Job Openings at TechnoServe Kenya

Job Summary:

The Senior Food Processing Specialist is the technical lead overseeing the provision of strategic advisory services to food processors and other clients at the country level in coordination with Partners in Food Solutions and corporate volunteer experts. S/he oversees all engagements with selected clients, and collaborates with other team members in-country and across the project, to ensure coordinated and impactful implementation.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

  Client Relationship Management

• In coordination with other team members identify clients (processors, industry bodies, aggregators etc.) that can have an impact on the availability of nutritious food products and on broader food systems.
• Clearly identify and document their aspirations and challenges; plot a mutually agreed intended impact and route to reach it.
• Plan activities to ensure that the shared objectives are met within the set times and resources and that impact is maximized.
• Effectively manage, maintain, and nurture the relationship with these clients.
• Ensure regular and responsive communication to monitor progress, identify problems at an early stage and respond to them.

    Coordination of Technical Assistance

• Clearly communicate to clients the full range of support that is available to them from TechnoServe and through PFS.
• Provide on-the-ground support for implementation of technical advice, on issues identified by the business diagnostic.
• Source and facilitate relevant expertise from PFS partner company volunteer experts to support the food processors. Liaise between volunteers and processors to ensure clear expectations and smooth communication.
• Ensure PFS Technical Leads are fully informed on progress, challenges, and successes
• In collaboration with other team members at the country and regional level develop and deliver standardized training and quick-win solutions to less sophisticated clients with simpler technical and business needs.
• Facilitate university student internships/apprenticeship initiatives with processors, whereby interns will be assigned for a defined period to provide technical support and address identified issues.

    Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• In coordination with the M&E Manager, manage client data collection and review data for accuracy.
• Contribute towards explanations of metric results and provide input to recommendations to adapt program approach as necessary to maximize impact.

• Provide anecdotal evidence of impact, including success stories, case studies, and lessons learnt
• Ensure activities carried out are in accordance with TechnoServe and donor requirements.

     Sector-Wide Training

• Support the Regional Program Training Lead, PFS experts, and local training institutes with technical input on identifying appropriate topics and developing curricula for sector-wide training in support of broader industry development.

     Competencies:

Strategic and Innovative Thinker

• Identifies opportunities and builds strategic relationships with other organizations to help achieve identified goals.
• Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn and actively applies new knowledge and skill.
• Analyses both successes and failures for clues to improvement.
• Innovative to try new ideas to find solutions
• Analytical, able to diagnose problems, identify the key issues, and think strategically to evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical, and acceptable solution. Works persistently to overcome obstacles
• Asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

Team Player

• Works cooperatively and flexibly with other members of the team to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Effectively plans, schedules, and prioritizes activities.
• Able to take ownership of decisions on areas of responsibility but show sound judgment in escalating issues where necessary.

Effective Communicator

• Listens openly and effectively and ensures accurate understanding; able to adjust communication to the needs of the audience and work at multiple levels; facilitates the open exchange of ideas and information in individual and group situations.
• Transparent in dealings with others, admits mistakes, and is trusted. Inspires confidence in the team of honest intentions and fairness.
• Able to analyze and express themselves clearly in business writing.

Basic Qualifications:

• Degree in food science, food nutrition, or a related degree, preferably at Master’s level.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in the food industry or as a consultant to the industry
• Good knowledge and understanding of the challenges of food processing in Africa, both technical and business
• Previous work on a donor-funded program, ideally USAID
• Design and delivery of training
• Managing local consultants/BDS providers

Required Languages 

• Fluency to speak, read and write in English and Kiswahili is essential

 The deadline for submitting applications is on  3rd May 2023.

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Job Summary:

Reporting to the International Planning & Risk Director, the International Budgeting and Planning Analyst provides oversight and technical support to the International Planning & Risk Office on the areas of corporate and business projections, analysis and budget management. This role also coordinates and communicates internally with country controllers, program managers, Country Directors and other department heads.

Primary Functions and Responsibilities:

Budgeting and Forecasting support, coordinate

• Update and maintain an improved global budget model and tools to be used across the network.
• Participate in the annual budget and mid-year review process,
• Develop country and departmental budgets and improve their budgeting skills.
• Update projections and maintain forecasts current with latest available information and approvals
• Provide training and guidance to planning leads across the network.
• Expand the capabilities of the TNS budget models, including feasibility to capture and upload in the system relevant data for robust financial and donor reporting. 
• Explore budgeting/planning tools for future use.
• Analyze underspending and overspending trends across regions, responsibility centers and projects.
• Provide a wide range of financial and budgetary analysis, including budget to actual variances, analysis of fund expenses, analysis of surplus, trends, etc.
• Support the fringe review process across all countries where TechnoServe operates and provide guidance for calculation of rates in prospective countries.
• In consultation with other departments, manage TechnoServe’s shared cost with a mind toward enhanced predictability and increased cost-efficiency.
• Provide other financial analysis as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Develop donor financial reports upon notification of award and train relevant financial and project managers on how to use these reports.
• Administer TechnoServe’s system of automated financial reports, making additions or revisions as appropriate to best facilitate financial management by users across the organization.
• Provide support and deliver financial training programs to increase the capacity of staff to understand TechnoServe’s finances and plan/manage departmental and/or program budgets.
• Assist efforts to build a community for technical collaboration and ongoing support/training among TechnoServe's global project and budget managers.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree, plus 5 year’s relevant experience OR Master's Degree + 3 years relevant experience.
• Extensive experience in planning and financial analysis and supervising or managing development programs being implemented in developing countries.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets. Demonstrated experience with financial reporting systems and/or business intelligence platforms. 

Preferred Requirements:

• Knowledge of Jet Reports and/or Microsoft Dynamics NAV a significant plus.
• French, Spanish, or Portuguese language skills are desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Exceptional communication skills, including presentation, interpersonal and oral/written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

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 analyze 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:

• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.
• Computer Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.
• Compliance & Governance: Compliance with and knowledge of company policies, applicable legislation, grant requirements, donor contracts, the local labor code and tax laws.
• Internal Client Focus: Client Focus is based on the ability to understand the client’s needs and concerns in the short to long-term and to provide sound recommendations and/or solutions.

Deadline for applications will be 28th April 2023 COB