Introduction

The European Union (EU) Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience in Timor-Leste (EU Agroforestry-Skills Programme) seeks to promote green and sustainable economic diversification and resilience in Timor-Leste through private sector development, technical and vocational education training (TVET) for youth integration in the labour market.

Carried out over 48 months, the Programme will contribute to the diversification of the Timorese economy, youth employment and strengthening of rural TVET. The entry point is through private sector development, namely by tapping into the potential of the agroforestry sector.

One of the priorities of the Government of Timor-Leste is to diversify the economy, giving special focus to Agroforestry private sector development. This involves enhancing the small and medium enterprises sector, while also removing some of the binding constraints to private sector growth and improving infrastructure, increasing efficiency in the public sector, facilitating credit, and the building up of skilled labour.

A lack of skilled workers and high youth unemployment, particularly of young women, are major development challenges.  The Agroforestry-Skills Programme aims to increase quality employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the agroforestry sector through skills and private sector development, for youth, particularly young women and girls, while promoting a green and circular economy.

The Programme will facilitate skills provision in TVET to be more closely aligned with the needs of the local rural economy of the target geographies, supported by improved capacity of trainers and training institutions and greater participation of industry and the private sector. These factors are critical for ensuring that TVET programmes are producing graduates with the skills that employers in the area are seeking and/or local entrepreneurship capabilities are enhanced. 

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The Programme is focused through four outputs:

• Creation and development of an observatory of the Agroforestry Sector to identify the green and circular economy needs and opportunities for employment of the agroforestry sector in Timor-Leste.
• Improvement in the quality and inclusivity of the TVET through the development of processes and methodologies linked to the private sector demands and training offers.
• An increase in the skills and competences of managers, trainers, and trainees of Agroforestry TVET organisations in Timor-Leste.
• Youth and women are further integrated in the labour market and employment, using digital platforms and facilitation services.

Reporting Line

The National Project Officer will report directly to the Programme Manager. He/she will receive technical guidance and support from the Programme Manager, Rural Development TVET Officer and relevant skills and employability specialists, employment specialists, youth employment specialists, enterprise specialists, employers and workers’ specialists at the HQ and in the region.

He/she will work in close collaboration with identified partners and stakeholder of the Programme.

Description of Duties

General duties:

1.Assist the Programme Manager and Rural Development TVET Officer to create an enabling condition to increase quality employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the agroforestry sector through skills and private sector development.

2. Lead and deliver business development support to Micro, Small, and Medium sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the agroforestry sector, with a focus on practical results and enterprise growth.

3. Provide hands-on support to private sector institutions (including Business Association of Timor-Leste Women, training centres, cooperatives) to strengthen business planning, management, and sustainability.

4. Developing support ecosystems to facilitate entrepreneurship including liaison at national and municipal level with government, local and national supply chain actors, CSOs, and finance institutions, for achieving the objectives of the project.

5. Monitor progress of supported enterprises and contribute to reporting on results, including business performance and job creation.

6. Undertake any other tasks as assigned by the Programme Manager that are within his/her area of expertise and that are relevant to the assignment.

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Technical duties:

7.  Deliver direct business advisory services to MSMEs, including business planning, marketing, and financial management.

8.  Design and deliver practical entrepreneurship training and mentoring programmes, including in business planning, marketing, and financial management, ensuring application to real business cases.

9.  Lead the implementation of Women’s Entrepreneurship Development (WED) activities, including targeted support to women-led businesses. 

10. Support business start-ups, including selected Business Competition participants. 

11. Provide technical support to agroforestry processors, training centres, and cooperatives, including planning, marketing, financial management, and related training, to improve operations, product development, and market readiness. 

12. Facilitate development of viable business models for enterprises and training centres under the Project’s institutional and business planning.

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13. Strengthen cooperatives and producer groups through improved governance and business practices. 

14. Ensure integration of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and environmentally sustainable approaches in all business development activities. 

15. Conduct field visits and provide on-site mentoring to ensure quality and results of interventions.

16. Conduct preparation, and delivery of entrepreneurship training.

17. Mainstreaming gender and social inclusion in training design and delivery.

18. Mainstreaming industry responsiveness and environmental sustainability /circular economy in training design, and delivery.

Required qualifications

Education

University degree (Bachelor of equivalent) in business, economics, finance, marketing, relevant development studies, or a related discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of experience in business development, entrepreneurship skills related activities, preferably in a modern commercial environment, especially business planning, marketing, financial management and business start-up and incubation.  
• Experience working with MSMEs and Start-Ups, ideally including cooperatives.
• Experience in delivering training or mentoring on entrepreneurship activities in commercial environment. 
• Experience on GEDSI approaches, especially in tackling barriers to women in business and supporting women’s business development.
• Project management experience with disadvantaged communities, especially in rural locations.

Languages

Excellent command in English and Tetum language are required

Competencies

• Good knowledge about social, economic development, including labor and employment, trends in  the country
• Ability to maintain good working relationships with all project stakeholders.
• Ability to establish and maintain systems within project operations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technical co-operation projects of international organizations.
• Ability to understand and effectively work with Government, workers and employers organizations, non-government organizations and UN agencies.
• Ability to conduct action oriented research and write analytical technical report in English.
• Ability to conduct policy discussion and high-level political processes.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal, to successfully advocate for and mobilize action to promote freedom of association and right to collective bargaining principles.
• Clear commitment to mainstream gender into project activities.
• Ability to lead and work in a team and good interpersonal relations.
• Ability to train and guide personnel.

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• Ability to work under time pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work in diversified environments.
• Proficient in basic computer software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Reader) and ability to use other software packages required by the Office
• Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
• Demonstrated ability for Business skills, Training skills, GEDSI skills, Communication and facilitation skills
• Knowledge of commercial agriculture/ agro-processing sector market Timor-Leste 
• Ability to interpret project information and to identify and analyse problems with implementation
• Intra-personal skills including working with groups and ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy
• Report writing skills, Good organizational skills
• Ability to oversee the work of and provide guidance to staff.