Chief of Party, Solutions
for African Food Enterprises (SAFE)
Reporting Unit/Supervisor: Project
Director
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Travel: Up to 50%, frequent local and
regional travel, periodic travel to the US
We are a
nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking
people to information, capital and markets.
Our work is
rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hardworking men and women in
even the poorest places can generate income, jobs and wealth for their families
and communities.
With more
than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private
enterprise to transform lives.
Program Description: Solutions for African Food
Enterprises (SAFE) is a TechnoServe (TNS) program in partnership with USAID and
Partners in Food Solutions, with the aims of increasing the competitiveness of
the African food processing sector and expanding availability of affordable and
nutritious foods.
Partners in
Food Solutions (PFS) is a non-profit organization formed by General Mills to
link the technical and business expertise of volunteer employees from General
Mills, Cargill, Royal Dutch DSM and Bühler.
This
program provides knowledge and technology transfer to build the capacity of
African food processors, improving availability of nutritious foods and
creating market opportunities for small holder farmers.
Position Description: TechnoServe is seeking a Chief of
Party (CoP) for a USAID-funded regional program, Solutions for African Food
Enterprises (SAFE).
This
regional program will be implemented across Kenya, Malawi and Zambia in
partnership with PFS representing several of the world’s leading food
companies.
SAFE aims
to increase the competitiveness of the African food processing sector and to
expand availability of nutritious foods.
SAFE will
build on the success of the African Alliance for Improved Food Processing
(AAIFP), a partnership implemented by TechnoServe in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi,
Tanzania and Zambia.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Oversee implementation and management of SAFE program
- Accountable for program delivery - activities and outputs toward achievement of targeted outcome / goal
- Set annual targets, develop and execute to annual work plans, implement M&E plan, lead course correction if needed
- Report to USAID, PFS and TNS on program progress
- Manage the SAFE country and regional teams, including Deputy Chief of Party, M&E Manager, Finance Manager and Program Assistant
- Manage project to budget with robust planning and monitoring, including gender integration
- Coordinate with implementing partner, PFS, and donor, USAID, and share best practices
- Represent program at local and regional stakeholder level
- Facilitate Safe Alignment, Coordination and Knowledge Sharing with Other Programs and Local Stakeholders:
- Represent SAFE program at local and regional stakeholder level - governments, institutions, other programs, USAID Missions, etc
- Foster alignment, coordination and shared learnings with stakeholders
- Liaise with Project Director on contributions towards broader PFS activities – lessons, best practices and alignment with other PFS projects and priority partner interests
- Manage Activities to Support Field Program Expansion:
- Provide input into expansion planning
- Liaise with local stakeholders and USAID missions in target geographies
- Co-ordinate the mapping study of new geographies to identify program opportunity
- Support the program design for new country implementation
- Manage the start-up and implementation within new geographies
Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in Agricultural Economics, Business Administration or other relevant field
- At least 5 years relevant project management experience (e.g., international SME development programs, USAID project management, private sector agro-processing)
- Experience living and working in sub-Saharan Africa, regional program experience preferred
- Strong market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker
- Experience leading and managing high caliber multicultural teams, preferably some experience with managing remotely
- Experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary, and challenging field operations in developing countries, Africa preferred.
- Demonstrated skills in problem solving, consensus building, and coordination of diverse stakeholders Knowledge of USAID regulations and procedures strongly preferred
- Verbal and written fluency in English
- Demonstrated capacity to produce high quality reports and proposals
- Previous successful experience mentoring and building capacity of staff and highly results driven
How to Apply:
Qualified
and interested applicants should submit a Word-formatted single document
consisting of cover letter, resume and salary history to jobs@tns.org.
Please
identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line.
Only
applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be considered or contacted.
No phone
calls please.
