Business Development Advisor, Women-Led SMEs

About this role

Empower Women Entrepreneurs as a Business Development Advisor! Cuso International is looking for a skilled and passionate professional to join the Volunteering Cooperation Program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In this role, you will work with the Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce to strengthen women-led small and medium enterprises across coastal regions. Your work will focus on improving business performance, increasing market access, and supporting sustainable growth within the blue economy.

Through the SHARE Project, you will help women entrepreneurs build resilient, profitable businesses in sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, and coastal value chains. As a Business Development Advisor, you will conduct needs assessments for women-led SMEs, identify growth opportunities, and support entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses. You will deliver training on entrepreneurship, business planning, financial management, and investment readiness. You will facilitate market linkages with buyers, tourism operators, exporters, and financial institutions, assist in developing business plans and marketing strategies, and integrate climate resilience and gender-responsive approaches into business support.

Essential qualifications include a degree in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness, Marketing, Economics, or International Development, along with strong business advisory and coaching experience, knowledge of value chain development and market access strategies, excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills, and strong analytical and report-writing abilities. Understanding or experience in blue economy sectors is an asset. Cuso International is a Canadian organization with over sixty years of experience supporting equity-deserving groups through economic resilience, equity advancement, and climate action initiatives across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. The SHARE Project partners with the Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce for this five-month placement beginning September 2026 in Dar es Salaam.

Cuso provides comprehensive support including monthly living allowance, accommodation, health insurance, round-trip airfare, visa and work permit costs, pre-placement and in-country training, ongoing local support, and access to an Employee Assistance Program during and after placement.