Artisan Development Specialist

Location:

Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree related to business and/or international development
2. Minimum 3 to 5 years related experience, including working in a developing country
3. Demonstrated ability to achieve results working with people of other cultures, religions, education levels and economic positions
4. Understanding of global economics and the challenges small enterprises face in developing economies
5. Understanding of the handicraft production process
6. Well organized, systems oriented, reliable self-starter, who is able to work independently and collaborate with multiple stakeholders
7. Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
8. Public relations, negotiating, and fund raising skills
9. Retail business experience in the US
10. Understanding of and commitment to the practice of fair trade
11. Strong support of and commitment to Ten Thousand Villages mission and vision for job creation through Ten Thousand Villages purchases and sales

Assignment Description:

The Artisan Development Specialist is part of the Purchasing Leadership Team and works with the Buying Team (Purchasing Director, Buyers and Designer) and artisan groups to build artisan capacity that enhances Ten Thousand Villages’ trading relationships and supports our business needs and mission objectives. The position is responsible for initiating dialogues and building strategic alliances with other organizations, developing the capacity of existing artisan groups, researching information and resources on behalf of artisan groups, compiling social impact information and budget management.  International travel and some domestic travel will be intermittent and total approximately 1 to 2 months per year.

All duties should be carried out to contribute to company-wide growth in sales and profits, increased productivity, and increased purchases from artisans while keeping expenses within budget.

Responsible To: 

 Purchasing  Director

Working Hours:

Full-time, exempt position. 

Normal office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

International travel to work with artisan partners and development partners will be required.  (approximately 1 to 2 months per year). 

Duties:

Build strategic alliances (25%)

• Identify development or business support organizations that can provide development services to artisan producers in the locations where Ten Thousand Villages purchases.
• Establish alliances between Ten Thousand Villages and other organizations to use their areas of expertise to build the capacity of artisan groups selling to Ten Thousand Villages.
• Maintain and build relationships with MCC country offices and administrative headquarters to encourage engagement in the handmade crafts sector and to coordinate assistance directly to artisan groups.
• Cultivate relationships with other buyers similar to Ten Thousand Villages to build synergy in our collective work with artisan groups.
• Ensure development efforts are functioning in tandem with market opportunities and the goals of the Purchasing Department.

Develop the capacity of existing artisan suppliers (25%)

• Develop and implement plans to build the capacity of existing artisan groups where both Ten Thousand Villages and the group are committed to growth or improvement.
• Manage the Artisan Special Needs fund in consultation with the Purchasing Director and Buyers.
• When appropriate, deliver training or work directly with artisan groups to solve business needs.
• Coordinate and execute evaluations of fair trade practices with existing groups where questionable practices are a barrier in building our relationship.
• Coordinate and document the execution of development plans in partnership with other organizations, consultants or with personal involvement in country.
• Establish a readily accessible library of organizations and resources available to artisans to use in building capacity by following best business practices and improving their development of marketable product.

Research and Resources (20%)

• Conduct research on behalf of the buying team. This can include finding information or tools and sources of expertise to respond to artisan groups’ questions, develop or enhance product and support artisan groups in general.
• Engage volunteers and interns in support of the department’s research objectives as needed.
• Research and analyze geographic trends to guide the growth objectives for increasing Ten Thousand Villages spending with artisan groups in a manner that balances the goals of poverty alleviation and market delivery of strong product.
• Within the geographic regions targeted for growth, identify potential new artisan groups with the capacity to supply Ten Thousand Villages with marketable product.

Compile social impact information (20%)

• Find social assessment studies conducted by other organizations and interpret them from a Ten Thousand Villages perspective, identifying existing research that quantifies the results of Ten Thousand Villages’ work.
• Design 1 or 2 assessment studies annually. Execute the studies; coordinate involvement from in-country consultants as necessary and present findings of the study to buying team and others. 
• Develop and maintain a database of Ten Thousand Villages social assessment information.

Manage Budget (10%)

• Establish the budget necessary to fund Ten Thousand Villages artisan development work.
• Determine appropriate cost sharing with strategic alliances.
• Identify funding sources and procure resources as needed.

Location Description:

Ten Thousand Villages offices and warehouses are located in Akron and Brownstown, PA.  Both towns are located in Lancaster County.  Akron also houses the headquarters of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Bi-National and MCC U.S.

If you are interested in one of the employment opportunities at Ten Thousand Villages please submit your resume and letter of interest to careers@tenthousandvillages.com. Please put the job title in the subject line.