Who we are?

Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP) aims to enable innovative, scalable, and profitable enterprises to build prosperity. Our mission is “to foster entrepreneurial solutions for prosperity.” We believe that sustainable transformation requires an entrepreneurial approach to deploy scalable and innovative solutions to foster prosperity. ESP enables people, firms, institutions, and nations to articulate, implement and disseminate solutions to their economic challenges.

Created in January 2011 in Washington DC, ESP through its principals boasts more than 19 years of experience. The firm operates today across the continent through two regional offices: one in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, covering West Africa, and a second in Kigali, Rwanda, for East, Central and Southern Africa operations; ESP has conducted programs and consultancy assignments in over fifteen countries in Africa and is expanding its presence.

ESP’s approach is to provide Intelligent Capital^TM—the right combination of insights and capital—to address critical societal issues. We provide advisory services to diverse clients, including entrepreneurs, SMEs, businesses, governments, and development partners in Africa. We support innovative models and provide leadership training and entrepreneurial boot camps.

ESP is organized into two practice areas to deliver on varied aspects of our mission.

Scale – Entrepreneurial workshops, seminars, competitions and platforms to foster the emergence and development of current and future leaders with real potential for transforming societies in developing countries. Inspiration, incubation, and acceleration programs offered across enterprise’ lifecycle with financing via various vehicles.

Insights – Consulting services aimed at creating and implementing innovative solutions for sustainable development through the competitiveness of value chains, business strategies, leadership and change mentality. We combine the best of a global expertise, a local perspective, and structuring initiatives for the financing of SMEs such as la « Finance S’Engage™! » and data such as “Data for Growth.”

Position Overview

Within the Scale team, the Value Creation team focuses particularly on supporting and creating value for entrepreneurs through hands-on support, tools, and connections.

ESP is currently undergoing a period of organizational growth, with new complex programs being added to our portfolio regularly and implemented in several countries. In this context, two major initiatives aiming at supporting entrepreneurs on the Agri-value chain will be launched in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire in 2024. As an Agri Value Creation Lead, you will bring your expertise to lead the design and implementation of our value creation approach and content for our Agri-entrepreneurs across our different programs.

We are looking for an expert with proven experience and expertise in enterprise-level assistance, agriculture and agribusiness value chains, competitiveness, SME development, access to finance, growth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystem development and business development service delivery.

If, in addition, you have excellent interpersonal and business skills, are an initiative-taker and have an outstanding work ethic, we would love to hear from you!

Duties and Responsibilities

We are looking for an ambitious and motivated Agri Value Creation (VC) lead to play a key role in building our VC approach, from strategy to implementation.

• VC Strategy

– Define and oversee the Value Creation Strategy, approach and content for our programs impacting Agri-entrepreneurs to maximize impact and achieve the targets

–  Identify the necessary resources and systems and support their mobilization

– Identify and build partnerships that could create value and bring relevant experience and expertise for our entrepreneurs to increase the impact of our programs

• Implementation and Team Coordination and Training

– Manage the local VC Team in Senegal and lead effective implementation

– Ensure mastery and continuous improvement of key tools, content, and methodologies for VC support

– Coordinate and lead the delivery of the value creation plan to the entrepreneurs for the agri programs

– Review and validate deliverables and support plans

– Monitor and adjust performance

– Collaborate with the other departments (program delivery, M&E, Insight) for entrepreneurs’ selection, insights and learnings identification and sharing, monitoring and evaluation.

• Practice upgrade

– Proactively improve VC practice, processes, and standards for Agri-programs   

– Identify and implement enhancements in methodology, tools, and partnerships

– Identify and set up a development and training plan for the team

– Build a network of experts and providers

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in the fields of Economics, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, agronomy, Agri-processes, Agri-economy, or another related field.
• Minimum of Eight years’ experience in the field of private sector and SME development in Agri-value chains, enabling environment, and entrepreneurship development.
• Experience in a strategy or operations role for agribusiness companies, preferably SMEs, or a management role for a business unit or a fast-growing agribusiness SME or start-up in the Agri-sector.
• Proven working experience with programs promoting entrepreneurship and SME development, and private sector development projects.
• Good understanding of key challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the Agri-value chain and proven ability to bring adapted solutions.
• Professional or extra-professional experience on the African continent/knowledge of the realities of the continent.
• Versatility and strong analytical skills.
• Fluent in English and French.

We offer.

• An opportunity to become part of a highly professional, motivated, and dynamic team.
• A unique opportunity to have a strong impact in building the African entrepreneurial sector.
• An entrepreneurial adventure to be lived daily.
• An unparalleled personal and professional growth as our longer-term objective is to train / Help the next generation of entrepreneurs.
• A structuring and expanding initiative.
• Access to a high-level network
• A good opportunity to challenge and grow with a competitive rewarding package.

Apply now by sending your CV to:  esptalent@espartners.co  with the reference Agri Value Creation Lead