As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Iraq since 2014 and has maintained a country office in Baghdad since 2018. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the European Union (EU), GIZ is working on the three priority areas in Iraq. GIZ offers support in Iraq to help refugees, internally displaced people and host communities improve their living conditions. Here, the aim is to promote social cohesion, create income opportunities and revitalise the local economy. In addition, GIZ has adopted a holistic approach to help improve the country’s economic policy framework. It also promotes the employment and economic prospects for young Iraqis. These measures are being implemented in the autonomous region of Kurdistan and in central Iraq. In order to ensure that Iraqis have better access to public services in future, GIZ is also supporting the decentralisation of the Iraqi administration. The aim is to improve organisational structures and work processes at various administrative levels.
About Project:
The Private Sector Development & Employment Promotion (PSD) Project in Iraq is a multi-donor action commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by the European Union (EU), and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The PSD Project supports governmental efforts of creating conditions for a growth-oriented business and investment climate in central and south Iraq as well as Kurdistan Region Iraq. It provides advisory services for economic reforms to government partners and supports fact-based policymaking through promoting the inclusion of private sector representations, academic institutions, and civil society organizations into policy-making processes.
In addition, the PSD Project supports the creation of employment prospects in the private sector for young Iraqis, especially women and returnees, following an integrated approach that combines labor market-driven skills development and job placement measures as well as entrepreneurship development, and advisory services for MSMEs.
Overall, this multi-donor action emphasizes developing the long-term abilities of its partners such as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, chambers, and business associations. Special attention is given to sectors with a strong potential for growth such as
agribusiness, solar energy, waste management, and tourism, with a regional focus on Baghdad, Basra, Diwaniyah, Diyala, Erbil, and Mosul.
PSD Projects consist of two modules: Module 1 - “The economic policy conditions for a growth-oriented business and investment climate are improved” and Module 2 – “Employment prospects in the private sector for young Iraqi are improved”
Responsibilities:
- Support to the project director, module manager and team leader in project implementation matters, which includes planning, implementing, reporting, and monitoring of activities related to private sector development and entrepreneurship promotion, in line with the objectives set by the commissioning parties (BMZ, EU). The focus is on entrepreneurship promotion primarily among young people in Iraq (for example business idea competitions for students, social media campaigns, hackathons etc.)
- Designing, conceptualizing and implementing of project activities, primarily related to capacity development for entrepreneurship, start-up mentoring and coaching. Support to initiation and maintenance of partnerships and cooperation with the private sector companies.
- Support to initiation and maintenance of partnerships and cooperation with the private sector companies.
- Coordination with and between MSMEs, start-ups, service providers, private and public sector partners.
- Support the management and steering of implementing partners, such as NGOs and service providers, ensuring that implementation is carried out in a cost-efficient manner and in line with GIZ standards and regulations.
- Advise partners on private sector development, entrepreneurship and market innovation topics
- Conducting desk and field research, collecting and assessing data and information relevant for entrepreneurship development.
- Overseeing the development, review, and timely submission of project-related materials, including regular reports that measure and evaluate project results.
- Preparing appropriate inputs for different project reports, including annual reports, briefings, etc. as well as contribution to the other reports required by the project management and GIZ Head Office.
- Designing, organizing and supervising different events like meetings, workshops, missions, webinars, etc.
- Contribute to the project’s communication products (project factsheets, brochures, success stories, etc.) and ad-hoc inquiries.
- Support knowledge management, primarily in terms of collecting, processing and distribution of relevant information. This also includes the development, review and dissemination of sectoral expertise, learning and knowledge materials with project partners and project beneficiaries, company staff, private sector representations, etc.
Other Knowledge, additional competencies
- Education: Minimum university degree (Bachelor) in a relevant field (economics, business development, innovation management, institutional building, engineering etc.)
- Experience: Minimum 3 years of professional experience in the area of private sector development and/or entrepreneurship promotion
- Proven experience in project management or consultancy in an international environment (International development organizations or NGOs). Direct experience in capacity building /Development is a strong asset.
- Knowledge of the local economic structure, framework conditions and public/private institutions in the area of entrepreneurship development.
- Experience in interlinkages between private sector development and market innovations.
- Above average academic Arabic, and fluent English language proficiencies are mandatory (written and spoken – min. C1). German language skills is a strong advantage, and knowledge of Kurdish is beneficial.
- Microsoft Office software literacy.
- Strong managerial and organizational competencies
- Team player, proactive and responsible personality, innovative and flexible.
- Inter-cultural and inter-personal competencies, with strong diplomatic communication skills
Requirements for application:
- The reference number and position must be mentioned in the subject line of the email, Ref: (BGH-PSD22-061) Private Sector Development Advisor Subject line of the application should clearly indicate the vacancy applied for.
- CVs and motivations letters that are in the form of IMG, pictures, screen-shots and links will not be accepted.
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications passed the expiration date of the advertisement will not be considered
