Food Technologist / Project Coordinator, Kenya (Project Sima) at TechnoServe Kenya

Reporting To: Regional Program Director, SAPFF

Location: Nairobi (strongly preferred but not required)

Travel: Frequent domestic travel within Kenya (estimated 40%), and 0-5% international travel

Grade: 10

Position description: The Food Technologist (FT) will manage the implementation of the Maize Flour Fortification project (Project SIMA) in Kenya, working within the program resources and mandate to meet the objectives of their country plan.

The FT will establish relationships with Medium and Small scale Maize Millers and industry stakeholders and identify capacity building needs towards improving industry compliance, he/she will then work with support from PFS experts to define and execute projects that improve processor compliance to fortification standards.

The FT will proactively review, make recommendations and report on programmatic activities to deliver TechnoServe’s strategic plan for Food Fortification in their country and as part of the broader regional program.

The FT will also correspond actively with the Strengthening African Processors of Fortified Foods (SAPFF) project which also targets support to larger Maize Millers to avoid overlap and duplication of work.

The FT will coordinate with the SAPFF Senior Business Advisor (SBA) in order to identify and assist with technical needs of food processors, and support complementary business needs of assisted food companies.

Business support will include assisting processors with customized business planning, adoption of food fortification and food safety protocols, overseeing market studies, and developing customized processor marketing strategies, business operations and provision of other business advisory services.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Technical Duties

• Work with selected Maize milling companies to identify their challenges to adequate fortification compliance, support assisted companies with solutions to address these challenges and coordinate with experts from PFS partner companies as needed for additional technical advice
• Identify common Maize millers’ fortification challenges and work with SAPFF team to support the design and delivery of sector wide training workshops to strengthen these gaps
• Review, monitor, and report on all programmatic activities including periodic progress, and financial reports, ensuring strict compliance with TNS’s objectives, strategies, policies and procedures.
• Make appropriate recommendations on the implementation plan

Managerial Duties

• Represent TNS and the fortification program at the country level, meeting with potential partners and stakeholders: Maize milling company directors and production managers, government institutions and regulators, technical industry experts, service providers and universities, complimentary programs, NGOs and related agencies
• Identify, review and select prospective maize milling companies for program support, champion the needs of selected companies, familiarize them with the program offering and help them navigate the fortification regulation requirements as effectively as possible
• Assist the Regional Program Director and management unit in timely tracking of country expenditures, budget management and forecasting, monitoring and evaluation of program results and the development of project work plans
• Represent the country activities through reports, presentations, hosting of leadership, donor or stakeholder site visits and other communications as required.
• Prepare an annual project narrative report and coordinate compilation of annual project financial report for the donor.

Key Organizational Relationships

• The FT will report directly to the Regional Program Director-SAPFF on strategic issues related to work planning, targets, budgets, staff and program delivery
• The FT will receive technical oversight and support from the PFS Technical Lead with respects to training and technology transfer to assisted companies
• Kenya Country Director to align with country objectives, administrative and compliance requirements and to receive support and assistance from the local office as required
• Regional and Kenya Country M&E manager to facilitate data capture and reporting
• Kenya Country office accountant and financial controller to reconcile program expenses, budget tracking and prepare for upcoming expenses

Skills & Attributes

• Food processing experience, preferably in staple foods, with an understanding of quality management, food regulatory compliance and fortification technology
• Strong project management and strategic thinking abilities
• Analytical mind and commitment to quality; rigorous approach with a high level of attention to detail.
• Highly level of integrity – present truthful information in an appropriate and helpful matter and keeps confidences

Core Competences Required

• Proven ability to work in an environment requiring collaboration with the private sector, government, and national and international organizations
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Flexible, proactive, goal-oriented and with a willingness to travel in challenging environments.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgment, problem solving, and creativity
• Problem solving an decision making
• Organizing, planning and time management
• Team work/relationship – works cooperatively and flexibly with other members of the team with the full understanding of the role to be played as a team member or leader

Experience, Education and Other Requirements

• At least 6 years of experience (of which 2 are in management position) working in the food industry for either the private sector or implementing  on behalf of a development program, with strong quality management experience a must
• Managerial experience, including supervision of staff, budget management and use of project management systems
• Bachelor’s in Food Technology, Nutrition, or food industry related fields; Master’s preferred Computer literacy with excellent Excel, MS word, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills
• Excellent command of spoken and written English is essential Working knowledge of Swahili is highly desirable
• Ability and willingness to travel both locally and abroad

Success Factors: Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyse situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement.
• Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals.
• Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
  Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Job Specific / Technical Competencies include:

• Financial & Resource Management: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Managing Resources is about understanding human, financial, and operational resource issues to make decisions aimed at building and planning efficient project workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

Managerial Competencies:

• Emotional Intelligence: The act of knowing, understanding, and responding to emotions, overcoming stress in the moment, and being aware of how your words and actions affect others. Emotional intelligence consists of 4 attributes: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
• Strategic Thinking: Managers should recognize key actions, underlying problems, make connection and patterns, see consequences and implications. Anticipates obstacles realistically and plans ways to deal with them.
• Staff Development: managers are required to work with employees to plan on the development of skills and abilities so that they can fulfil current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.
• Trust to Delegate: managers should have trust and willingness to assign responsibilities to direct reports and give them discretion and authority to carry them out.
• Feedback/Coaching (mentoring): managers should give instructions, suggestions, explanations, and feedback to subordinates. (SPI+R)