TechnoServe
Project Director
Requisition Number: PROJE003036
Reports to: Country Director
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Grade: 11
TechnoServe
Background: Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This
simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for
over 50 years.
TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and
markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
The low-income communities in which we work are full of
enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to
economic development.
But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change.
For many women and young people, the challenges are even more
daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting
themselves out of poverty.
The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living
conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and
education previously out of reach.
Communities and even whole countries are better off.
Program
Description: TechnoServe, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, is embarking on an innovative, three-year program to validate,
design, and rapidly pilot solutions that channel excess fruit & vegetables
towards offtakers serving low-income consumers; to reduce food loss and waste;
and simultaneously increase access and affordability of F&V.Following an
initial exploratory phase, including an in-depth Human-Centered Design (HCD)
process with stakeholders across the horticultural market system, TechnoServe
will facilitate the design, development, and deployment of a model (or models),
with clearly identified stakeholders who are able and willing to continue this
initiative long-term.
Position
Description: TechnoServe seeks a Project Director to provide overall
strategic, technical and administrative leadership and expertise over the
program.
Duties & Responsibilities:
· Lead overall
implementation and management of the anticipated program, from inception to
close-out
· Provide strategic
guidance, leadership, management, and general technical oversight of the
program
· Served as the primary
liaison with BMGF as well as government and private sector partners, and
stakeholders involved with the program
· Recruit, lead, manage,
and supervise implementation teams comprising long- and short-term team members
and partners
· Continuously develop
operational efficiencies and driving innovations in delivery, ensuring that the
program meets established objectives and targets and delivers value
· Provide oversight of
project activities, set work plans
· Oversee the project
budget both external and internal to TechnoServre
· Coordinate internal and
external evaluations, and report to the Foundation and project partners on
delivery and progress.
· Serve as the
spokesperson for the program and present its work regionally/globally
· Identify and communicate
critical program learnings
· Identifying issues and
risks related to implementation in a timely manner, suggesting appropriate
program adjustments
· Represent the project at
strategic meetings, partnership negotiations, and learning events.
Required Skills,
Knowledge, Experience and Abilities:
· Bachelor’s degree in
business administration, supply chain management, or another relevant field,
and at least 12 years of experience in relevant private sector roles, ideally
within a top-tier management consultancy or technology firm. Or a Master’s degree
plus 7 years of relevant experience.
· Significant project
management experience in commercial agriculture and/or supply chain management.
· Proven success working
in an innovative environment and in the development of digital products and
services.Ideally, experience leading digital transformation initiatives within
agricultural supply chains, including 5 years at a senior management level with
demonstrable success in achieving results
· Fluency in English
required. Understanding of Amharic, Swahili, and other native languages is an
advantage.
· Strong interpersonal and
communications skills and ability to effectively motivate and manage teams in a
multi-cultural environment
· Ability to work under
tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and activities
· Ability to develop well
written, cohesive analyses and reports
· Understanding of
capacities and constraints of smallholder farming and agribusiness development
· An honest broker who is
able to build win-win partnerships between multiple agriculture sector
stakeholders, including agribusinesses, public sector, financial institutions,
technology providers, and others
· Ability to clearly
communicate a high-level strategy to internal and external stakeholders, while
driving execution of a workplan and achievement of short-term milestones.
Ability to use adaptive management principles to make strategic, data-driven
decisions in the face of uncertainty and complexity
Preferred Qualifications:
Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more
desirable. We seek candidates who bring experience with:
· Leading complex
horticulture or other agriculture programs in Kenya, Ethiopia and/or
Sub-Saharan Africa strongly preferred
· Influencing and
collaborating with senior management of agribusinesses (input suppliers,
producer organizations, processors, traders, etc.), financial institutions, and
other private sector actors to achieve partnership results
· Implementing Human
Centered Design approaches
· Sourcing and delivering
demand-driven technical assistance and business development services
particularly through technical assistance facility mechanisms
· Designing and
implementing inclusive business models that integrate women and youth (farmers,
entrepreneurs) and successfully removing structural barriers that bar entry
from entering or thriving in agricultural value chains
· Designing and
implementing climate-smart approaches that improve the resilience of value
chain actors and agricultural sectors as a whole
· Implementing
consumer-facing campaigns to promote food safety and nutritious diets
· Implementing large,
complex programs funded by BMGF
Success Factors:
Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities
(KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.
Core Competencies
include:
· Integrity and honesty:
Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful
information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits
mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
· Team Work/
Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team
with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or
leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective
relationships and networks.
· Learning attitude:
Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new
areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
· Diversity/Inclusiveness:
Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports
diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of
all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
· Communication: Expresses
ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively;
shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and
communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate
understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and
information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
· Decision making/Problem
Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key
issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a
logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions
on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound
judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
· Results Oriented/ High
Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality
results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the
ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles
to goal achievement.
· Accomplishes tasks by
considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all
aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
· Planning & Time
Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish
a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls
activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people,
material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals.
· Prioritizes work
according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job
responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
· Business Acumen: The
ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that
make an impact on the overall business performance.
Job Specific / Technical
Competencies include:
· Partnership/Donor
Management: program staff should understand and apply techniques to develop,
maintain and manage business relationships with clients, donors and internal or
external partners in order to implement and manage projects and/or identify new
business.
· Financial & Resource
Management: an important competency program staff must possess to enable them
budget properly based on facts and change course when necessary, knowledge of
finance to develop and manage budgets.
· Innovative Mindset:
program staff should know how to ask questions and seeks out information from
multiple sources, learn from mistakes, and see change as an opportunity.
· Analysis, Research,
Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for
feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in
business writing.
Managerial Competencies
include:
· Emotional Intelligence:
Empathetic, understands attitudes, interests, needs of others; predict others
behavior. Self-aware and keeps own emotions from interfering with work.
Understanding both the strengths and limitations of others.
· Trust to Delegate:
Appropriately allocates decision‐making authority and/or
task responsibility to others; maximizes the organization’s and individual’s effectiveness.
· Strategic Thinking:
Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with the
long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on
opportunities and manages risks.
· Staff Development:
Planning and supporting the development of individuals’ skills and abilities so
that they can fulfill current or future job responsibilities more effectively.
· Coaching/Feedback:
Recognizes and acknowledges strengths in others. Provides timely guidance and
feedback to help others develop knowledge and skill areas to accomplish tasks
or solve problems
Travel:
When required
Supervisory
Responsibilities:
· Four senior level staff
including tech specialists and business and supply chain analysts. Experience
leading multi-disciplinary teams is desired.
Application Procedure
CLICK HERE to apply online.
The deadline for submitting the applications is on 29th November
2022.
We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe’s
vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to
apply.
With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal
opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on
the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation,
gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and
all other protected classes.
We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff,
partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all
final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.
If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our
online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human
Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.