Swisscontact was established in 1959 as an independent foundation by notable figures from the worlds of commerce and science in Switzerland. It is exclusively involved in international development co-operation and has carried out its own and mandated projects since 1961. Based in Zurich, Swisscontact currently employs over 1,400 staff worldwide and manages projects in 36 countries on behalf of public and private donors.

Swisscontact is inviting applications from development professionals, willing to serve as a Sector Officer, to its upcoming innovative skills-development project, Building Skills for Unemployed and Underemployed Labour (B-SkillFUL) in Bangladesh. This is the Phase II of the project which will be funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). B-SkillFUL will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in selected sectors in Bangladesh to create quality employment opportunities for poor and disadvantaged individuals, and to access and utilise business development services (BDS) to improve their business performance. B-SkillFUL will also support the development of private sector led sustainable models for skilling and up-skilling workers to improve their working conditions. In addition, B-SkillFUL will play a catalytic role in initiating and anchoring a private sector led workforce development and enterprise modernisation process in Bangladesh.

Position:  Sector Officer, B-SkillFUL Phase II, Swisscontact Bangladesh
Location: Dhaka with regular visits to field locations
Duration: Initial contract of one year; based on performance, the contract will be extended up to May 2024
Reports to:  Sector Coordinator, B-SkillFUL Phase II, Swisscontact Bangladesh

Purpose of the Job

The Sector Officer is responsible for assisting the Sector Coordinator in identifying and analysing the latest trends in market development, allied constraints and possible solutions with regard to the furniture, light engineering and leather goods sectors, for the designing and smooth implementation of sector oriented skills-development interventions.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

  • Assist in sector (furniture, light engineering and leather goods) analysis and preparing reports;
  • Identify sector (furniture, light engineering and leather goods) constraints and possible solutions;
  • Assist in gathering latest information about relevant private sector partners (SMEs, BDS providers, industry experts, etc.); and
  • Perform any other task(s) as assigned by the Sector Coordinator.

Skills and Experience

The individual must conform to the following qualifications and expertise:

  • Passionate and commited about developing a career within Swisscontact;
  • A bachelor’s degree in any relevant Social Science, Business Administration or Science & Engineering discipline;
  • Minimum 1-3 years of progressive professional experience in any field (private sector preferred);
  • Prior experience in or in-depth knowledge of either of the furniture, light engineering or leather goods sectors will be considered an asset;
  • Effective presentation and listening skills with advanced communication skill in English (verbal and written);
  • Excellent computer literacy in MS Office programmes (specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook);
  • Technical background in quantitative analysis (statistics/econometrics) and/or working knowledge of data analysis tools such as SPSS/Stata will be considered an asset;
  • Is a team player but can also work independently with limited to no supervision;
  • Excellent organisational skills and ability to multitask effectively under pressure;
  • Demonstrates curiosity to learn and acquire knowledge from vastly different sources;
  • Results orientated and strong research and reporting skills;
  • Attentive to details and quality of work;
  • Extra-curricular experiences will be highly values;
  • Works with trustworthiness and integrity and is committed to Swisscontact's core values; and
  • Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity (including sensitivity towards people with disability).

Physical Demand

Field visits play a large part in the incumbent’s activities; as such, it is expected that the incumbent is willing and able to take part in such activities as needed and sometimes under short notice.

Working Conditions and Environment

This will be applicable in accordance to the Swisscontact Staff Manual.

 

Application details:

Please email your application form along with a cover letter (elaborating your competencies for the position and your expected salary) to bd.recruitment@swisscontact.org addressing Head of Business Administration, Swisscontact Bangladesh.

The job description and the application form can be downloaded from our website https://www.swisscontact.org/en/country/bangladesh/work-with-us/jobs.html. Please mention name of the position applied for in the “subject” line of your email. Applications must be submitted on or before 15 May 2020.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for final selection process.

Swisscontact is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage female professionals to apply.