Project Assistant

Description:
Bloom Microventures (BMV), a registered UK Charity and new non-profit social enterprise start-up set up by recent London School of Economics (LSE) graduates, seeks a full-time project assistant to join the team and assist in building a unique model that focuses on alleviating poverty by combining microcredit and pro-poor/responsible tourism. This role will support the microcredit and pro-poor/responsible tourism branches and entails fieldwork as well as 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. We 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 our 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 with at-risk women and youth in Hoa Binh province. Supporting the development of new relations with our implementing partners in these communities will be critical to the success of the Project Assistant.
Key Requirements:
1. Language ability
- Vietnamese (fluent)
- English (advanced/fluent)
2. Keen interest in:
- Poverty alleviation
- Pro-poor/responsible tourism
- Social entrepreneurship
3. Willingness to work occasionally on weekends
Desired Qualities (not essential):
- Preferably, candidates should have an international development background to contribute to the growth of BMV. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with persons from a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds, to manage several streams of activity at once, and to work effectively in challenging environments.

Duties and Responsibilities:
- 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 enhance their livelihoods, living environments and future prospects
- Monitor and provide regular updates on our borrowers’ progress to ensure they make steady progress toward repaying their loans
- Assist in developing ideas for alternative income generating activities to maximize borrowers’ potential income and help organize and support technical workshops and training sessions
- Explore communities in which BMV could work and lead microfinance tours to in the future
- Facilitate communication (e.g. translation between non-Vietnamese BMV staff and BMV’s Vietnamese partners)
- Assist in the general development and daily activities of a social enterprise
Supervisory Roles:
Direct reporting to: 1) Vice President of Tourism and 2) Vice President of Microfinance and Development.
Indirect Reporting to: 1) Chief Operating Officer (COO) and 2) Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
This position has no direct supervisory role of other BMV staff. However, the candidate may be assigned to provide direction and oversight of key tasks undertaken by office administration staff, volunteers and daily labour such as drivers.
Duty Station and Travel Requirements: Hanoi. To undertake required duties, frequent day trips by motorbike to nearby project locations (2-4 times per week) are anticipated.
Work Week:
5.5 day work week (Monday through Friday, plus a half day on Saturday)
Due to weekend tours, however, the position may be required to work one full Saturday or Sunday, in which case compensatory leave will be permitted during the subsequent workweek (i.e., 8 hours of work on a Sunday will provide 8 hours off during the subsequent workweek; 8 hours of work on Saturday will afford 4 hours off during the subsequent workweek).
Note: Having won competitions from Oxford University and the London School of Economics as well as having been featured in the national UK newspaper the Independent 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 their tours often run then.
Compensation Package:
An initial salary of $300 per month will be provided. As financial sustainability targets are accomplished there will be further opportunities for increases in salary and advancement with the potential for 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 to: [email protected]
Due date: June 30th 2011