Private Sector Engagement Specialist (National Position)

About the role

The Private Sector Engagement Specialist will lead a comprehensive mapping of Iraq's private sector ecosystem, focusing on construction, agro‑industry, services and emerging sectors with high employment potential. The role involves analysing labour market dynamics to inform vocational training and employment linkage strategies for project beneficiaries.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct a mapping of private‑sector actors, SMEs and stakeholders across priority sectors in each governorate.
• Review secondary data and literature on local economic trends and labour market dynamics.
• Design and implement mixed‑methods data collection (Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions) with employers, training providers, authorities and other stakeholders.
• Analyse demand for technical skills, recruitment barriers, finance constraints for SMEs and inclusion of youth, women and persons with disabilities.
• Produce three analytical reports (one per governorate) with sector mapping, gender‑age‑vulnerability disaggregated labour force analysis and SME employment opportunities assessment.
• Provide evidence‑based recommendations for vocational training design and employment‑linkage activities.
• Coordinate with the project team and AVSI Iraq’s MEAL department to ensure methodological coherence and continuous labour‑market monitoring.

Required profile

• University degree in Economics, Business Administration, Labour Economics, Development Studies, Statistics, Social Sciences or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in labour‑market assessments, market research, private‑sector development or socio‑economic analysis.
• Proven experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research, including surveys, KIIs and FGDs.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse labour‑market trends, skills demand and private‑sector dynamics to support programme design.
• Strong stakeholder‑engagement and facilitation skills, with experience working with government and private‑sector representatives.
• Excellent analytical, research and report‑writing abilities.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.

Required skills

• Labour‑market analysis methodologies
• Private‑sector assessment techniques
• Survey design and implementation
• Key Informant Interview (KII) facilitation
• Focus Group Discussion (FGD) facilitation