Technical Advisor – International Business & Economic Development

About the Organization

The Salvation Army is an international movement and an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its mission is to meet human needs without discrimination. National Headquarters (NHQ) supports the work of The Salvation Army across the United States and internationally by providing leadership, resources, and strategic support to territorial and local operations.

The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) is a 501(c)(3) international development organization dedicated to improving the health, economic, and spiritual conditions of people in poverty around the globe. For 49 years, we have partnered with individuals, families, and communities to evaluate needs, create transformational action plans, and implement effective strategies to improve lives. We have an active portfolio of $57 million in projects throughout the world emphasizing local ownership and involvement as keys for lasting success.

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SAWSO is searching for an experienced initiator in international development with an entrepreneurial mindset that merges community empowerment with business principles, to create and empower the self-sustainability of The Salvation Army (TSA) mission around the world. TSA operates social programs and church missions in 134 countries, many of which are subsidized by donations from the USA. This position works directly with global TSA partners at the community level to help them identify, test, develop and launch new entrepreneurial business initiatives that can generate new local income to support their work.

It’s full spectrum small business development for social purpose, starting with teaching discovery methodology, coaching and incubating new concepts, and then investing in the home‑grown talent at successive levels ($5k-$500k) to secure sustainable social impact. The work is currently focused on social enterprises, property redevelopment, commercial agriculture, fundraising, and impact investing.

Candidates must have experience and education in international development, small-to-mid scale commercial agriculture, program management, small business development, start-ups, and entrepreneurship. This position within the larger team will specifically be responsible for establishing and scaling out profitable agricultural initiatives, beginning in the TSA Africa Zone.

• Coach TSA partners in the creation and implementation of social enterprises that can generate new local income to support their community mission, including support in business planning, market research, iterative prototyping, marketing, stakeholder engagement, program design, and clear goals/metrices. Implement standard training and evaluation methodologies and provide feedback to continually innovate and iterate.
• Build positive, cross-cultural relationships across the globe to collaboratively define problems, design solutions, and build the capacity of the local TSA partners.
• Manage an international portfolio of business development projects at all stages, steadily moving them from design to implementation, curating strong and trusted relationships, monitoring ongoing operations, adjusting as necessary, and tracking continual investment portfolio performance.
• Develop, implement and scale out a small-scale commercial agriculture methodology that can make use of available arable land owned by TSA, including training, start-up funding packages, self-sustaining circular models, and cooperative purchasing agreements.
• Travel to country offices, international headquarters, or other supporting/donor offices as needed (estimated 15-20%).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

This job description should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the…