Marketing And Communications Associate at Development Alternatives, Inc. 59 views1 applications

Background:

The East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) is the U.S. Government’s flagship project under the presidential Trade Africa initiative, launched in 2013 to boost trade and investment with and within Africa. The East Africa Trade and Investment Hub partners with East African and U.S. businesses to attract investment needed to drive economic growth and transform the East African private sector into vibrant global trading partners. The project pursues these goals through four integrated components:

• Policy environment for EAC integration, trade and investment improved and implemented.
• Competitiveness of selected regional agricultural value chains increased.
• Exports and trade promotion, particularly with the U.S. under AGOA, increased.
• Investment and technology transfer between Eastern and Sub‐Saharan Africa and global markets,

Project Goals:

• Improve the policy environment for East African Community integration, trade, and investment
• Increase the competitiveness of select regional agricultural value chains and bolster regional trade in staple foods
• Promote intra-regional and export trade, particularly under the African Growth Opportunity Act
• Facilitate investment and promote the use of available global technology

Expected Accomplishments:

• Double the value of intra-regional trade in the East African Community
• Increase non-oil exports to the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act by 40%
• Foster 10,000 new jobs through firms assisted by the Trade and Investment Hub and its partners
• Facilitate $100 million of new investments in targeted sectors in the EAC
• Increase the EAC’s intra-regional trade in staple foods by 40%

OBJECTIVES:

The Hub’s strategy is geared towards promoting intra-regional and export trade, particularly under AGOA by facilitating a 40 percent increase in exports of value-added products under AGOA and creating 18,500 new full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Target sectors include; apparel, home décor and fashion accessories, footwear, floriculture, specialty foods, coffee and processed agricultural products. The Hub’s activities serve as a tangible stimulus to undertake the trade and investment reforms needed for growth, drawing in the key players needed for systemic change.

PROBLEM:

Globalization offers East African businesses opportunities to participate in the regional and international markets while internationalization presents opportunity for growth and development beyond the local market. Limited access to global markets however denies these businesses significant opportunities confining them to saturated local markets whereas internationalization is necessary for their survival and expansion. Barriers that limit internationalization include limited information on foreign markets and opportunities that exist, limited resources to finance exports, inefficient transactions among others. Use of technology especially ICT offers enterprises a wide range of possibilities for improving competitiveness and market access that include; providing mechanisms for accessing new market opportunities, facilitating product innovations, accelerating market transactions and intensifying the use of information, knowledge and communication in processes. ICT is therefore key to enable to enable business network within the region and internationally and in turn enhance their growth.

SOLUTION:

FROMTU is an online B2B network and trade platform under development with the vision to support companies strengthen their businesses by providing them access to communities of clients, suppliers and investors in the East African region and all over the world. The platform will provide useful and simple information about procedures and regulations for regional and international commerce and explore other ways to ensure access to competitive supporting services including finance, transport, logistics and payments. Fromtu is currently under development and financed by Maersk with the intent to broaden the partnership base with companies, governments and international organizations that have the power and motivation to realize this vision. Fromtu is being piloted in Kenya and will eventually be rolled out across the East African region. The platform will initially target businesses in the tea, coffee, fruits and nuts value chains. The Hub is partnering with Maersk to test and promote the platform as a service to support East African companies to trade regionally and internationally.

The Hub is therefore looking for a Marketing and Communications Associate who will support marketing efforts to potential Fromtu users. The individual will be expected to grow the user base of Fromtu through collaborative outreach efforts involving the Hub and its partners, private sector organizations and government.

TASKS:

The selected individual will be expected to perform the below tasks;

• Develop and advance a comprehensive marketing plan and marketing material for the Fromtu platform.
• Assist in the execution of the marketing plan in Kenya e.g. hosting of trade fairs, networking events, external communication among others.
• Develop a marketing plan for the other countries in East Africa i.e. Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Madagascar through hosting of trade fairs, networking events, external communication among others.
• Develop a marketing plan for other high potential value chains outside of the currently targeted value chains.
• Create official national trade promotion websites that will enable Fromtu support EAC government efforts to promote both regional and international trade

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strongly preferred Master’s degree or equivalent in business administration, marketing, international business, management or related area or equivalent.
• At least 5 years’ experience in developing and implementing marketing and communications campaigns.
• Experience researching trends in end markets, and supporting firms to meet the requirements of end markets, competitors and buyers regionally or internationally.
• Experience that has resulted in contacts with key value chain stakeholders: producers, traders, actors in the supporting markets; and research/policy associations.
• Demonstrated skills for fostering inter-firm collaboration and cooperation between private sector associations, and governments.
• Highly desired 3 to 5 years of private sector experience.
• Experience in directing, coordinating and/or providing leadership under minimum supervision.
• Highly networked individual in the East African public and private sector.
• Demonstrated understanding of the international trade environment in East Africa.
• Ability to use the latest ICT technology and computer software programs.
• Methodical research skills with analytical capabilities in collecting, distilling and interpreting data.
• An innovative and pragmatic problem solver with demonstrable skills for prioritization and organization of tasks.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, ability to work in a team and sell new ideas and innovations.
• Excellent English report writing and communication skills.

REPORTING:

The Marketing and Communications Associate will be seconded to FROMTU, and as such he/she will report on day to day technical matters to the FROMTU Business Development Manager. However the Hub’s Sector Analyst will provide administrative oversight.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

BASE OF OPERATION:

Nairobi with occasional travel in East Africa