Technical Specialist - Enterprise Development

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation; Davao City; On-site; PHP 670,000 - 1,228,000; Full time

Job summary

UNIDO Philippines seeks an experienced Technical Specialist - Enterprise Development to drive enterprise upgrading and value chain development under EU4Mindanao. The role focuses on diagnostics, market linkages, and capacity building for MSMEs and cooperatives in Mindanao, with emphasis on gender equality, LNOB inclusion, and climate-smart practices.

Reporting to the CTA and in coordination with FAO, MINDA, and local partners, you will design and implement BDS interventions, monitor indicators,

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in business administration, agribusiness, economics or related field is required.
• Seven+ years of progressive experience in enterprise development, MSME/cooperative support, or value chain development is required.
• Experience delivering capacity-building, coaching or mentoring to entrepreneurs and cooperatives is desirable.
• Experience working with MSMEs, cooperatives or agribusiness in the Philippines, Mindanao or similar contexts is required.
• Experience integrating gender equality, social inclusion and rights-based approaches into enterprise development is desirable.
• Experience with UN agencies or EU-funded projects and applying EU visibility requirements is desirable.
• Fluency in English and Filipino (Tagalog) is required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct enterprise diagnostics and value chain analyses to identify constraints and upgrading opportunities.
• Design and implement enterprise upgrading interventions, including market linkages and business development services.
• Provide technical guidance on sustainable production practices and climate-resilient business models.
• Coordinate with EU4Mindanao Outcome 1 and FAO/MinDA partners to ensure coherence of interventions.
• Deliver training and coaching to entrepreneurs and BSOs; document lessons learned and best practices.
• Monitor indicators, prepare reports, and support knowledge management.

Skills

Enterprise development

MSME & cooperative support

Value chain development

Business development services

Coaching & mentoring

Gender equality & LNOB

Education

Master's degree or equivalent in business/agribusiness/economics

First level university degree + 7+ years relevant experience

Job description

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Title: Technical Specialist - Enterprise Development

Requisition ID: 7925
Grade: ISA-NOD
Country: Philippines
Duty Station: Davao City
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Contract Duration: 6 months
Application deadline: 31-Aug-2026, 11:59 PM(Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

PROJECT CONTEXT

This position is funded under the “European Union Support for Resilient Mindanao” (EU4Mindanao) Action, which is part of the European Union’s long-term support to building lasting peace and promoting inclusive development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Mindanao as a whole.

With the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) as the Overall Government Partner, EU4Mindanao is jointly implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as lead agency and Administrative Agent, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Action focuses on localizing a quadruple humanitarian, peace, climate and development (HPCD) approach in communities that face multi‑faced and interlocking vulnerabilities. These communities are composed of Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and those at risk of displacement, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women and girls, and youth in Mindanao, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and in the BARMM. Despite recent efforts to address persistent challenges in GIDAs and to advance the Bangsamoro peace process, these groups have not fully benefited from the resulting peace dividend due to persistent conflict, exposure to multiple hazards, longstanding discrimination, shortcomings in legal frameworks, and other sources of instability.

The impact (overall objective) of the EU4Mindanao Action is to foster an enabling environment for sustainable peace and development in Mindanao. Two Specific Objectives/Outcomes have been formulated:

• Outcome 1: Local communities' resiliency is increased.
• Outcome 2: Local value chains and value addition, fair production and economic opportunities for target communities are strengthened.

While both Outcomes aim to increase local productive capacities, they will respectively focus on agriculture (Outcome 1, FAO) and processing/agro‑industry (Outcome 2, UNIDO). To operationalize the HPCD nexus, the human security approach and conflict‑sensitive programming will be applied across both Outcomes, ensuring programmatic coherence and cost‑effectiveness that maximize lasting impact. The Action is aligned with the 2024‑2028 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the EU Multi‑annual Indicative Programme (MIP) for the Philippines (2021-2027), and the Mindanao Agenda 2023‑2028 of MinDA.

ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty and hunger reduction, inclusive and fair globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019 as well as the Riyadh Declaration adopted at the twenty‑first session of UNIDO General Conference in 2025, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Member States. The relevance of this mission as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, however, applies to all SDGs.

The medium‑term programme framework (MTPF) 2026 - 2029 is UNIDO’s core strategic document and it is in line with UNIDO’s Vision 2050. It sets a renewed vision to support Member States and shape their industries for development. The priorities include fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, renewable and clean energy, sustainable energy access and climate action. Cross‑cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards‑related activities; and (iv) convening and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer, investment mobilization, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub‑regional Offices and Country Offices.

DIRECTORATE OF SDG INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (IET)

The Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro‑industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate‑relevant or climate‑improving technologies.

It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative technical cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders.

The Directorate houses the Divisions of Coordination and Integration Support (IET/CIS), Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public‑Private Partnerships (PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST)

Under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST) develops and implements an innovative service package in response to UNIDO's mandate for fair and responsible local industrial production and trade with a particular focus on building the required skills and capacities and foster a conducive business operating environment to ensure that such production and trade are as inclusive as possible, promoting – among others – the development of human capital through vocational training and industrial skills development.

In collaboration with IET/IFI, IET/PPP, TCS/SME, TCS/CPA, and GLO/MSR, the Division will conceptualize and negotiate such services and raise funds from Member States, development partners, IFIs, and the private sector to coordinate their effective implementation and devise ways in which their implementation can be brought to scale.

This will include cross‑cutting and sector‑specific initiatives for sustainable supply/value chain and skills development in industrial sectors where UNIDO has, over the years, accumulated expertise, such as agro‑industries, fisheries, textiles, leather, light manufacturing, health, mining, automotive and pharma and others. It will do so through close engagement with Member States, private sector associations, industrial enterprises, international quality, standards and trade‑related governing bodies, other UN Agencies (e.g. ILO), development partners, NGOs and consumer associations, as appropriate, ensuring solid and operational partnerships.

Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit (IET/PST/SEF)

The Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Fair Production Unit supports Member States in integrating into the emerging global systems of fair and sustainable trade and supply chains. It aims 62 to increase employability, strengthen access to decent employment, augment job retention, and increase access to qualified workforce by the industry, through modern technical and vocational education and training (TVET), professional education and entrepreneurship systems essential for driving sustainable transition. Central to its mandate is the commitment to provide the skills required to enabling sustainable supply chain practices, ensuring resilience, particularly at the firm level, and addressing the challenges and opportunities arising from new due diligence regulations. To this end, it provides specialized and country‑tailored assistance to Member States to skill, upskill, and/or reskill their labour force and enhance their entrepreneurship capacity, it implements demand driven educational approaches, leverages partnerships with the private sector and strengthens institutional and firm‑level capacities that fortify sustainable supply chains, with emphasis on the most vulnerable. It places importance on mitigating unintended consequences stemming from due diligence regulations, ensuring that all actors, especially at firm‑level, are equipped to navigate through these changes. The Unit promotes innovation in learning, concepts and norms to augment the quality, relevance, attractiveness and accessibility of TVET for sustainable industrial employment and self‑employment for the most vulnerable. The Unit also deploys foresight and planning instruments to guide Member States in developing industrial skills of future employees and respond to re‑skilling and up‑skilling requirements tailored for sustainable supply chains.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall guidance of the Chief Technical Advisor and in coordination with the EU4Mindanao Outcome 2 team, with regular coordination with the UNIDO Country Office in the Philippines, the Enterprise Development Specialist will provide subject matter expertise throughout the project implementation cycle. S/he will focus on the implementation of Output 2.2 and increasing agribusinesses/cooperatives’ access to Business Development Services. S/he will also provide coaching assistance to beneficiaries and relevant counterpart organizations as needed.

Specifically, the Specialist will perform the following duties:

MAIN DUTIES

measurable

Outputs to be achieved

Enterprise and value chain development

• Conduct enterprise and value chain diagnostics to identify constraints, opportunities and upgrading pathways for businesses and cooperatives in selected priority sectors, including gender‑disaggregated and LNOB‑sensitive data.
• Design and implement enterprise upgrading interventions, including business development support, productivity improvement, quality compliance and market linkage facilitation.
• Provide technical guidance on sustainable production practices, resource efficiency, and climate‑resilient business models.
• Support integration of businesses/cooperatives into inclusive and sustainable value chains, in coordination with the EU4Mindanao Outcome 1 team and other partners where relevant.
• Facilitate partnerships between businesses/cooperatives, anchor firms, financial institutions and support institutions.
• Value chain and enterprise diagnostic reports prepared for all targeted sectors within agreed timelines.
• Enterprise upgrading plans developed and implemented.
• Support on improved business practices provided.
• Sustainability and climate‑resilience measures integrated into enterprise support interventions.
• Market linkages or partnership agreements facilitated and documented for supported enterprises.

50% of working time

Capacity building and technical assistance

• Design and deliver training programmes, coaching sessions and workshops for MSMEs and business support organizations (BSOs).
• Develop or adapt training materials and tools relevant to enterprise competitiveness and sustainable production.
• Provide on‑site technical advisory services and follow‑up mentoring to beneficiary enterprises.
• Support strengthening of local institutions delivering enterprise support services.
• Training modules and technical tools developed/adapted and validated.
• Training sessions delivered annually as per workplan, with participant records and evaluations.
• Support to beneficiaries and progress on knowledge and improved business practices duly documented.
• Local BDIs/partner institutions capacity to deliver enterprise support services supported.

20% of working time

Coordination and stakeholder engagement

• Work closely with the CTA, the Technical Specialist – Industrial Development, the TVET Specialist, the FAO technical team and MinDA focal points to ensure coherence of enterprise‑related interventions.
• Participate in technical working groups, coordination meetings and field missions.
• Participate in commodity‑specific Technical Working Groups (TWGs) jointly with FAO counterparts. Coordinate with OHCHR on Activity 2.2.4 and with LGUs on Activity 2.2.5.
• Participate in technical working groups, coordination meetings and field missions.
• Support organization of stakeholder consultations, validation workshops and public–private dialogue processes.
• Enterprise development activities implemented in alignment with joint UNIDO–FAO planning and annual workplans.
• Regular participation in coordination meetings (minimum quarterly), with documented inputs.
• Stakeholder consultation meetings organized and documented for each targeted value chain.

10% of working time

Monitoring, reporting and Knowledge Management

• Collect and analyse enterprise‑level data, including gender‑disaggregated and inclusion/LNOB‑sensitive indicators.
• Contribute technical inputs to quarterly and annual project reports, the inception report, mid‑term and final evaluations.
• Contribute to the Action's learning and knowledge management function by documenting lessons learned, good practices and success stories related to enterprise development interventions, and providing data and case material to the M&E Specialist
• Support the M&E Specialist in tracking project indicators under Output 2.2.
• Enterprise performance tracking system maintained and updated quarterly.
• Timely technical inputs provided for all reporting cycles.
• Minimum of two documented case studies or success stories per year related to enterprise upgrading.
• Evidence‑based recommendations proposed to improve intervention effectiveness.
• Technical, learning and knowledge inputs collected/provided.

10% of working time

Cross‑cutting support and sustainability

• Ensure integration of gender equality, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and conflict sensitivity into enterprise development activities.
• Ensure compliance with European Union visibility requirements and proper implementation of the project’s communication and visibility activities across actions, including in line with the European Commission’s “Use of the EU emblem in the context of EU programmes 2021‑2027” and “Communicating and raising EU visibility – Guidance for external actions” (July 2022).
• Ensure activities and products under Output 2.2. are aligned with EU and UNIDO visibility guidelines.
• Identify opportunities for scaling up successful enterprise interventions and linking them to existing and/or follow‑on programmes.
• Perform other ad‑hoc duties as required by the project.
• Alignment of Output 2.2. activities and products with EU and UNIDO visibility guidelines.
• Inclusion and sustainability strategies applied in enterprise selection and support processes.
• Donor visibility ensured in a uniform manner across produced products.

10% of working time

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in business administration, agribusiness, economics, industrial engineering, value chain development, rural development, sustainable production, development studies, or another relevant discipline is required. Alternatively, a first level university degree or an advanced technical college diploma may be acceptable provided it is combined with additional7 years of professional hand‑on experience that is directly relevant to theexpertiserequired by the specific assignment.

Technical and Functional Experience:

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressive professional experience in enterprise development, MSME and cooperative support, value chain development, business development services (BDS), or agro‑industrial development, is required.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting enterprise diagnostics, value chain analyses, and designing and delivering business development services, is required.
• Experience in delivering capacity‑building, coaching, or mentoring to entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and BDS providers, is desirable.
• Experience working with MSMEs, cooperatives, or agribusinesses in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao or in comparable contexts, is required.
• Experience in integrating gender equality, social inclusion, HRBA, FPIC, "do no harm" and rights‑based approaches into industrial development interventions, is highly desirable.
• Experience in designing or implementing programmes within HDP Nexus, resilience‑building, social cohesion, peacebuilding, or recovery contexts, is desirable.
• Experience in integrating gender equality, social inclusion, HRBA, FPIC, "do no harm" and rights‑based approaches into enterprise development interventions, is desirable.
• Experience working with UN agencies, international organizations, or EU‑funded projects, including the application of EU communication and visibility requirements, is desirable.
• Experience working in conflict‑affected or fragile contexts, including in BARMM, is desirable.

Languages:

Fluency in written and spoken English and Tagalog are required.

CORE VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS

CORE VALUES:

• Excellence– Deliver high‑quality results; continuously improve performance
• Integrity– Uphold ethical standards; act transparently and responsibly
• Inclusion– Promote respect, diversity, and fairness
• Humility– Show self‑awareness; value others’ contributions
• Humanity– Act with compassion; align work with sustainable development

CORE BEHAVIOURS:

• Connect & Collaborate- Build trust through communication and teamwork; Share knowledge and embrace diversity
• Analyse& Plan- Use data and evidence for decision‑making; Plan proactively and prioritize effectively
• Deliver Results with Positive Impact- Take ownership and deliver quality outputs; Align work with UNIDO mission and objectives
• Learn and Develop- Continuously develop skills; Seek feedback and share knowledge
• Adapt and Innovate- Respond flexibly to change; Embrace innovation andnew approaches

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.

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