Junior Market Systems Expert (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda) at TechnoServe Kenya

Reports to: TBA

Location: Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda

Grade: TBA

Program Description:

A donor is planning a new £50 million – £70 million, 7-year flagship program. The program aims to contribute to the economic transformation needed to create more and better jobs, set countries on a trajectory out of poverty, and create social stability.

The program will support increased foreign direct investment (FDI) into manufacturing to boost productivity by introducing new technology and management capabilities, and increase the capabilities of the workforce and diffuse these improvements into the wider economy.

Anticipated focus sectors include textiles/apparel, construction, pharma, light vehicle/machinery assembly, logistics and packaging, and agri-processing.

A Transaction Facilitation Services component will identify and support investments with the highest additionality and development impact. A Technical Assistance (TA) component will address constraints faced by specific foreign investors to facilitate new or expand existing investments. It will also support the development of backward linkages to domestic firms and strengthening of firm capacity for participation in the supply chain.

TA will be provided to government and private sector/private sector-related organizations in line with market systems principles.

Position Description

The Senior Market Systems for the Poor/Sector/Value Chains Expert will work with the Junior Market Systems Expert to provide TA to government and the private sector to support additional FDI in manufacturing sectors.

Using market systems principles and rooted in a strong understanding of political economy issues, they will provide TA to address investment-specific constraints faced by foreign investors, facilitate market linkages to FDI investors (both backward linkages to domestic firms and upstream linkages with new buyers), and strengthen local firms’ capacity to participate in the investor supply chain.

Minimum Skills and Experience Required

• Must have at least 10 years’ experience working in a particular market sector or subsector to develop the sector by identifying barriers, developing value chains (supply based and customer), improving exports and product standards, productivity and skills issues.
• Must have good knowledge of global trends in the sector.
• Must have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Master’s degree in a relevant field preferred.
• Preferred to have experience in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Preferred to have experience in sectors related to the project (e.g. textiles/apparel, construction, pharma, light vehicle/machinery assembly, logistics and packaging, and agri-processing).
• Strongly preferred to have experience delivering technical assistance in a way that aligns with market systems principles and is systemic, adaptive, grounded in political economy analysis and aware of incentives.
• Comfort and experience working in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
• An effective decision maker and problem solver, 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.
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical information to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution.
• Able to analyze and express ideas clearly in business writing.
• Carries out tasks with integrity and honesty.
• Preferred to have experience managing staff. Exhibits emotional intelligence, an ability to delegate, strategic thinking, support for the development of staff skills, and experience providing coaching and feedback.
• Fluent in English.