TEXTILE OPERATIONS & INVESTMENT EXPERT

Consultancy contract for 3 months

Position based remotely with travel to Ghana and relevant textile hubs

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Program and organization descriptions 

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Ethical Apparel Africa Association (EAAA) is working with the Ghana Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) to catalyse growth of the industrial textile & garment manufacturing sector in Ghana. All of the building blocks are in place for Ghana to develop a highly competitive, world class apparel manufacturing sector. It offers the UK and EU shipping times of 15-20 days, and potential for similar lead times to the East Coast of the USA through direct routing. Ghana also has strong cost competitiveness fundamentals, with a low cost of living and duty-free advantages delivering 12% saving in the EU/UK and up to 32% saving in the USA. Finally, Ghana’s access to West Africa’s abundant cotton production creates strong potential to provide a vertically integrated offering to brands, including significant organic and better varieties. 

 

This initiative to catalyze the sector’s growth in Ghana is divided into two primary workstreams:

1. Skills development and technical upgrading of domestic garment manufacturers

2. Attracting Foreign Direct Investment from investors and international fabric mills. 

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The intervention is running from June 2019 through June 2020. The project will strengthen operations and investment prospects of domestic garment manufacturing firms, facilitate increased export orders, and attract large-scale foreign investment into the sector -- holistically accelerating the growth of Ghana’s high potential apparel sector. 

 

We are recruiting for an Expert Consultant to play a key leadership role in driving results against Workstream 2: Attracting investment from international firms to establish a vertically integrated textile supply chain in Ghana. By the close of the engagement, we seek to have MOU(s) in place between government and first-mover textile firms (new foreign investors) regarding the establishment of textile / garment operations in Ghana. At least one of these investments should focus on establishing a cotton processing plant to close the gap in the existing value chain, enabling the conversion of the region’s abundant cotton into locally available fabric (investment level of £20M+). 

 

Position overview

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As outlined the Textile Operations & Investment (TOI) Expert will play an essential role in driving forward this effort to develop what could become the world’s next major apparel manufacturing hub. The TOI Expert should have proven experience in catalyzing the growth of other apparel hubs as they have emerged, including successfully attracting first-mover firms to invest in a new region. 

 

This role is preferably a full time consultancy based in Ghana for 3 months starting in January 2020. We will also consider part time over a longer period up to May 2020 based remotely with 2 trips and at least 50% of the time spent in Ghana. The Consultant will also potentially travel to relevant international textile hubs to liaise with potential textile mill investors. 

 

Primary responsibilities for the role are as follows:

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• Engage mills and potential investors: Establish connections to specific foreign firms interested in investing in Ghana with the track record, capacity, and financial health to do so; facilitate the investment process

  • Work with MOTI to track opportunistic outreach and connections, leverage existing EAAA connections, and engage personal network to generate leads and develop a shortlist of local and international mills and other potential investors.

  • Outreach high-potential mills and investors with financial track record and capacity either remotely or in-person to present strategic investment case, gauge interest, and identify key investment criteria / incentive requirements.

  • Where necessary connect potential mills to potential investors.

  • Travel with MOTI representatives to relevant countries to meet and present the Ghana investment opportunity.

  • Work with the SME Finance Expert (the other Project’s Consultant Expert) to conduct due diligence on prospective first-mover investors to protect the interests of the Ghanaian government.

 

• Develop MOTI incentives framework and build capabilities: Facilitate negotiations between MOTI and prospective investors regarding incentives and policy regulations, continuously building the capacity of MOTI’s team to independently lead such negotiations with the textile & garments sector in the future

  • Facilitate meetings between potential mills/investors and MOTI for further conversations re incentives.

  • Facilitate ongoing negotiations between MOTI team and mills/investors to refine incentives framework.

  • Continuously build the capacity of MOTI to negotiate directly with foreign garment and textile companies through value chain training, case studies / precedents, and hands-on interactions during negotiations.

  • Write a template MOU for MOTI to sign with potential mills and investors.

  • Work with MOTI and the SME Finance Expert to financially model incentive proposals for government sign off.

 

• Stakeholder engagement: Develop relationships with third party stakeholders such as garment factories and industrial parks

  • Identify areas that stakeholders can support in order to attract investment, including further private sector incentives.

  • Develop relationships with West African Cotton providers such as gins and cotton traders. Facilitate introductions to potential mills.

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Qualifications & Attributes

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• Proven experience and knowledge of textile manufacturing operations, and a strong personal network through which to engage global textile and apparel firms

• Proven experience in building effective incentive packages for textile investment in emerging market contexts (e.g. Haiti, Ethiopia)

• Proven successful experience in creating and conducting training to build local capacity

• Skills and experience developing high-level financial and operational blueprint of new garment and textile manufacturing operations

• Flexibility to travel internationally to visit potential investors as relevant

• Excellent communication skills and versatility in collaborating with investors, government representatives and other project team members

• Long-term project management skills and experience

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Benefits

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• Consultancy compensation relative to candidate profile and degree of time investment agreed

• Full coverage of all approved expenses relevant to project implementation (travel, accommodation, etc. during trips away from home base)

• Opportunity to play a critical role in the development of the industry in the next frontier of apparel manufacturing

• Opportunity to work for an award-winning, dynamic, and mission driven company

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How to apply 

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• Kindly send a resume ​and a separate and specific cover letter for this position ​to talent@ethicalapparelafrica.com, using the reference “TOI Expert”​ as the subject of your email

• Only complete applications with accurate references will be considered and only the most qualified consultants will be shortlisted for interview