The Business Development Specialist shall be primarily responsible for the implementation and coordination of the project’s activities related to the development and strengthening of business models based on the sustainable utilization of forests and other natural resources and sustainable agriculture. The position will be based in the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) offices in Kalumbila District, North Western Province, and will report to the Project Manager, with additional technical guidance provided by the Community Conservation Manager. This is a 5-year term limited position, dependent on the duration of funding from GEF, and extension of tenure will be subject to performance and availability of funds. No employment visas  or assistance is being offered with this position except for the local labour employment requirements.

Working closely with the project’s government and private partners, the Business Development Specialist provides expert technical enterprise development support and guidance to the project’s primary target beneficiaries, being the local communities that depend on the landscape for their livelihoods and survival, and will engage closely with the private market actors with which they interact. The Business Development Specialist works as a part of the project implementation team and as part of the broader TNC Zambia conservation team, ensuring close communication, collaboration and learning with peers across project and teams. Specifically, they  will provide hands-on strategic guidance and technical oversight for all the project’s business development activities in the natural resources and sustainable agriculture sectors, strengthening community nature-based business management practice, ensuring the participation of women and youth and brokering mutually beneficial commercial relationships among  the private sector , local communities and small businesses.

• Cultivates and develops partnerships with key stakeholders in the landscape, including communities, government agencies, project implementing partners and private sector actors to advance inclusive commercial opportunities.
• In collaboration with the Forestry Department, other relevant government agencies and project partners, works with private sector actors in the natural resources sector to develop commercial markets that stimulate the engagement of rural communities in the sustainable management and utilization of community-managed forests and other natural resources.
• In collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and project partners, works with private sector actors in the agricultural sector to develop and strengthen agricultural value chains and markets in forest-adjacent communities that stimulate the engagement of smallholder farmers and provide incentives for the adoption of climate-smart and sustainable smallholder agricultural technologies and practices.
• Develops and maintains an information base on all formal and informal private sector activities of relevance within the project area and continually scans the market to identify potential opportunities for nature-based business linkage with rural communities.
• Works with Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs) and other community resource management institutions and businesses to identify internal training needs and capacity gaps and pathways to addressing these gaps.
• Builds the capacity of Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs), community-based businesses and small local entrepreneurs in business and financial management practice and mentors the businesses in negotiating beneficial commercial relations with private market actors to maintain and grow profitable nature-based businesses.
• Works with CFMGs and other community resource management institutions to develop business and investment plans based on the natural resources within their areas and high potential market opportunities, ensuring opportunity is provided to women and youth to equitably participate.
• Engages business groups to carry out risk analyses and identify priority challenges faced, then use the proposed solutions from the analysis to design an appropriate plan or strategies of support.
• Oversees tracking of market development activities, ensuring activities and deliverables meet donor requirements, identifying any implementation challenges and providing the necessary support to address them.
• Contributes to developing terms of reference for market development and private investment-related subawards and contract and reviews reports submitted by relevant sub-recipients.
• Works with the project’s monitoring and evaluation staff to report on project activities and measure outcomes in accordance with project requirements
• May require frequent travel to remote locations and in the evening and weekend hours and may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations and under physically demanding circumstances.