TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. 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. China has invested in Agriculture Technology Demonstration Centers (ATDCs) across Africa to share Chinese experience, model, and technologies for the benefit of African smallholder farmers (SHFs). The project will provide technical assistance to the Zambia and Mozambique ATDCs to drive organizational change management and partnership building between the centers and local government and non-government stakeholders; demonstrate and scale-up technologies in rice and poultry value chains; and develop the centers’ capacity for technology sourcing and evaluation. The project will require significant stakeholder management between Chinese, Zambian and Mozambican private sector stakeholders, government agencies, the ATDCs and smallholder farmer representatives to ensure alignment on the future of the ATDCs and position them for success. This is a high profile opportunity to lead an international, multi-sectoral team and align multiple local and international stakeholders to ensure the ATDCs develop into sustainable centers making a significant impact at a national level. 1502046390585TechnoServe encourages diversity in all levels and across all facets of our organization. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.
Country Manager, Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center
Responsibilities
- The program will have one country manager for each target country—one in Zambia and one in Mozambique. The Country Manager will mentor and advise the ATDC in their country to develop a business and change management plan and to execute against that plan
- The country manager will manage a program staff of three to ensure that ATDC activities are aligned to identify, demonstrate, pilot and scale agricultural technologies in targeted value chains that have positive benefits for farmers
- The manager will need to influence local for profit and non-profit partners to participate in the testing and scaling of the technology
- Facilitating market development of the identified technologies will be a key function
- As Country Manager: Country Team Management
- Develop business plan and change management plan for the ATDCs
- Build the business case for value chains the ATDCs will focus on Leverage research to identify what drives impact for the farmer and value to the supply chain, and build the model that will achieve scalable sustainability and improved quality of technology distribution
- Develop and execute detailed country work plan that identifies, prioritizes and sequences the activities required for successful delivery
- Ensure each country team member is executing to the work plan and meeting targets and milestones associated with all program work streams
- Stakeholder Management
- Lead interaction with ATDCs and country stakeholders
- Support ATDC staff to implement against the business plan and change management plan
- Develop and maintain close working relationships with key personnel in local and Chinese governments, Chinese operators, research institutions, and the private sector including processors, seed companies, financial institutions, NGOs, farmers and other industry stakeholders in the areas of operation
Program Director
Responsibilities
- Lead the inception phase diagnostic to inform program implementation
- Identify staff training needs and oversee staff capacity development as required
- Maintain good working relationship with donors, partners, financial institutions and key government stakeholders
- Lead overall program strategy and fund management
- Ensure that program objectives, outcomes, and deliverables are met on time and within budget and that financial, operational, and reporting requirements of the donor and TechnoServe are adhered to
Liaise with business service providers in Zambia to fulfill technical assistance needs of SMEs - Guide team to develop effective monitoring and evaluation plans, turn data into actionable insights to guide implementation, and disseminate results and learning
- Develop and share internal and external project performance metrics
- Manage the activities and performance of project staff and consultants, ensuring high-quality execution and delivery of project targets
- Supervise, mentor and develop staff capacity to ensure program delivery, staff performance, and retention, overseeing the recruitment of new staff as needed
- Manage budget for respective project work-streams, ensuring operational plans are aligned with project budgets
- Monitor project expenditures and manage budget variances, realigning as required
Qualifications
- A masters degree in development, business administration, economics, marketing or related discipline, MBA preferred
- Eight years of post-graduate experience in a combination of enterprise development, access to finance and development stakeholder management (donor and government management)
- Experience in implementing private sector or SME development assistance programs, particularly relating to agricultural SMEs strongly
- Knowledge of private sector/SME landscape in Zambia is strongly preferred
- Strong interpersonal and communications skills in a multi-cultural environment
- Ability to work with tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and projects
- Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
- Proven experience managing and motivating teams
- Experience in leading/managing donor funded projects required
- Written and spoken fluency in English
- This position is contingent upon funding and donor approval
Team Lead, Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center Project
Responsibilities
- The Team Leader is expected to supervise the day-to-day activities of the ATDC Project. The Team Leader will be responsible for providing the overall strategic leadership, leading the overall delivery of impact, and building the parameters of any future work
- The Team Leader is expected to manage relationships with key stakeholders, provide direct advisory to the ATDCs as appropriate, monitor the overall program budget and work plan, and ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results as agreed upon with the donor
As Team Leader you will
- Strategic Leadership and Team Management
- Develop and implement the vision of strengthening the ATDCs and embedding ATDCs in the local market context
- Ensure that the scope and projected impacts of the program strategy are clearly defined and understood by all team members
- Develop detailed work plan which identifies, prioritizes and sequences the activities required for successful delivery
- Ensure sufficient resources are mobilized (e.g. financial, human and information) to deliver on the work plan activities
- Ensure each member of the program team has clarity as to their role, responsibilities and short-term activities and goals
- Ensure the team and each team member is executing to the work plan and meeting targets/milestones associated with all program work streams
- Proactively raise issues of concern with country leadership
- Support program opportunity development, where required, in building the business case for rice and poultry production in particular
- Use research to understand what drives impact for the farmer and value to the supply chain, and build the model that will achieve scalable sustainability and improved quality
- Stakeholder Management
- Lead interaction with stakeholders at the national and international level, ensuring that communication is consistent and aligned with the program’s approach
- Develop and maintain close working relationships with key personnel in local and Chinese governments, Chinese operators, research institutions, and the private sector including processors, seed companies, financial institutions, NGOs, farmers and other industry stakeholders in the areas of operation
- Monitoring & Evaluation
- Understand all reporting requirements (donor as well as internal to TechnoServe)
- Oversee that all necessary data is accurate and gathered in a timely manner
- Review data being gathered to make suggestions for course correction to country leadership, as necessary
- Reporting, Compliance, Budget Management
- Lead preparation of narrative reports for submission to the donor
- Ensure spending is in line with the donor-approved budget
- Ensure activities carried out are in accordance with TechnoServe, as well as donor, requirements
- Other Duties as Assigned
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of experience. A master’s degree and at least 7 years of experience strongly preferred
- Proven ability to conceptualize and lead the implementation of complex multi-stakeholder change management processes at systemic and organizational level
- Exceptionally strong project management and analytical skills as evidenced by leading roles on engagements of significant scale
- Proven ability to build rapport among internal and external stakeholders, particularly government and private sector stakeholders
- Experience working in China and/or with Chinese organizations preferred
- Understanding of agricultural dynamics in Southern Africa preferred
- Demonstrated ability to effectively service clients, particularly in the for-profit sector
Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills - Excellent oral & written presentation skills required
- Willingness to travel up to 60%
- Fluency in Mandarin and/or Portuguese preferred
- Fluency in English required
- This position is contingent upon funding
- Instructions
How to apply
Send your applications to the undersigned: lpotter@tns.org
Send your applications to the undersigned: lpotter@tns.org
