Business Model Specialist job at Palladium

Objectives of the Role
CSJ requires the services of a skilled, experienced individual to design and manage its innovations in line with designated Business Models, adhering to programme strategies, contractual requirements, and Group Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Guidelines. This position encompasses responsibilities such as design, strategic planning, partnership management, communication, monitoring, and reporting. The role is in Gulu and will require frequent travel throughout Northern Uganda, particularly the West Nile, along with close collaboration with supervisors.  

Scope of Work
The preferred personnel will deliver the following responsibilities:

WIIGOT Platform Support

• Coach CAs on the use of WIIGOT, including understanding the platform and using its dashboards.
• Build CA confidence in using digital tools through practical demonstrations and continuous follow-up.
• Support CAs to apply the WIIGOT FAQ (i.e., Frequently Asked Questions) Pack when addressing common fears, expectations, and concerns.
• Flag and help address CA troubleshooting experiences on their WIIGOT platform usage.
• Reinforce key messages about the value of WIIGOT to CAs during field interactions.
• Support CAs to communicate the value proposition of WIIGOT onward to SHFs to enhance adoption.
• Identify field-level learnings, patterns, or innovations that could strengthen WIIGOT implementation.
• Flag and help address any WIIGOT operational risks, emerging issues, or areas of concern.
• Support the documentation of field experiences.

Research

• Assist in stakeholder analysis of selected business models.
• Establish contact with potential firms or other market actors.
• Implement interventions from identified opportunities with market actors.
• Liaise with the Evaluation, Results, and Learning (ERL) team to develop tailored research tools and methods for the collection and collation of relevant intervention information from the field.
• Assist in updating and supervising ERL aspects of intervention activities, including establishing baselines, indicators, and results.
• Assist in collecting baseline data related to innovations targeted for study or implementation by the project.

Access to Finance

Support a cross-section of CSJ’s private sector partners including agribusinesses, CAs and FGEs with a range of Access to Finance services including:

• Assessing their financial needs and helping structure options for inclusive financial assistance.
• Mentoring them on the principles of Access to Finance, especially financial discipline.
• Convening and attending inclusive finance stakeholder engagements to identify and establish relationships beneficial to CSJ’s partners.
• Assessing the constraints faced by inclusive finance providers to extend finance in these markets.
• Assessing inclusive finance products offered by finance partners and recommending appropriate and evidence-based adjustments.
• Structuring inclusive finance models and products with finance partners for adoption.
• Monitoring the appropriate use and timely repayment of inclusive finance received.
• Capturing and feedback Access to Finance learning across all partners, including proposing policy adjustments informed by CSJ learning.

Business Model Management

• Manage the delivery of approved Concept Notes and strategies in selected Business Models as per CSJ strategy.
• Collaborate with the Technical Team to deliver Business Cases pitched to the CSJ board.
• Clearly communicate intervention guidelines, expected outcomes, timeframes, and Workplans to all intervention stakeholders.
• Conduct regular field visits to manage intervention implementation and track developments in the relevant sectors/markets/commodity chains.
• Work with the ERL team to design appropriate tools for monitoring the progress of interventions within the various market sectors.
• Liaise with the ERL team to conduct assessments for business models.
• Refine and adapt the Business Model strategies considering participant and stakeholder requests and changing needs and opportunities.
• Identify potential pressure points and failures to address intervention deviations.
• Recommend options to address deviations.

Partnership Management

• Represent the program in selected markets, displaying professionalism, tact, consideration, and discretion in all interactions with partners, other stakeholders, and with the public.
• Establish relevant partnerships with various market actors for assigned Business Models, maintaining good value for money.
• Identify and develop networks of common interests between CSJ and key stakeholders.
• Establish contacts with national and regional institutions, stakeholders, and participants that contribute to the successful implementation of interventions.

 Required Competencies
The preferred candidate will exhibit the following competencies:

• Achieve Results: Sets and aligns challenging, achievable objectives in performance of tasks having lasting impact.
• Think Innovatively: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
• Learn Continuously: Create opportunities to help teams expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• Adapt with Agility: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
• Act with Determination: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner: Politically savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion wider collaboration.

Required Skills and Experience

• Investment appraisal, financial and business modelling and partnerships management.
• Market system development, or private sector development approaches.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the areas of Business Management, Economics, Climate Management, Environmental Management, Soil Management, Agriculture or related field.
• A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in climate change-related projects, economic growth and inclusive private sector projects is key.
• Good communication skills, writing, thinking and communicating in a systems way, relationship management, and innovation.
• Ability to work in complex situations and effectively under pressure, managing competing priorities.
• Strong English language skills.
• The ability to Luo, Lugbara, Arabic, or one other language from West Nile is preferred
• Experience working in the private sector is preferred.

• Coach CAs on the use of WIIGOT, including understanding the platform and using its dashboards.
• Build CA confidence in using digital tools through practical demonstrations and continuous follow-up.
• Support CAs to apply the WIIGOT FAQ (i.e., Frequently Asked Questions) Pack when addressing common fears, expectations, and concerns.
• Flag and help address CA troubleshooting experiences on their WIIGOT platform usage.
• Reinforce key messages about the value of WIIGOT to CAs during field interactions.
• Support CAs to communicate the value proposition of WIIGOT onward to SHFs to enhance adoption.
• Identify field-level learnings, patterns, or innovations that could strengthen WIIGOT implementation.
• Flag and help address any WIIGOT operational risks, emerging issues, or areas of concern.
• Support the documentation of field experiences.
• Assist in stakeholder analysis of selected business models.
• Establish contact with potential firms or other market actors.
• Implement interventions from identified opportunities with market actors.
• Liaise with the Evaluation, Results, and Learning (ERL) team to develop tailored research tools and methods for the collection and collation of relevant intervention information from the field.
• Assist in updating and supervising ERL aspects of intervention activities, including establishing baselines, indicators, and results.
• Assist in collecting baseline data related to innovations targeted for study or implementation by the project.
• Support a cross-section of CSJ’s private sector partners including agribusinesses, CAs and FGEs with a range of Access to Finance services including:
• Assessing their financial needs and helping structure options for inclusive financial assistance.
• Mentoring them on the principles of Access to Finance, especially financial discipline.
• Convening and attending inclusive finance stakeholder engagements to identify and establish relationships beneficial to CSJ’s partners.
• Assessing the constraints faced by inclusive finance providers to extend finance in these markets.
• Assessing inclusive finance products offered by finance partners and recommending appropriate and evidence-based adjustments.
• Structuring inclusive finance models and products with finance partners for adoption.
• Monitoring the appropriate use and timely repayment of inclusive finance received.
• Capturing and feedback Access to Finance learning across all partners, including proposing policy adjustments informed by CSJ learning.
• Manage the delivery of approved Concept Notes and strategies in selected Business Models as per CSJ strategy.
• Collaborate with the Technical Team to deliver Business Cases pitched to the CSJ board.
• Clearly communicate intervention guidelines, expected outcomes, timeframes, and Workplans to all intervention stakeholders.
• Conduct regular field visits to manage intervention implementation and track developments in the relevant sectors/markets/commodity chains.
• Work with the ERL team to design appropriate tools for monitoring the progress of interventions within the various market sectors.
• Liaise with the ERL team to conduct assessments for business models.
• Refine and adapt the Business Model strategies considering participant and stakeholder requests and changing needs and opportunities.
• Identify potential pressure points and failures to address intervention deviations.
• Recommend options to address deviations.
• Represent the program in selected markets, displaying professionalism, tact, consideration, and discretion in all interactions with partners, other stakeholders, and with the public.
• Establish relevant partnerships with various market actors for assigned Business Models, maintaining good value for money.
• Identify and develop networks of common interests between CSJ and key stakeholders.
• Establish contacts with national and regional institutions, stakeholders, and participants that contribute to the successful implementation of interventions.

• Investment appraisal, financial and business modelling and partnerships management.
• Market system development, or private sector development approaches.
• Good communication skills, writing, thinking and communicating in a systems way, relationship management, and innovation.
• Ability to work in complex situations and effectively under pressure, managing c

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the areas of Business Management, Economics, Climate Management, Environmental Management, Soil Management, Agriculture or related field.