I. TECHNOSERVE BACKGROUND:
TechnoServe, Inc. is an international non-profit economic development organization that works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are an organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets. TechnoServe’s Sourcing for Growth malt barley program is a partnership with Meta Abo Brewery. The project is active in Southwest Shewa, Arsi and West Arsi zones and helps smallholder farmers boost their incomes through improved malt barley production and market access.
II. POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The Area/Project Manager will ensure overall management, coordination and performance of the program. S/he will supervise 3-4 direct reports and maintain a dotted-line reporting relationships with2-3 additional Addis Ababa based colleagues. S/he will provide strategic direction as well as practical, creative, effective troubleshooting and problem solving with an aim towards sustainability. This position has a special emphasis on malt barley quality, building the capacity of partner unions and primary cooperatives to manage responsibilities independently, and sustainability, while ensuring a positive impact on the some 5,000-6,000 men and women smallholder farmers engaged via annual contracts.
III. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Managing Relationships with Key Stakeholders
· Lead and manage relationship with Meta Abo Brewery as well as relationships with key program stakeholders, both public and private, including woreda officials and leadership of farmer Unions;
· Represent program at external functions, as required
· Facilitate external guest visits; represent program during these visits;
· Plan and lead regular meetings with stakeholders
Program Administration: Managing work plan, budget and team
· Supervise and coach direct reports supporting their effectiveness to the program as well as their professional development; Ensure these direct reports have clear goals and receive regular supervisions and reviews, empowering them to carry out their roles more effectively
· Oversee and ensure ongoing effective HR management of entire team; create and maintain a positive team morale and step in to support any conflicts as needed
· Develop and maintain holistic program work plan, according to overall program strategies
· Manage overall program logistics, working closely with the SBA responsible for SW Shewa; this includes vehicle management
· Actively monitor budget spend to ensure costs align with project budget; approve expenditures accordingly and work with finance team to report on and adjust budget as needed; follow up on internal payments
· Undertake regular field visits and provide feedback on progress and challenges
Ensure positive impact on Gender, Livelihoods and Contribute to a sustainable, inclusive market system for malt barley
· Work together with team to develop a strategy for gender in the scaled-down phase of work, taking into account gender survey completed;
· Ensure program is tracking and maximizing impact on the livelihoods of the smallholder farmers the program engages;
· Contribute to the development of sustainable, inclusive market system for malt barley, with a focus on strengthening primary cooperatives and cooperative unions as long term, effective actors in the commercial market system
Facilitate and oversee field trials of malt barley varieties
· Design and set up field trials for malt barley varieties, working together with Meta counterparts and counterparts at relevant research center
· Liaise, oversee and support field trials, developing reports as required
Reporting
· Weekly 5-15 reports; create minutes from regular meetings with Meta counterparts
· Quarterly internal progress reports (PSRs)
· Work with the M&E Coordinator to develop Bi-annual Data Entry of Corporate Measurements
· Prepare regular reports for Meta, as requir
. Ensure M&E reports are timely, rigorous and accurate
IV. REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:
· Masters Degree in business/economics, agriculture, sciences or other relevant field
· At least eight (8) years of relevant professional experience – ideally private sector or related to the agricultural sector, including agricultural research center experience and working with cooperatives
· Demonstrated experience managing projects and staff and using evidence based decision making
· Strong and very detailed oriented, structured planning skills and experience working to strict time-frames and deadlines
· Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills; team building experience required
· Flexibility and ability to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances; demonstrated problem solving skills
· Ability and willingness to travel and spend significant time in rural areas frequently
· Experience conducting agricultural field trials
· Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic;
· Computer literacy, including ability to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
V. PREFERRED SKILLS:
· Experience working in the Ethiopian grain sector, specifically malt barley
· Experience working in the private sector/business
· Experience working with gender targets or gender related issues
· Committed to quality and achieving impact on the livelihoods of men and women smallholder farmers; motivated; high level of integrity
· Experience working with farmers and cooperatives
· Fluency in Oromiffa