Business Growth & Ecosystem Advisor

Position Title: Business Growth & Ecosystem Advisor (Nationals Only)

Position Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Reports To: Project Deputy Director/Investment Lead (Dpd)

Contract Term: 01 Year, Renewable

Languages Required: Fluency in English and Vietnamese is required

Application Deadline: [May, 2026]

BACKGROUND

WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 350 staff, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors and philanthropic foundations.

The AGILE Project

The Advancing Growth, Innovation & Leadership for Enterprises in Vietnam (AGILE) project is a four-year initiative (2025–2029) implemented by WUSC with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The project aims to contribute to the increased resilience of Vietnam's climate-vulnerable populations by fostering a more effective and inclusive business ecosystem that supports the growth of Climate Enterprises (CEs), especially those that are women-led or serve women.

AGILE operates at the intersection of gender-lens investment, climate adaptation finance, and enterprise growth. The project pursues three interlinked pathways to achieve systemic change:

• Outcome 1100: Strengthened support from ecosystem actors to Climate Enterprises (CEs), embedding gender and climate criteria into enterprise support models.
• Outcome 1200: Increased investment in gender-responsive and inclusive CEs by developing pipelines of investment-ready enterprises and reducing perceived risks for investors.
• Outcome 1300: Increased deployment of funds using a gender lens by strengthening investor capacity to apply Gender Lens Investing (GLI) principles.

WUSC is seeking to recruit a Business Growth & Ecosystem Advisor (BGEA) to work for the AGILE Project in Vietnam.

NATURE AND SCOPE

As the focal point for Outcome 1100, the BGEA will be primarily responsible for the overall technical design, implementation, monitoring, delivery, and reporting of all activities related to Outcome 1100: Strengthened support from ecosystem actors to climate enterprises.

In terms of committed targets, the BGEA is collectively responsible for contributing to achieving the
“Number of Ecosystem Actors (relevant organizations/entities in the ecosystem) directly engaged to improve the investment ecosystem (ID1)”; “Number of Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) trained and coached to deliver incubator and acceleration programs for CEs (ID2)”; and “Number of CEs benefiting from incubator and acceleration programs (ID3)”; contributing to
increased resilience of Vietnam's climate-vulnerable populations.

The BGEA will work closely with BK Holdings, other ESOs, investors and CEs to co-plan, design, organize, implement, monitor, evaluate, and report on related activities, while also coordinating with the Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship (WISE). Additionally, the BGEA will collaborate with consortium partner Sarona Asset Management, Headquarter (HQ) advisors, and the Ministry of Finance’s Agency for Private Enterprise and Cooperative Development (APED) to implement the relevant project’s activities.

This position reports directly to the Deputy Project Director/Investment Lead (DPD). The incumbent will collaborate with other project technical and operational staff as well as cross-cutting team members (GESI, MEL, Communications, Volunteers, etc.).

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Enterprise Growth Support and Readiness

• Technical Assistance Management: Lead needs assessments for CEs; develop and manage a roster of technical advisors; and match CEs with appropriate advisors to deliver tailored Technical Assistance (TA) packages.
• Incubator and Accelerator Identification: Identify, assess, and engage potential incubators and accelerators to participate in AGILE project interventions.
• Accelerator Support: Provide expert input to ESOs, such as BK Holdings, to ensure accelerator curricula effectively prepare CEs for investment, aiming for a targeted percentage of graduates to increase revenue or sales.
• SME Climate Practice Adoption: In collaboration with the Climate Entrepreneurship Advisor (CEA), ensure supported CEs adopt environmental and climate-sensitive policies and practices, meeting the project’s adoption targets.

Ecosystem and Cross-cutting Coordination

• Ecosystem Engagement: Support the Deputy Project Director/Investment Lead in guiding the strategic direction of ecosystem engagement, ensuring that all partnership activities directly contribute to the project's investment and gender-lens objectives.
• Event Management: Lead the planning and execution of events and forums to foster collaboration, including co-organizing the Impact Investment Forum and facilitating business matching sessions between investors and bankable CEs.
• Lead Integration: Serving as the lead integrator for the WUSC team, working closely with the CEA and GLIEA to incorporate their technical modules (e.g. climate and gender), and consolidating them into a single guidance package for BK Holdings.

Investment Mobilization and Gender Lens Investment (GLI) Integration Support

• Investor Engagement Support: Support the identification and selection of partnering investors; provide expert guidance and Technical Assistance (TA) to help investors integrate climate and gender criteria into their strategies.
• GLI Implementation: Collaborate with the Inclusive Entrepreneurship & Gender Advisor (IEGA) to integrate gender analysis into investment frameworks, supporting the target for gender integration. Support WISE in its role as a "gender-lens translator" for investors.
• Capacity Building for Women Entrepreneurs: Collaborate with partners to co-design and deliver specialized TA on financial planning, pitching, and negotiation for women-led CEs. Contribute to increasing the confidence of CEs in negotiating capital needs.

Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting

• Planning & Reporting: Lead the development of inputs and contributions from Outcome 1100 for the project's annual work planning process, semi-annual operations reports, annual reports, and other communications/knowledge products.
• Data Collection Support: Support the execution and accurate data collection for key Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) indicators, in close collaboration with the AGILE Project MERL Manager.
• Other Duties: Perform other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred but not required.
• Experience: A minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience in the enterprise support ecosystem in Vietnam, such as with incubators, accelerators, or business development service providers.
• Specific Expertise: Experience in supporting or managing programs for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), with exposure to investment readiness or deal facilitation processes.
• Technical Skills: Good understanding of business modeling, financial basics, and pitch preparation. Familiarity with due diligence processes is an asset.
• Sector Knowledge: Interest in or basic understanding of climate-smart enterprises (mitigation or adaptation) is preferred.
• Ecosystem Experience: Demonstrated experience working with ESOs and building partnerships within the Vietnamese business ecosystem.
• GLI/GESI Knowledge: Openness to learning and applying Gender Lens Investing (GLI) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles. Prior experience is an advantage.
• Networking: Strong networking and partnership development skills.
• IT Skills: Experience using Google Workspace and AI-powered tools is an advantage.

Languages: Professional fluency in both English and Vietnamese is required.

APPLICATIONS:

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference for youth around the world. We believe youth have the potential to provide for their families, build strong communities, and create positive social change for future generations. Employees at WUSC work hard to create lasting change in education, employment, and empowerment.

WUSC is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls, please.