TechnoServe
Position Title: Program Manager
Requisition number: PROGR002864
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Program: Implementing Inclusive Growth Strategies for Gender-Diverse Food Processing SMEs in Kenya & Tanzania
About TechnoServe
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 Overview:
With an overarching mission to reduce poverty and increase resilience in the countries where we work,TechnoServe aims to achieve two long-term goals through this program:
1) Catalyze inclusive growth, both upstream and downstream, of gender-diverse SME food processors in Sub-Saharan Africa; and
2) Increase women-led business’ access to resources (finance and technical knowledge/skills) and profitability, in order to fuel women’s economic empowerment across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Profitable, growing agribusinesses with farmer-based supply chains, gender-responsive policies and practices, and reach into base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) markets can be the linchpin of resilient African food systems, holding particular promise for creating commercial value while also stimulating employment, livelihoods, food security, access to nutritious foods, and women’s economic empowerment. Investing in women-owned and led businesses contributes significantly to economic growth, including job creation.
Through this 3-year program, TechnoServe will provide customized technical assistance and co-investment funding to more than 20 gender-diverse small- and medium-sized (SME) food processors in Kenya and Tanzania to catalyze inclusive growth.
Specifically, TechnoServe will support clients to:
1) strengthen their smallholder farmer sourcing models to benefit both clients and their farmer suppliers by developing and implementing customized Inclusive Business Plans; and
2) reach BoP markets by developing and implementing Inclusive Marketing Plans, to benefit clients and consumers.
Job Summary:
Reporting to the Chief of Party for TechnoServe’s AINFP program, the Program Manager (PM) will be responsible for implementation, quality, and impact of the “Implementing Inclusive Growth Strategies for Gender-Diverse Food Processing SMEs in Kenya & Tanzania” program, funded by Visa Foundation. S/he will oversee client pipeline development and selection for program support.
The PM will coordinate with members of TechnoServe’s Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Processing (AINFP) program, and other TechnoServe programs, to implement program activities.
S/he will also be responsible for aggregating program data, supporting monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), compiling lessons learned and producing knowledge products that will be used to inform future programming.
Primary Functions & Responsibilities:
Technical
- Develop selection criteria for participating food processors, together with Inclusive Business Specialists
- Select food processors for the program, together with Inclusive Business Specialists
- Provide support/oversight to Inclusive Business Specialists as they drive development of inclusive business plans and inclusive marketing plans with short-term value chain specialists. Support includes: guiding the strategies and technical interventions for the inclusive business plans and inclusive marketing plans for each food processor; ensuring high-quality data collection and analysis; and joining interviews with food processors and other key stakeholders
- Develop a structure for the co-investment element of the program, and manage all elements of disbursement and tracking. Collaborate with AINFP Chief of Party to establish the process/criteria for determining grantees and the amounts of the awards, as well as disbursing and tracking grant use.
Program Coordination and Management
- Directly manage and provide guidance to 2 full-time Inclusive Business Specialists
- Coordinate with the AINFP team and other TechnoServe programs and specialists to identify/select clients, and carry out other program activities (*note* a majority of clients for this program will be selected from among AINFP’s current active clients)
- Ensure compliance with TechnoServe and funder regulations
Program Quality and Impact
- Optimize and implement the program strategy to achieve program targets and objectives
- Assume ownership and accountability for high-quality programming and the resulting outputs and outcomes in Kenya and Tanzania
Program Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
- Coordinate with Inclusive Business Specialists and AINFP team members to regularly and accurately collect program data
- Analyze program data to track program performance against targets, and develop/execute strategies to overcome challenges and constraints
- Record and compile learnings from program implementation. Develop knowledge products to share program learnings, and coordinate with Communications team to disseminate these knowledge products internally and externally.
Funder Communication & Reporting
- Coordinate/provide program updates to the funder at an agreed-upon frequency, ensuring that the appropriate TechnoServe staff are included and serve as the main program contact for the funder.
- Lead program reporting efforts, and ensure timely delivery of reports to the funder.
- Ensure clear and effective communication of the program to all relevant parties.
- Build reputation of the program through sharing of evidence-based impact and participation in key stakeholder events.
Basic Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in business, agribusiness, economics, agriculture or other relevant discipline.
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience in a relevant field: agribusiness, business, entrepreneurship, or related.
- Significant knowledge and understanding of the business and/or technical challenges of agro-processing in Kenya and/or Tanzania.
- Strong quantitative skills; comfortable aggregating and analyzing data, and using data insights to guide programmatic decisions.
- Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
Preferred Experience:
- Management consulting or business advisory service
- Experience with monitoring, evaluation and learning for agricultural programs & co-investment grants.
- Managing multiple, complex stakeholder relationships & Strategic planning
- Private sector agribusiness experience or management of a donor-funded private sector development program
Required Languages
- Fluency in English (speaking, reading, writing)
- Kiswahili is preferred
Travel
- Willingness and ability to travel within Kenya and Tanzania
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Leadership
- Works cooperatively and flexibly with team members to achieve common goals
- Provides leadership and mentorship to staff and clients to build capacity
- Takes ownership of decisions, and uses sound judgment to escalate issues when necessary
Strategic and Innovative Thinking
- Builds strategic relationships to achieve program goals
- Analytical; able to assess and diagnose problems, and evaluate alternative courses of action to produce practical and effective Works persistently to overcome obstacles.
Program Management
- Effectively manages resources (people, material, information, budget, time)
- Sound understanding of market systems and inclusive business models
- Strong client focus. Understands client concerns and priorities, to guide technical assistance
Program Monitoring & Evaluation
- Ensures timely collection of high-quality program data
- Critically analyzes program data to identify what’s working well and what’s not. Collaborates with team to address program challenges and to replicate/expand what’s working well
Effective Communication
- Able to tailor communication to different audiences and work at multiple levels
- Strong business writing skills; able to express self clearly and effectively through writing
- Effective presenter and public speaker
Supervisory Responsibilities:
This position will directly manage two full-time staff, and will indirectly oversee various consultants.
Application Process
CLICK HERE to apply online.
The deadline for applications is 29th September 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 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.