National Expert quality and traceability (Ghana) Full Time

Project : Global Programme Decent Work for a Just Transition (Invest for Jobs) – Access to African markets for high-potential SMEs in Ivory Coast, Senegal and Ghana

Project: 

The three Invest for Jobs projects in Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire work mainly with small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors with high job creation potential. Their main challenges are access to financial services and markets, production capacity and product quality, often resulting in a lack of competitiveness.

The Product Quality Alliance (hereafter: Alliance), part of the Special Initiative, aims to improve the quality of products produced by companies in African partner countries, so that they meet the requirements of international buyers. In this way, exports can be increased and value chains developed, facilitating economic growth and job creation.

To achieve its objectives of creating jobs, improving the business climate for investment and boosting the competitiveness of SMEs, Invest for Jobs relies on three levers.

Output 1: Improving investment conditions for African and European companies in partner countries by identifying and supporting local business projects with investment potential.

Output 2: Increasing the efficiency of selected SMEs: Identifying and supporting promising local SMEs and companies with high growth potential as “champions”.

Output 3: Improvement of the business ecosystem: Extension and/or improvement of the range of advice and services offered to businesses in the selected economic poles or clusters.

The main purpose of this contract is to provide access to international markets, particularly pan-African markets, by improving product quality and certification in order to comply with buyers’ quality requirements, as well as improving companies’ capabilities, particularly in the field of sales and marketing. These interventions contribute to the Invest for Jobs KPIs, in

particular job creation, thanks to improved business competitiveness.

(ToR upon request)

Duration: In total 85 specialist/days in the country

Qualifications :

Training:

·       University degree (Bachelor’s level) in agricultural engineering or another equivalent degree.

Language(s):

·       2 experts with a good command of French (C1) and a good knowledge of English (B2)

·       1 expert in English (C1), with a good knowledge of French (B2)

General professional experience:

·       7 years’ experience in structuring exporting SMEs and/or producer organisations to improve the quality of their internal processes and their products.

Specific professional experience:

·       3 years’ experience in setting up internal control systems, including building the necessary capacity to do so

·       4 years’ experience of implementing quality management protocols (internal management, ISO or HACCP type; or private certification such as GlobalGap, BRC etc.)

Regional experience:

·       7 years’ experience in Ghana

Experience in development cooperation:

2 years’ experience in CD projects

Tasks :

·       Identify and analyse local, regional and international standards relevant to the selected

companies (e.g. quality management standards, private standards, product specifications

of major buyers) in order to meet the (quality) requirements of regional and/or international buyers.

·       Negotiate cooperation contracts with the companies concerned and their suppliers.

·       Develop and implement training and technical support for participating companies to

enable them to comply with identified certifications/standards: Develop curricula and training materials.

·       Advise companies throughout the audit process and on the implementation of corrective

measures, where necessary.

·       Carry out a mock audit in each company concerned.

·       Supporting the implementation of audits and corrective measures resulting from audits,

as well as the issuing of certificates.

·       Assisting expert 1 with any other tasks required for the success of the project.

Regular exchanges within the E2 expert pool and with experts from the E3 expert pool to share best practice, approaches, challenges, etc.

Please send us an updated version of your CV in English