Enterprise Development Manager

About Access Livelihoods
Access Livelihoods is a group of Hyderabad-based social enterprises that work with marginalised communities to reimagine their livelihoods. Established in 2005, Access Livelihoods is an AIM-NITI Aayog recognised Established Incubation Centre, primarily working on incubating women-owned producer enterprises across primary sectors to create equitable and lasting livelihood opportunities. In January 2022, Access Livelihoods received the National Startup Award for the Best Incubator in the country from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India.

Access Livelihoods offers end-to-end support to marginalised communities, including pre-incubation, incubation, and acceleration support. A team of 120+ passionate individuals, who have graduated from some of India’s best institutions and chosen the road less travelled, delivers these professional services. Presently Access Livelihoods is working with 65000 women producers across five states. To know more about us, visit www.alcindia.org/

Job Title: Enterprise Development Manager
Location: Loisingha block, Balangir in Odisha
Salary: Commensurate with experience

About the Role
In a unique and first of its kind attempt to empower and train neo-literate women to take up entrepreneurial ventures, Access Livelihoods launched the Women Entrepreneurship Programme (WEP), a mini-MBA for rural women.
In the past, we have partnered with the UNDP, GIZ and IRRI to impart managerial and leadership skills to more than 350 women. Women imparted with these entrepreneurial skills are expected to become role models at two levels – start up enterprises helping their household income and also, take up leadership responsibilities in Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs - FPOs’) in a cluster of villages.

This programme is built on the experiential learning framework, with 75% of time spent on structured practicum exercises covering foundational managerial concepts and 25% of the time allocated for facilitated classroom learning to reinforce the theoretical frameworks related to the concepts.
The current edition of WEP in Balangir, Odisha is in partnership with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and is done in association with the women-led Farmer Producer Company jointly incubated by IRRI and AL.
The women participants of the WEP are members of the FPC and have gone through the classroom sessions and are to be supported to establish their enterprises in the ongoing incubation phase. There are various businesses being run in the producer company designed to cater to the needs of farmers. The Enterprise Development Manager is expected to run the incubation phase of the WEP as well as promote a business vertical of the FPC to bring a revenue stream.

What You Must Have

Qualification: Any post-graduation or equivalent qualification. Post-graduation in rural development, entrepreneurship, social sciences and management, with strong field experience will be preferred.

Experience & Language: 4 or more years of experience in entrepreneurship development and leading a revenue generating business. Knowledge of Odia language is a must.

What is Expected of You?
1. Support in establishing women-led enterprises and scaling up their business through compliance and documentation assistance, value-chain analysis, market studies, bank/finance linkages, feasibility studies and business planning.
2. Provide holistic support in planning, establishing and running micro-enterprises
3. Design strategies to effectively support women entrepreneurs to access markets, finance and relevant government schemes
4. Conducting the training of WEP participants, building their capacities and managing their performance
5. Build and maintain partnerships with local state agencies and private players for the implementation of the programme, raising resources and marketing.
6. Ensuring 60% of women participants establish their own enterprise and forming market linkages, resource generation, funding support through convergence.
7. Promote a business vertical of the farmer producer company promoted by Access Livelihoods and ensure profitability.

Essential Skills
1. Deep understanding and engagement with livelihoods issues especially issues of economic marginalization and inequity.
2. Proven abilities in running successful enterprises and in undertaking large scale livelihood programs.
3. Competent in designing business plans and detailed project reports.
4. Demonstrated leadership in operations and in the field.
5. Strong resource mobilization skills.
6. Must be willing to travel to diverse field areas as per the organisation requirement.
7. Demonstrated ability to identify and build relationships with resource persons, mobilize resources and coordinate programs.
8. Strong leadership and project management skills (goal setting, organization and implementation).
9. Demonstrated ability to cultivate, build and maintain strong working relationships with others from diverse backgrounds and perspectives in professional life.
10. Good written, verbal communication and presentation skills.
11. Excellent MS Office Skills (Word/Excel/PowerPoint).

Personal Qualities & Behavioral Traits
1. Strong analytical skills and ability to use analytical/statistical tools; data compilation and good presentation skills.
2. Patience and empathy in dealing with the community and the team.
3. Enjoy working in a busy, deadline-driven, creative environment.
4. Highly organized and disciplined person.
5. Established track record of integrity and resource consciousness.
6. Ability to take sound decisions and steadfastly enforce them.

What We Offer
● A non-hierarchical and professional work environment with job satisfaction
● The joy of creating social impact
● Opportunity to work with and learn from highly experienced professionals
● A chance to truly experience and understand the real India

Interested?
We would be delighted to hear from you. Please send your resume and a brief note (maximum 100 words) on your suitability for the position to paridhi.chanchani@accesslivelihoods.org and hr@accesslivelihoods.org. Please keep “Applying for Enterprise Development Manager as the subject line.