Minimum of 8 years relevant work experience.
• Teamwork, with the ability to work collaboratively in diverse groups.
• Experience and knowledge in Micro Finance, Business and Institutional Environment general.

Knowledge/qualifications

• Be a qualified (Graduate) in Accountant/Finance/Business administration -Preferably educated at Masters Level.
• Have at least 7 years’ experience in running saving and loan schemes

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to work in an institutional environment, hospital and health facility settings and in the community.
• Effective communications skills (report writing, verbally
• Proven coaching and mentoring skills
• S’/he should have a flexible personality, adapting easily to new situations, and be able to set realistic expectations regarding working in institutional in the tropics.
• The volunteer should have a pro-active attitude, enabling him/her to create practical solutions to challenges and demands of a highly frequented hospital.
• Good experience in establishing and or supporting organization development.
• Fluent in English language

Desirable Criteria: (skills that could be an advantage in the role)

• Master’s degree is added advantage
• Have skills in Business management and experience in saving and credit operations.
• Patience, tolerance and resilience will be essential requirements for building mutual understanding with colleagues.
• The volunteer must be a team worker with good social and interpersonal skills and networking abilities. S/he should be able to handle conflicts in a constructive consultative way.

Competencies and Behaviour

Whether You Want To Join Us As An Employee, Or As a Volunteer Working In Your Own Country, Overseas Or Online, Our Selection Process Includes An Assessment Based On These Core Competencies

At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together.

• Ability to be open minded and respectful
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships
• Ability to seek and share knowledge

NOTE: This is international Volunteer role, NOT for national, but the start of the Project is upon fund Confirmation.

Equal Opportunities
VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

Allowance

As a VSO volunteer, you will be sharing your skills with local communities on a full time basis. VSO will cover your travel, vaccinations, accommodation, and medical insurance costs, along with a local living allowance which will be paid in local currency. This allowance meets reasonable living expenses in country, but will not be enough to send money home. You will also receive some financial support to contribute to your on-going expenses at home.

Accommodation

VSO works with some of the poorest communities in the world which means accommodation varies and will be basic.

Some background about VSO

Much has changed since VSO started 60 years ago. We’ve gone from being a UK charity to a truly global development organisation. In 2016/2017 alone, we worked with over 7,000 volunteers from all over the world and from all backgrounds to deliver services that had an impact on the lives of almost 2.6 million people in the 24 countries where we work. Our programmes focus on the areas of health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We believe progress is only possible when we work together and that strong partnerships are crucial to delivering positive change. That’s why we work with over 500 partner organisations, from local and national governments, to businesses, NGOs, funders, charities and community groups. Currently, over 30% of our people are recruited from within the country in which they work, and we continue to grow the share of community and national volunteers involved in our programmes. We also send increasing numbers of volunteers from one developing country to another. However, our vision has remained the same; to build a world without poverty.

VSO is the world’s leading development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty. We are unique in the way we bring people together to share their skills and experience, generate insights and ideas and, most of all, take action against poverty and exclusion. It’s a highly effective approach that works, and today is helping millions of people in some of the world’s poorest communities lift themselves out of poverty.

Apply Online