Project Assistant

Description:
Bloom Microventures (BMV), a registered UK Charity and non-profit social enterprise recently started by London School of Economics (LSE) graduates, seeks a full-time project assistant to assist the team in building a unique poverty alleviation model that focuses on combining microcredit with responsible tourism. S/he will support the microcredit branch with fieldwork and the responsible tourism branch with business development.
This is a truly unique opportunity to join a social enterprise start-up and learn a tremendous variety of skills!
Currently, BMV is working with the Soc Son District (Hanoi Province) Women’s Union to support low-income female farmers with microcredit. They do this by offering day tours to socially-conscious tourists who not only want to get a unique in-depth experience of the communities they visit but also contribute to their development. On their tours, tourists gain knowledge of microcredit and meet their pre-screened groups of borrowers to learn about their livelihoods and their plans on how to grow their micro-businesses. After the tour, a significant part of the tour fees are used to fund these microloans.
In the near future, BMV will explore opportunities to develop additional Hanoi-based day trips and additional expansion sites across Vietnam.

Key Requirements:
1. Language ability
- Vietnamese (fluent)
- English (advanced/fluent)
2. Keen interest in:
- Social entrepreneurship
- Poverty alleviation
- Responsible tourism
3. Willingness to work occasionally on weekends
Desired Qualities (not essential):
Preferably, candidates should have:
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field
- An international development or business background to contribute to the growth of BMV
- Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with people from a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds
- Ability to manage several streams of activity at once
- Capability to work effectively in challenging environments

Duties and Responsibilities:
Business development
- Assist the CEO in the overall development of the Social Enterprise
- Support developing relationships with hotels, travel agencies and other businesses as well as NGOs, schools, universities and embassies
- Support the implementation of our marketing strategy
- Facilitate communication (e.g. translation between non-Vietnamese BMV staff and BMV’s Vietnamese partners)
Fieldwork
- Assist in leading tours with other BMV staff to nearby villages (i.e., day trips for mostly foreign tourists)
- Assist in recruiting female borrowers in rural marginalized communities
- Work closely with our borrowers to help develop projects to enhance their welfare
- Assist in developing ideas for alternative income generating activities to maximize borrowers’ potential income and help organize and support technical workshops and training sessions
Reporting:
Direct reporting to: Chief Executive Officer, CEO
Duty Station and Travel Requirements: Hanoi. To undertake required duties, frequent day trips by motorbike to nearby project locations (2-3 times per week) are anticipated.
Work Week:
5.5-6 day work week (Tuesday through Sunday, plus a half day on Saturday if there are no tours running on Saturday)
Note: Having won competitions from CSIP (Vietnam), Oxford University and the London School of Economics as well as having been featured in the national newspapers and interviewed by the BBC, this is a high energy and intense start-up non-profit social enterprise. Therefore, the team often works long hours and 6 days per week.
Candidates must be willing and able to blend into this work environment and work weekends because our tours often run then.

Compensation Package:
An initial salary of $400 per month will be provided. As financial sustainability targets are accomplished there will be further opportunities for increases in salary and advancement.
In the meantime, there is tremendous scope to develop and learn new skills while shaping the future of an innovative and ground-breaking non-profit social enterprise.

Duration:
After a probationary period of 3 months a long-term contract will be provided.
Application Instructions
Please send all applications with i) cover letter and ii) CV with references to: [email protected]
Due date: November 30th 2011