Business Development Assistant – Western Region

Contract

This is a UNV National Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Youth contracts.

UNDP has been long supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in fostering youth-led MSMEs. The initiative was sharpened in 2021 under the Supporting Employment and Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (SEEWAY) Project and later was scaled up and sustained under the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills (YEES) Project from 2022-2027. To this date, UNDP has been supporting over 300 youth-led enterprises across the country in different sectors and value chains aligning with the government’s priority, such as in agriculture, tourism, and small industry. The youth entrepreneurs were supported through a series of business training and financial access, such as soft loans and grants through the Business Innovation Challenge.

The YEES project is focusing on producing two medium-term sub-outcomes: 1) youth become employed and 2) youth become entrepreneurs, which will contribute to UNSDCF/CPD outcome 2: By 2025, institutions and people throughout Timor-Leste in all their diversity, especially women and youth, benefit from sustainable economic opportunities and decent work to reduce poverty, with three interrelated outputs:

Output 1: Youth obtain skills, competencies, and knowledge to be employed. Output 2: Service providers are available to deliver holistic support to enhance employability. Output 3: Youth, including migrants/returnees, obtain skills, knowledge, and services to start or expand their business.

To achieve output 3, YEES Project will deliver a series of entrepreneurship skills development support for youth, including business competition, entrepreneurship training, and day-to-day mentoring to help youth entrepreneurs generate their business ideas and establish and scale up their businesses. Against this backdrop, the YEES Project will hire three Business Development Assistants to support entrepreneurship development focusing on the operating business competition including the Business Innovation Challenge in the Western Region (Liquiça, Ermera, Bobonaro).

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Youth Employment Assistant will perform assignments as below but not limited to:

• Provide assistance to monitor youth-led entrepreneurs who are supported by the YEES project in Timor-Leste to launch, register, or/and expand their business by providing mentoring, monitoring, and guidance on their business plans, management, procurement, etc. • Support the process of organizing the business challenge events by paying attention to all logistical details in the Western Region (Liquiça, Ermera, Bobonaro) • Assist the project in preparing event reports, analytical presentations, infographics, data, etc and implement the project activities at the municipal level. • Work collaboratively with the Finance and Procurement Unit in the overall payment and procurement process.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement • Professionalism • Integrity • Teamwork and respect for diversity • Commitment to continuous learning • Planning and organizing • Communication

/OR No professional experience with: • Equip with practical problem-solving skills, good inter-personal and team building skills, and inter-personal communication and coordination skills. • Experience with international organizations is an advantage; Knowledge and working experience in similar positions for UN agencies or UNDP projects would be an asset. • Good understanding of the local context

Additional skills and expertise: • Strong oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, and reporting skills • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer (Youth)

The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. This is a full-time contract.

Allowances: • Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) USD 610.00 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. • USD 400 entry lump sum, one-time payment. • USD 63.54/month exit lumpsum, paid at the completion of the assignment

Medical and life insurance: • Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins from the Commencement of Service and normally ceases one month after the last day of the UN Volunteer Contract date. • Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum.

Leave entitlements: • Annual leave:  UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment. • Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period. • Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. • Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period.