AWEC is a non-political, non-profit, woman-headed national organization established in 1991 by a group of educated Afghan women in exile, who rallied together to address the lack of facilities for Afghan refugees in Islamabad and eventually Peshawar, in Pakistan. AWEC has always been involved in advocacy and awareness-raising for women and children’s rights while providing services to those who frequently fall through safety nets. In recent years, one of AWEC’s core activities has been to support women through mobilizing Afghans, from local communities to political elites, towards the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating violence against women.

Our vision in AWEC is “an inclusive and just society with sensitized and responsive public and private sector, where all women and children have access to opportunities to improve their quality of life in order to realize their full potential”.

AWEC has zero tolerance approach to the AWEC Code of Conduct including safeguarding, SH, and Fraud violations being committed by its staff, consultants, contractors, volunteers, interns, suppliers, vendors, sub-grantees/partners, implementing partners or any other associate.

1. Background:

The Business Development Expert will identify new business opportunities and clients for established Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). They will be responsible for developing marketing and sales strategies to facilitate the growth of these small businesses. The expert will work closely with livelihood/market specialists to gather and manage data on sales and business processes, conduct market research, and stay informed about industry trends. The goal is to build strong customer relationships and partnerships, ensuring the continuous progress of the businesses. The Business Development Expert will also collaborate with the Business Development Trainer to align activities and support the beneficiaries.

2. Objectives:

Identify new business opportunities and potential clients for established SMEs and MSMEs.

Develop marketing and sales strategies to support the growth of small businesses.

Collect and manage data on sales and business processes in coordination with livelihood/market specialists.

Conduct market research and stay updated on industry trends and dynamics.

Build customer relationships and partnerships to enhance business prospects.

Assist the Grantees in meeting due diligence requirements and preparing qualified grant applications.

Provide training, coaching, and advisory support to Grantees in preparing and maintaining necessary documents.

Ensure regular visits to Microbusinesses and SMEs, monitoring their progress towards achieving milestones.

Collaborate with the Business Development Trainer to support beneficiaries in developing business and financial plans.

Provide reporting input to the Project Manager and Grant Officers regarding Grantees' activities, achievements, and success stories.

Perform other duties as assigned per the project's objectives.

3. Responsibilities:

Identifying new business opportunities and potential clients for established SMEs and MSMEs.

Developing marketing and sales strategies to facilitate the growth of small businesses.

• Collaborating with livelihood/market specialists to collect and manage data on sales and business processes.
• Conducting market research and staying updated on industry trends and dynamics.
• Building strong customer relationships and partnerships to foster business growth.
• Assisting Grantees in meeting due diligence requirements and preparing qualified grant applications.
• Providing training, coaching, and advisory support to Grantees in preparing and maintaining necessary documents.
• Ensuring regular visits to Microbusinesses and SMEs, monitoring their progress towards achieving milestones.
• Collaborating with the Business Development Trainer to support beneficiaries in developing business and financial plans.
• Providing reporting input to the Project Manager and Grant Officers on Grantees' activities, achievements, and success stories.
• Performing any other duties assigned that align with the project's objectives.

1. Qualifications and Experience:

• Proven experience in business development, sales, and marketing, with a track record of supporting the growth of SMEs and MSMEs.
• Strong data management and market research skills.
• Excellent relationship-building and communication abilities.
• Familiarity with grant application processes and due diligence requirements.
• Coaching and advisory experience in business documentation and planning.
• Understanding of financial planning and business strategies.
• Excellent reporting and analytical skills.
• At least 3-5 years of work experience in business development with SMEs, Marketing, and job placement with a sustained interest in business promotion and SME development. 

2. Education:

• Bachelor's degree in business management or administration, finance, accounting, marketing, or related field.

6. Reporting:

• The Business Development Expert will report directly to Project Manager.

7. Evaluation:

• The performance of the Business Development Expert will be evaluated based on their successful identification of business opportunities, the growth achieved by SMEs and MSMEs, data management, effective market research, customer relationship building, and overall impact on project objectives.

Interested candidates are requested to send their applications along with their CVs to the attention of following address recruitment@awec.info

Kindly mention vacancy number and position title in your email's subject line, otherwise you won't be shortlisted. All shortlisted candidates will be directly contacted for test/Interview.

“Being committed to diversity & equal employment opportunity we highly encourage females & people living with disabilities to apply, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, language, religious sect.”