This Volunteer Placement is Located in: Kingston, Jamaica

Start Date: October 2026

Placement Length: 5 months

Language Requirements: English Level 5-Fluent

Eligibility: Open to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only

The Volunteer’s Role

Use your business process and digital strategy expertise to help small and medium-sized enterprises work smarter, grow stronger, and build lasting resilience.

Are you ready to turn digital possibilities into practical business results? In this placement, you will work alongside the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) to design and implement an SME Automation and Digital Tools Toolkit for its member organizations.

You will help create a clear, accessible digital maturity pathway that enables small and medium-sized enterprises to assess their readiness, streamline everyday processes, adopt affordable digital solutions, and improve productivity. Through a hands-on pilot, you will support participating organizations and their leaders as they move from assessment to action, building the confidence and capabilities needed to sustain digital transformation.

Your contribution will combine analysis, toolkit development, coaching, training, and results measurement. By translating complex technology choices into practical steps, you will help Jamaican SMEs become more efficient, competitive, and prepared for future growth.

As a volunteer, you will:

• Assess digital readiness: Consult with PSOJ and participating SMEs, review current workflows and systems, and conduct practical assessments, including SWOT analysis, to identify gaps, priorities, and opportunities for automation.
• Create an SME Digital Maturity Framework: Design a clear framework and assessment tool that helps organizations understand their current level of digital maturity, establish a baseline, and identify realistic next steps.
• Develop the SME Automation and Digital Tools Toolkit: Research and recommend affordable, user-friendly tools for areas such as workflow automation, customer engagement, online sales, data management, collaboration, and performance tracking. Include selection criteria, implementation guidance, templates, and practical examples.
• Design the Digital Adoption Pathway: Map a step-by-step journey from readiness assessment and solution selection to implementation, staff adoption, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
• Lead a pilot program: Support selected organizations as they test the pathway and toolkit, tailor recommendations to their context, address implementation barriers, and document lessons that can strengthen future delivery.
• Coach and build capacity: Guide the Executive Director and participating SME leaders through technology decisions, change management, and adoption planning so they can confidently lead digital transformation within their organizations.
• Deliver training and knowledge transfer: Facilitate engaging workshops, demonstrations, and coaching sessions, and create accessible materials that PSOJ can continue using after the placement.
• Measure and communicate results: Establish baselines, track progress, gather feedback, and prepare concise recommendations and reports that show what worked, what needs refinement, and how the initiative can scale.

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in organizational management, business administration, business process automation, or a related discipline.

Essential Background:

• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of youth development
• Experience in digital transformation, business process improvement, automation, or technology adoption
• Strong strategic planning and business management experience, including the development of organizational plans, operational plans, policies, or procedures
• Detail-oriented with proven problem-solving abilities and the capacity to exercise independent judgment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences
• Experience designing and facilitating training, workshops, coaching, or knowledge-transfer activities
• Strong team collaboration skills, a high level of initiative, and the ability to self-motivate

What’s in it for YOU? A life-changing experience!

About Us

Cuso International (Cuso) is an international cooperation and development organization based in Canada that works to create social and economic opportunities for equity-deserving groups. Building on over sixty years of impactful work, we address global challenges by tackling the root causes of inequality. Working alongside our partners, we are focused on efforts to improve economic resilience, advance equity and inclusion for all, and deliver progress on climate action. We believe that by sharing skills, we can build better futures. Guided by our values of courage, inclusion, sustainability and accountability, Cuso combines innovative strategies and enduring partnerships to create lasting, meaningful change in communities across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.

Project: Sharing Canadian Expertise for Inclusive Development and Gender Equality (SHARE) 

Partner: Private Sector of Jamaica Foundation

Benefits

Volunteer Support and Requirements 

Support Package

Cuso International provides a comprehensive support package to ensure volunteers maintain a modest and healthy lifestyle aligned with local standards. This includes: 

• Monthly living allowance 
• Accommodation 
• Health insurance (including required vaccinations and antimalarial medication) 
• Round-trip airfare and visa/work permit costs 
• Pre-placement, in-country and reintegration training (along with access to self-directed materials and online resources) 
• Ongoing local support 
• Access to the Employee Assistance Program during and after placement 

Selection and Screening

If you are shortlisted, you will need to: 

• Confirm passport or permanent resident details for travel 
• Provide two professional references and one personal reference 
• Complete a language assessment during the initial phone interview 
• Pass a police check and medical clearance before departure 
• Comply with anti-terrorism checks 
• Agree to uphold the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) policy and Code of Conduct 

Residency and Citizenship: Candidates are responsible for confirming how volunteering internationally may affect their citizenship or residency status. Canadian Permanent Residents should verify requirements with Immigration Canada before travel. 

Inclusion and Accessibility: Cuso International welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and equity-deserving groups. We provide reasonable accommodations throughout recruitment and placement. If you have accessibility needs, please contact us for support. 

Ready to Make a Difference? Apply to volunteer today!