HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation

Helvetas is an organization specialized in development cooperation and humanitarian response, anchored in Switzerland. Our vision is a just world in which all people determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner.

Job Ad SME Innovation Lead GPEK

We welcome applications from motivated individuals who are Kosovo citizens or lawfully admitted permanent residents for the following post in the Greening Private Enterprises in Kosovo (GPEK) project, in Pristina, Kosovo.

The expected starting date is February 2026.

SME INNOVATION LEAD (100%)

Greening Private Enterprises in Kosovo Project (GPEK)

Project Description

The Greening Private Enterprises in Kosovo (GPEK) project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, supports Kosovo’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in transitioning toward greener, more competitive, and climate-resilient business models.

Using a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, GPEK facilitates systemic change across information, business services, finance, policy, and innovation ecosystems. The project is currently concluding its inception phase (1 May 2025 – 31 January 2026), with the main implementation phase expected to run from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2031.

Position Description

The SME Innovation Lead is responsible for leading the implementation of Outcome 3 (TRANSFORM), ensuring that SMEs adopt, test, and scale market-driven green innovations that enhance competitiveness, compliance with EU-aligned standards, and resilience to climate and resource risks.

The role provides strategic leadership, technical direction, and quality assurance across two closely linked pillars:

• Green innovation ecosystem development, including sectoral, institutional, and partnership-based interventions; and

• Challenge Fund for Green Innovation, a targeted de-risking and co-financing mechanism supporting SME innovation.

The SME Innovation Lead ensures that TRANSFORM interventions:

• Apply GPEK’s systemic-change and facilitation principles;

• Demonstrate commercial viability and scalability; and

• Progressively transfer innovation functions and financing to local market actors.

The position reports to the GPEK Project Manager and directly supervises:

• the Project Advisor on SME Innovation, and

• the Challenge Fund Grants Manager.

Main Tasks

Strategic Leadership and Implementation of Outcome 3 (TRANSFORM)

• Lead the strategic planning, coordination, implementation, and reporting of Outcome 3 (TRANSFORM), ensuring coherence across innovation ecosystem development and the Challenge Fund for Green Innovation.

• Translate GPEK’s Theory of Change and systemic-change logic into sequenced, market-responsive innovation interventions aligned with project objectives and donor requirements.

• Ensure strong complementarity between TRANSFORM and Outcomes INFORM and ENABLE, contributing innovation evidence that reinforces awareness, services, finance, and policy reform.

• Identify, assess, and manage technical, financial, and other risks related to Outcome 3 interventions, including grants and partnerships, ensuring timely escalation and mitigation.

• Ensure sound administrative and financial oversight of grants and subcontracts, including procurement, contracting, budget monitoring, milestone verification, and payment approvals.

Innovation Ecosystem Development

• Design and supervise interventions that strengthen sectoral and cross-sectoral innovation ecosystems, enabling associations, clusters, hubs, and intermediaries to support SMEs with market-relevant innovation services.

• Facilitate partnerships among SMEs, lead firms, technology providers, business associations, and international technical partners.

• Promote inclusive innovation, ensuring participation of women-led, youth-led, and non-majority SMEs.

• Ensure progressive transfer of coordination, delivery, and financing to local actors.

Challenge Fund for Green Innovation

• Provide strategic direction and quality assurance for the Challenge Fund, ensuring transparent governance and credible selection processes.

• Oversee the Challenge Fund Grants Manager and ensure alignment between technical and financial objectives.

• Ensure investments de-risk SME innovation, leverage private co-financing, and demonstrate viable green business models.

• Guide development of Challenge Fund pipelines aligned with EU standards and green finance mechanisms.

Partnerships, Finance, and Performance Oversight

• Facilitate collaboration with financial institutions, guarantee schemes, and impact investors, including blended finance models.

• Work closely with the Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) Lead to ensure robust monitoring of innovation pilots and systemic effects.

Learning, Evidence, and Adaptive Management

• Document and synthesize evidence from innovation pilots and ecosystem interventions into scalable business cases.

• Contribute to adaptive management and donor reporting.

• Collaborate with the Communications, Knowledge Management and Learning (CKML) Lead to translate innovation evidence into knowledge products and selected external communication outputs.

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, innovation management, engineering, environmental sciences, or a related field.

• Minimum 9 years of relevant professional experience in private sector or SME development.

• At least 3 years of management or team-leadership experience.

• Proven experience with systemic-change or Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches.

• Experience coordinating technical and financial instruments.

• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and negotiation skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality and social inclusion.

• Excellent command of English and Albanian and/or Serbian.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital collaboration tools.

• Willingness to travel within Kosovo; valid driving license required.

We Offer You

The SME Innovation Lead is a full-time, multi-year position with an expected start date in February 2026. The appointment includes a six-month probation period, with annual renewal and the possibility of extension for the duration of the project.

HELVETAS offers attractive working conditions within a professional and collaborative environment, and the opportunity to play a leading role in shaping Kosovo’s green innovation ecosystem.

Application Instructions

Please submit your complete application, including:

• Motivation Letter

• CV

📅 Deadline: 21 January 2026, 17:00 CET

📧 Email: kosovo@helvetas.org

📌 Subject: GPEK – SME Innovation Lead Application

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

HELVETAS provides equal employment opportunities and encourages applications from female and non-majority communities in Kosovo.