Private Sector Advisor

The Private Sector Advisor will lead Plan International Ethiopia's strategic shift toward market-based sustainable solutions and development of dignified employment. The role involves driving business growth through resource mobilization, developing partnerships with private sector actors, and ensuring integration of market-based approaches to deliver sustainable impact at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of Plan International Ethiopia’s private sector engagement and economic development strategy.
• Deliver, at scale, against that strategy for the benefit of women and youth in particular.
• Position Plan International Ethiopia as a credible partner for private sector collaboration and market systems development.
• Drive integration of market systems development, climate-resilient livelihoods, youth employment systems, innovation in digital skills and digital financial inclusion.
• Design and operationalize partnership models including inclusive supply chains, last-mile market delivery mechanisms and workforce development partnerships.
• Incorporate and advise senior management on emerging trends in blended finance, impact investment, and private capital mobilization.
• Provide technical inputs into business development strategies and donor engagement.
• Integrate Market Systems Development (MSD), systems thinking, and scalability into program design.
• Drive the development of high-quality, competitive business proposals, investment cases, and partnership models to mobilize private capital and strategic partnerships.
• Establish and manage a strategic pipeline of private sector partnerships, ensuring alignment with market opportunities and long-term sustainability.
• Ensure commercial viability and financial sustainability are embedded in all market-based initiatives and partnership models.
• Ensure provable and strong quality of delivery via results measurement.
• Lead staff and partner capacity building on MSD, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion etc.
• Promote innovation, learning, and adaptive management.
• Represent Plan International Ethiopia in relevant high-level forums and with relevant donors/investors and business groups such as Chambers of Commerce.
• Build partnerships with other actors across the sector and across Plan globally.
• Influence policy and practice to promote inclusive, gender-responsive economic systems.

Requirements

• Degree in Economics or similar relevant qualification.
• Minimum of 7 years of strong relevant experience in private sector, market systems development, investment, or economic development roles, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
• Proven experience in developing and managing strategic partnerships with private sector actors, investors, or financial institutions.
• Strong experience in Market Systems Development and related approaches.
• Successful experience of attracting investment and developing comprehensive business plans to support investment, with a range of financial service providers.
• A willingness to work across both private sector and development actors.
• Understanding of Climate issues as they relate to business opportunities is an advantage.
• Strong practical experience and ability to analyse labor markets, value chains, and economic ecosystems.
• An understanding, or willingness to develop an understanding, of Ethiopian labor markets, youth employment and private sector policies, enterprise development frameworks, and national economic priorities.
• Demonstrated leadership experience providing strategic direction, technical oversight, and capacity strengthening to teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including strong analytical writing, donor-facing documentation, and high-level technical presentations.
• Experience promoting future-oriented and inclusive economic pathways, such as green jobs, digital livelihoods, circular economy models, and climate-adaptive enterprises (desirable).
• Coaching and mentoring experience to foster a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement (desirable).
• Prior experience in development or humanitarian work is not required.

Skills

• Market Systems Development
• Strategic Partnership Development
• Investment Attraction
• Business Plan Development
• Financial Services Engagement
• Labour Market Analysis
• Value Chain Analysis
• Economic Ecosystem Analysis
• Private Sector Development
• Enterprise Development Frameworks
• Economic Development
• Leadership in Economic Development
• Capacity Strengthening
• Donor-Facing Documentation
• Technical Presentations
• Resource Mobilization
• Climate Business Opportunities
• Youth Employment Policy
• Coaching and Mentoring

Languages

English