Market Development Director, Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (UWASH) Activity

Position Title: Market Development Director, Urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (UWASH) Activity

Department/Program: WASH

Reports to: WASH Director

Based in: Addis Ababa

Level: TBD

Required number: One

Vacancy type: Internal/External

Duration of contract: Indefinite based on performance and availability of funds

Remuneration: As per organization pay scale plus other PSI/Ethiopia staff benefits.

Vacancy posted on: June 7, 2024

Application Deadline: June 20, 2024

Who we are?

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non?profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to toilets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $400m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 40 countries.

Join us!

There are over 9,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds - from the medical industry to the music business - all with unique skills we bring to the job.

PSI/Ethiopia wants to reimagine healthcare, put the consumer at the center, and whenever possible, bring quality care, products, and services to the front door. We achieve health impact in Ethiopia by working with both government and private sector partners and harvesting technology innovation to bring quality, products, and services care closer to communities, schools, and homes. We empower consumers by including them in the design of healthcare solutions, offering them more healthcare choices, and helping them to have a voice in influencing national priorities. We work with all market actors in the health system to understand their needs, designing and delivering solutions so that market systems can sustainably serve consumers for the long term, helping to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving Universal Health Coverage.

With support from the Government of Ethiopia and international donors such as USAID, CIFF, and other private foundations, PSI has worked in Ethiopia since 2003 and has roughly 275 staff. PSI implements market development and behavior change programs to increase access to and use of products and services for WASH, sexual reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and cervical cancer.

The Urban WASH project would add to PSI’s significant work in the Ethiopia WASH sector to increase market access to and sustained use of a broad spectrum of affordable WASH products and services. PSI has reached more than 200,000 households in all its implementation regions with PSI-supported WASH products and services. We achieve this by transforming the market for low-cost, desirable, and quality WASH products and services through stimulating demand at the community level, harnessing public stewardship, strengthening supply chains, and improving the enabling environment for a vibrant private market. PSI supports government sanitation strategies with technical support and training, has a network of nearly 500 private sector small business partners in all nine regions, and employs a user-centered design approach to develop affordable WASH products, business models, and financing mechanisms.

We are looking for a Market Development Director to oversee activities to strengthening the urban WASH market development under the five years Urban WASH USAID-funded project with PSI Ethiopia. The overall purpose of this Activity is to support accelerated access to inclusive and resilient water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services in targeted urban and peri-urban areas through four complementary objectives: 1) strengthen GoE urban WASH planning, budgeting and service delivery oversight; 2) strengthen the operationalization of an independent regulator; 3) enable and professionalize public and private WASH service providers; 4) extend WASH services to poor and marginalized households.

The Market Development Director Serves as technical lead for cultivating markets for pro-poor and inclusive WASH services (Objective 2 of Urban WASH). He/she will oversee market development staffs and works closely with regional and national staffs to develop and execute consumer-responsive, pro-poor WASH interventions, including potential subsidy schemes and public-private partnerships.

Key Result Areas:

·        Market assessment development and enhancement (e.g., create new market, make existing markets work better, product and service accessibility)

·        Urban WASH Product and service development, develop test and prototype new product and service delivery models.

·        Enhanced private sector engagement and public private partnership framework for urban WASH.

·        Entrepreneurs and WASH Service providers capacity development and business development service provision (e.g., best practice sharing, training, coaching, business planning)

·        Demand activation and promotion to increase uptake and use of improved WASH products and services Business development support.

·        Implementation of pro-poor approaches to enhance access to WASH services for the poorest sections of society.

·        Consumer and business Financing and subsidy implementation

·        Oversee and manage staffs closely supporting the project in private sector engagement related activities.

·        Stakeholder engagement (e.g., additional funds raised, support gained from partners, by leveraging the initiative)

Sounds like you? Read on!

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Is a technical lead for cultivating markets for pro-poor and inclusive WASH services (Objective 2 of Urban

     WASH). Oversees WASH Product Quality Advisor and demand creation advisor; works closely with regional market facilitation specialists, GESI advisor, and technical team to develop and execute consumer-responsive, pro-poor WASH interventions, including potential subsidy schemes and public-private partnerships. Reports to deputy chief of party.

·        S(he) will be responsible for business and product model development for local enterprises, manufacturers and other businesses and support for integration and innovation of the product options and product/service bundles into the existing business portfolio.

·        S(he) will also ensure institutional engagement in support of private sector participation and represent the project on public-private sector issues at strategic planning meetings with collaborators and donors.

·        Oversee market landscaping, throughout the project to identify barriers and opportunities in the existing WASH supply chain and provide recommendations that could potentially strengthen the supply of WASH products and services to low-income consumers, including guidance on distribution, production and sales.

·        Lead the development of sustainable business models that lay out the product offering, distribution channels, pricing and sales models, P&L calculations, and public and private finance partners.

·        Identify, vet, and incubate private sector partners to deliver quality products and services through the development of systems, partnerships, contracts, and other tools to strengthen manufacturing and distribution.

·        Support the Regional WASH Service Leads and WASH Market Specialists to manage market segmentation activities and collection and dissemination of market intelligence.

·        Work with government and private-sector actors to develop high-quality, affordable products and fecal sludge management services.

·        build the capacity of collaborators in reliable service provision; engage private sector actors to strengthen the sanitation supply chain.

·        collaborate with the Demand Creation Advisor to increase sustained consumer demand for services.

·        work with relevant government actors to strengthen the enabling environment for WASH market development.

·        Identify and build the Regional WASH Service Leads and WASH Market Specialists capacity to introduce methods that have the potential to strengthen the supply of WASH products and services to low-income consumers, including guidance on distribution, production, and sales.

·        Assess needs, opportunities, gaps and constraints for accessing finance for businesses and consumers. Facilitate financing products suitable for business and consumer’s needs. 

What are we looking for? The basics

·     Master’s Degree/ Bachler’s Degree in Marketing, Business Economics Public health and related fields

·     At least eight years with a Master’s /ten years with a Bachelor, experience in a position with similar responsibilities, preferably in market development, Private Sector Engagement, Enterprise development, social marketing, urban WASH, project/ program management, with extensive experience in Ethiopia. 

·     Technical expertise on market development, including private sector engagement, supply chain optimization, capacity building, design of WASH products and service improvements, and entrepreneurship.

·     Experience and skill in conducting market assessments, demand studies, and Business capacity assessment.

·     Experience in Business capacity development and Enterprise growth through Business development services.

·     Skill in devising approaches for market for the poorest segment of the society through product development, Demand activation sales financing and subsides.

·     Deep understanding of Market Context in Ethiopia, Knowledge of Ethiopian urban WASH context and specifically the urban sanitation and fecal sludge management in Ethiopia.

·     Presentation and facilitation skills.

·     MS office applications skills, skill in data management software, its use interpretation and analysis is a plus.

·     Fluent in English and Amharic (spoken and written), additional language is a plus. 

·     Ethiopian Citizen  

What would get us excited?

·     Experience in building capacity of private sector businesses and developing viable business and service delivery models for improving access to WASH services in Urban WASH context  and experience in Public private partnership arrangements.

·     Knowledge of the WASH Sector, the WASH regulatory framework and existing relationships with key government stakeholders engaged in urban WASH.

·     Extensive knowledge on Ethiopian trade and business policies and regulatory framework and investment practices and policies

·     Understanding of the financial markets in Ethiopia and experience in sector business and consumer financing.

·     Experience in developing financial models for small/medium-sized businesses that get results.

·     Demonstrated track record working with the private sector, and private-public partnerships.

·     Experience managing a team of staff preferred.

·     Excellent diplomatic, oral/written skills and presentation abilities. 

How To Apply

Are you intrigued? Apply!

By following our 3 steps application process:

1.      Fill out the application form using the following link: Online Application Form. It will only take 5 to 10 minutes.

2.      Send your CV and application letter to recruitment@psiet.org clearly mark “Application for Market Development Director, UWASH Activity Position” in the subject line.

3.      Check your email and make sure you receive an automatic response acknowledging receipt of your CV. If you don’t receive the automatic response, check again your subject line and if needed, re-submit your CV and application letter with the correct subject.

Application deadline June 20, 2024. We’ll call or e-mail you back if there is a good fit on both sides.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.