ASM Development Expert

The ASM Development Expert will provide technical advice and lead capacity-building activities for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operators in Zambia, focusing on entrepreneurship, governance, and sustainable productive practices. The role involves planning, coordinating, and delivering training programs, supporting linkages to financial services and markets, and contributing to project reporting and outreach.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical advice to the Lead Technical Advisor (LTA) on ASM operator capacity-building strategy related to entrepreneurship, governance and organization, and sustainable productive practices.
• Plan and coordinate ASM operator screening and selection following established due diligence procedures in coordination with community outreach officers.
• Contribute to the scoping and design of capacity-building packages for ASM operators including entrepreneurship, business management, and sustainable mining techniques.
• Lead scoping and design of a specialized entrepreneurship training program for ASM operators including tailored modules for women-led ASM operations.
• Lead the screening and selection process of ASM operators for participation in project support packages.
• Collaborate with the Skills Development Expert on TVET centres’ institutional capacity support programs tailored to ASM needs.
• Lead delivery of capacity-building activities to ASM operators to strengthen business management, governance, and operational capacities.
• Identify relevant equipment for sustainable practices and/or value addition for grant support.
• Support ASM operators in linking with financial services and market development mechanisms.
• Support dissemination of entrepreneurship and capacity-building achievements to ASM operators and stakeholders.
• Contribute ASM-sector technical content to project visibility and knowledge products.
• Represent the project in ASM-sector forums and stakeholder consultations as delegated by the LTA.
• Lead capacity-building delivery to selected ASM operators.
• Support ASM operators in aligning internal systems with ESG and business standards.
• Facilitate ASM operator access to equipment/tools grants and financial mechanisms.
• Provide technical inputs on ASM entrepreneurship and operator capacity-building indicators for project reports.
• Report on ASM operator selection, screening and support package delivery progress to the LTA.
• Maintain accurate records of ASM operator engagement, training and grant/support package delivery.
• Undertake missions to ASM operator sites and project provinces as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the LTA.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in engineering, sciences, environment, business administration/economics, or other relevant discipline is required.
• Specialization in mining/extractive industries, industrial development, vocational/technical education, or a related field, is highly desirable.
• A first level university degree or an advanced technical college diploma may be acceptable provided it is combined with additional 5 years of professional hands-on experience that is directly relevant to the expertise required by the specific assignment.
• At least five (5) years of professional experience in entrepreneurship development, business advisory services or organizational capacity building for micro or small enterprises, including the ASM sector, is required.
• Experience in projects or programs with technical assistance or training packages targeting ASM operations in terms of formalization and sustainable mining practices, is required.
• Experience designing and delivering entrepreneurship or business capacity-building programs with gender-responsive strategies, is required.
• Experience in evaluating the needs, conditions and problems of the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces or a similar province/region in Zambia is desirable.
• Experience in working with government and development agencies in the province and in Zambia is desirable.
• Experience linking micro or small enterprises to financial services, markets or buyers is desirable.
• Experience conducting beneficiary selection or screening processes for grant or capacity-building programs is desirable.
• Experience working with UN agencies or international development organizations is desirable.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency and/or working knowledge of Bemba is desirable; working knowledge of Kaonde, Lunda or another language spoken in North-Western province is also desirable.

Skills

• Entrepreneurship Development
• Business Advisory
• Organizational capacity building
• ASM Sector Expertise
• Technical Assistance Delivery
• Training Program Development
• Sustainable Mining
• Gender-Sensitive Programme Design
• Beneficiary Selection
• Grant Program Management
• Financial Services Linkage
• Market Linkages Development
• Project Reporting
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Vocational Education
• Mining Industry Experience
• Micro and Small Enterprises Support

Languages

English