I. GENERAL INFORMATION:

TechnoServe's mission is to build businesses that create jobs, income, opportunity, and economic growth in developing countries. Our strategies are based on a market-driven, business-oriented approach employed and refined over the past 40 years. Our employees are at work harnessing the power of private-sector development in some of the world's most impoverished regions.

TechnoServe has just launched a four year East Africa Coffee Initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This initiative will focus on helping approximately 180,000 small-scale coffee farmers improve their incomes by improving the quality of the coffee they produce, increasing production and linking to markets. To maintain and manage the relationships with the various stakeholders to this initiative, TechnoServe is hiring a Deputy Director.

II. PRIMARY PURPOSE & FUNCTION:

• Supports the Vice President, Coffee Initiative (VPCI) in the development and execution of the overall Coffee Initiative strategic vision, goals and objectives.
• Assists the VPCI to ensure the project is implemented with sound managerial, technical, financial, personnel and overall programmatic practices, and that the processes and activities adhere to corporate policy, legal and contractual obligations and corporate and donor standards.
• Supports the VPCI in identifying and resolving major implementation challenges.
• Facilitates communications between the field and the head office, addressing challenges that emerge.
• Represents the project and organization at internal and external functions as assigned.

III. KEY ACTIVITIES:

General Program Implementation

• Supports the VPCI in the development of annual Coffee Initiative workplans and budgets at overall, regional and country levels and ensures their feasibility and compliance with TechnoServe policies/standards and grant-specified milestones.
• Helps the country teams to enhance the quality of their work, with a specific focus on managing for greater impact.
• Works in close coordination with the M&E Manager, Stakeholder Manager, HR Manager, Senior Financial Controller and Regional Services Manager to ensure project is implemented with sound managerial, technical, financial, personnel and overall programmatic practice.
• Works with the M&E Manager and the Senior Financial Controller to aggregate results and prepare reports for the Foundation.
• Supports the VPCI in the overall monitoring of the project against milestones and the development of necessary changes/improvements to the program.
• Supports the VPCI in identifying and managing potential risks to the program.
• Researches and analyzes industry information such as new programs, findings and trends.
• Develops strategies for the Coffee Initiative to take advantage of potential opportunities and to mitigate against risks.
• Conducts necessary visits to the field to be acquainted with key issues associated with overall program efficiency and effectiveness.
• Facilitates coordination and avoids duplication of Coffee Initiative activities with other TechnoServe activities and other development interventions in the coffee sector.

Special Projects Implementation

• Works with the VPCI to identify critical program needs and prioritize which to focus on (examples, could include registration in a new country; analysis and development of actions for the team to take regarding new risks; IT strategy for the project; management training, etc.)
• Manages and implements the special projects.
• Transitions ownership of the project to the appropriate person as that person comes onboard.
• Shares lessons learned from projects with the Coffee Initiative and the rest of TechnoServe.

Communications

• Communicates key needs that emerge in the field to the VPCI.
• Provides head-office support to Country Program Directors as required.
• Represents the VPCI as required in internal and external meetings.

Personnel Management

• Facilitates collaboration between field and head office by communicating with field-based staff to identify personnel issues and works with the VPCI to develop and implement solutions.
• Delivers training and mentoring when appropriate.

IV. REQUIREMENTS:

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience, ideally in business, agriculture, the sciences or engineering.
• Minimum five years of experience in a Fortune 500 firm or equivalent; experience in agriculture, agro-processing or manufacturing highly desirable.
• Work experience in Africa highly desirable.
• Strong managerial, organizational, analytical, research and quantitative skills.
• Proven experience in successfully managing operations.
• Strong skills in managing multiple stakeholder relationships, ability to interact with a wide-ranging audience, from senior executives to African farmers.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency in English required; knowledge of at least one other African language highly desired.
• Advanced computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally more than 50 percent of the time.

V. IMPACT:

• Responsible for supporting the VPCI in enhancing the quality of the Coffee Initiative’s programs and internal operations.
• Responsible for providing the team in the field with effective and timely head-office support.
• Responsible for supporting the VPCI in the successful development and implementation of critical projects that emerge as part of the Coffee Initiative.

VI. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Please submit a resume, cover letter and two references to work@tns.org. Place position title in the subject line. No phone calls please.

Click here to apply now! TechnoServe is an equal opportunity employer.