- Role: Market Development Manager
- Venture: Matunda Hub
- Location: Soroti, Uganda
About Matunda Hub
Matunda Hub is a start-up social enterprise based in Soroti, Eastern Uganda with a mission to support rural and urban youth to develop (fruit) agribusinesses in Uganda through entrepreneurship skills, capacity building in value addition, access to shared agro-processing facilities and equipment, technology, seed capital, coaching, mentoring and networking through existing and developing new community structures.
Matunda Hub facilitates fruit sector development and creates a platform for stakeholders to make it easy to interact and find their position in the community to effectively and positively contribute to a socially and economically healthy environment.
Moreover, Matunda Hub is currently developing its own fruit-related product line (dried fruits, fruit powder etc) to offer a market to fruit farmers, reach financial self-sustainability and create jobs in the region.
About You
At Matunda Hub, we envision a world where every young person in Uganda has the opportunity to be employed or self-employed to pursue a decent living. As a start-up, we believe in and build upon innovative and disrupting approaches to solve social and economic problems, such as unemployment, poverty and skills redundancy, as a key to impact and change. We are therefore looking for a hands-on, creative and open-minded candidate to support our social enterprise.
Responsibilities
As a Market Development Manager for Matunda Hub, your responsibilities will include:
- Steering the design and development of a market strategy for fruit products and distribution systems to available local and regional markets. This will include supporting branding and promotional campaigns.
- Creating a market for new and existing fruit products (e.g. a dried fruits snack, fruit powder, among others) within Uganda (involves travels in Northern, Eastern and Central Uganda)
- Coordinating and guiding sales/ merchandise agents in sales strategies.
- Carrying out market surveys and assessments in the target geographic areas to ascertain the current situation, economic opportunities and required resources to successfully introduce fruits (products) into the market.
- Collaborating and networking by establishing and maintaining good coordination and productive working relationships with existing and potential buyers of fresh fruits and processed fruit products
- Fostering ongoing positive cooperation with relevant stakeholders, including local agribusiness owners, local representatives, community members and forge links between market actors, producers, end consumers, etc.; This will include exploring partnerships with private and public sector actors to design, test, and deliver a wide range of appropriate services that increase effective smallholder farmer engagement within the agricultural market system.
- Maintaining proper filling system in regard to market development activities of the program and contribute to annual work plans/budgets and other technical reports.
Sound exciting? Here’s who we are looking for.
Skills & Qualifications
- The ideal candidate for the Market Development Manager position holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, Agribusiness, economic development or any other relevant field.
- Previous exposure and experience with market facilitation, supporting systemic change and promoting regional economic, social and/or agricultural development is preferred.
- Highly motivated and motivating individual who can guide Matunda Hub, SMEs as well as youth entrepreneurs in market development with minimal supervision.
- Practical work experience in a start-up or social enterprise is an added advantage.
- Basic knowledge in agribusiness and/ or food sector, especially fruit farming or processing is an added advantage.
- Ability to communicate across and network efficiently with diverse stakeholders (farmers, youth, local authorities and well-established business men) is highly desired.
- Willingness to travel across the country (often with public means).
- Entrepreneurial mindset is a plus: flexibility, open-mindedness, problem solving skills and creativity.
- Excellent writing, organization, prioritization and negotiating skills.
- Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
