Project Director at TechnoServe Kenya

Duties & Responsibilities:

•  Lead overall implementation and management of the anticipated program, from inception to close-out
•  Provide strategic guidance, leadership, management, and general technical oversight of the program
•  Served as the primary liaison with BMGF as well as government and private sector partners, and stakeholders involved with the program
•  Recruit, lead, manage, and supervise implementation teams comprising long- and short-term team members and partners
•  Continuously develop operational efficiencies and driving innovations in delivery, ensuring that the program meets established objectives and targets and delivers value
•  Provide oversight of project activities, set work plans
•  Oversee the project budget both external and internal to TechnoServre
•  Coordinate internal and external evaluations, and report to the Foundation and project partners on delivery and progress.
•  Serve as the spokesperson for the program and present its work regionally/globally
•  Identify and communicate critical program learnings
•  Identifying issues and risks related to implementation in a timely manner, suggesting appropriate program adjustments
•  Represent the project at strategic meetings, partnership negotiations, and learning events.

Required Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Abilities:

•  Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management, or another relevant field, and at least 12 years of experience in relevant private sector roles, ideally within a top-tier management consultancy or technology firm. Or a Master’s degree plus 7 years of relevant experience.
•  Significant project management experience in commercial agriculture and/or supply chain management.
•  Proven success working in an innovative environment and in the development of digital products and services.Ideally, experience leading digital transformation initiatives within agricultural supply chains, including 5 years at a senior management level with demonstrable success in achieving results
•  Fluency in English required. Understanding of Amharic, Swahili, and other native languages is an advantage.
•  Strong interpersonal and communications skills and ability to effectively motivate and manage teams in a multi-cultural environment
•  Ability to work under tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and activities
•  Ability to develop well written, cohesive analyses and reports
•  Understanding of capacities and constraints of smallholder farming and agribusiness development
•  An honest broker who is able to build win-win partnerships between multiple agriculture sector stakeholders, including agribusinesses, public sector, financial institutions, technology providers, and others
•  Ability to clearly communicate a high-level strategy to internal and external stakeholders, while driving execution of a workplan and achievement of short-term milestones. Ability to use adaptive management principles to make strategic, data-driven decisions in the face of uncertainty and complexity

Preferred Qualifications:

Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more desirable. We seek candidates who bring experience with:

•  Leading complex horticulture or other agriculture programs in Kenya, Ethiopia and/or Sub-Saharan Africa strongly preferred
•  Influencing and collaborating with senior management of agribusinesses (input suppliers, producer organizations, processors, traders, etc.), financial institutions, and other private sector actors to achieve partnership results
•  Implementing Human Centered Design approaches
•  Sourcing and delivering demand-driven technical assistance and business development services particularly through technical assistance facility mechanisms
•  Designing and implementing inclusive business models that integrate women and youth (farmers, entrepreneurs) and successfully removing structural barriers that bar entry from entering or thriving in agricultural value chains
•  Designing and implementing climate-smart approaches that improve the resilience of value chain actors and agricultural sectors as a whole
•  Implementing consumer-facing campaigns to promote food safety and nutritious diets
•  Implementing large, complex programs funded by BMGF