Openings at TechnoServe Kenya

Job Summary:

• TechnoServe seeks a dynamic and motivated Finance and Admin Senior Manager for an anticipated food systems program in Kenya. The Finance and Admin Senior Manager will have the exciting opportunity to help transform the food system in 17 counties in Kenya.

Program Overview:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) anticipates funding the five-year Feed the Future Local Food Systems activity in Kenya. The activity will promote inclusive agriculture-led growth with a focus on climate-smart approaches, strengthen the resilience of people and systems by expanding economic opportunities, improve nutrition of women and children, as well as integrate cross-cutting themes. This activity is anticipated to cover a combination of staple and high value crops.

The activity will implement solutions including:

• Improving resilience of vulnerable populations
• Building the capacity of food system enterprises
• Catalyzing investment into local agricultural market systems
• Establishing strong and transparent relationships between food system actors
• Improving the availability and affordability of nutritious food products, especially for women and children
• Expanding employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, especially for youth and women

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Financial Management and Analysis:

• Ensure reliability and accuracy of data entered by the finance team;
• Review all cash receipts/credits to ensure that revenue is recognized in accordance with corporate policies and that program budgets have been created in the financial system to track expenditure of the funds received;
• Monitor subawards and compliance with subaward agreements and TechnoServe sub-award manual;
• Ensure the project is implemented with sound financial and administrative practices;
• Ensure that all processes and procurements adhere to corporate policy, legal and contractual obligations and corporate and donor standards;
• Oversee program budgets to ensure spending rates are on target;
• Produce financial reports for internal and external consumption (to include total grant amount, spend to date, spend this year, amount remaining, cash received, cash remaining/ short and estimated months remaining);
• Produce annual budget proposal to the donor;
• Support annual program donor audit;
• Resolve any discrepancies and errors in a timely manner;
• Provide internal program control and audit functions;
• Review expense entries monthly to ensure accuracy;

Personnel and Grants Management:

• Manage MDF Compliance and team of Grants & Procurement and Administration & Human Resources project staff members
• Ensure administrative staff receive training and support to perform job functions;
• Oversee a robust grant facility to local partners to ensure strong administration and compliance;
• Maintain a file of all correspondence related to the program, including the original grant agreement and communication with the donor;
• Maintain a schedule of report due dates, audit requirements and cash disbursement request and notify relevant individuals (in advance of approaching relevant dates).

Program Coordination:

• Provide overall coordination and quality monitoring of the project team’s finances;
• Work closely with Regional Program Manager to ensure that program work plans and financial programs are in sync;
• Share spending analyses and trends with program team members to help synchronize program and financial decision-making processes;
• Coordinate with TechnoServe Kenya’s Controller on program’s contribution to country budget;
• Interface with other country, regional and HQ staff;
• Ensure financial information is shared and flows transparently within the program team and to other organizational levels, as appropriate;
• Work with program team to identify financial/administrative needs;
• Liaise with the donor representative regarding financial and administrative oversight, as needed.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in accounting, business administration, economics, or other relevant area;
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, Or Master’s degree plus 7 years of experience.
• USAID experience including oversight of subawards and grant funds
• Team management experience
• Fluency in English

Preferred Qualifications

• CMA, CPA, or related, certifications
• Proficiency in Kiswahili
• Serenic Navigator or other fund-based accounting software preferred;

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical and quantitative skills.
• Proven team player with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Strong private sector market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;

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Job Summary:

• The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager will report to the Program Director and work closely with Program Managers, Hub Country MEL Specialists, and Partner Liaison Manager in their respective countries to design, analyze, and execute MEL activities, tracking implementation and results while continuing to improve the program’s approach.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Program Monitoring and Evaluation

• Establish a framework, methodology, procedures, and responsibilities for MEL program performance in accordance with the program’s logical framework and reporting requirements.
• Develop a plan that effectively connects the accountability framework of Strategic Fortification Partners (SFPs), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and TNS around the principles of collective impact to rolling-up program activities to the goals and outputs of the IGNITE and validation of country-level results in improved national compliance to food fortification standards.
• Track progress on engagement with SFPs, working closely with the Partner Liaison Manager, as it relates to collaboration towards a joint advocacy initiative and bi-lateral projects that will be facilitated by the Millers for Nutrition Initiative
• Collate, monitor, and update data associated with, but not limited to; processor market share of target food vehicles across program geographies, product testing, input utilization rates, market trends, sector performance, and consumer reach/impact.
• Implement systems to safeguard the collection, management, and quality control of program data including the development of input mechanism to be leverage by program teams.
• Lead the development of progress update materials for internal and external stakeholders (reports, presentations and graphics) in coordination with relevant global and country team members as required.
• Support the identification of opportunities to capture success stories and global best practices, working closely with the Advocacy and Knowledge Management Manager.
• Support Knowledge Management and Communications team members to incorporate technical insights into program monitoring databases.
• Undertake regular visits to the field to support country-level MEL Specialists on the implementation of MEL activities to integrate relevant insights and data into program planning and decision-making processes.
• Work with M&E practice in headquarters to identify and integrate corporate impact indicators into organizational reports.
• Collaborate with TNS’ Impact Team and ensure IGNITE adopts global standards, plus contributing to efforts to further best practices
• Work closely with TNS’ corporate Data Specialist to produce dashboards and other data products for use of project leadership

Compliance Oversight

• Maintain high levels of confidentiality in relation to sensitive and confidential program implementation data and information (i.e production data from private sector clients).
• Provide proactive advice to ensure optimal program delivery and reporting in compliance with TechnoServe’s policies and guidelines.
• Support program team with analysis and interpretation of program monitoring data and produce reports and briefs to enable effective communication of program progress.

Data Management and Analysis:

• Oversee and manage multiple program tracking databases and conduct routine quality assurance checks (currently housed on Smartsheets).
• Run ad-hoc analyses (e.g. multi-level pivot tables), and produce graphics and reports.
• Support ongoing global and country-level Knowledge Management assessments, leveraging data collection mechanisms and storage platforms already in use by country program teams.
• Standardize the capture and storage of processor level data to ensure consistency across program geographies. This also includes implementing systems that allows program staff and clients to regularly access the most up to date information.

Staff Capacity Building

• Regularly travel to project countries to provide support to the teams in Monitoring and Evaluation
• Provide orientation to new staff on MEL as required.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree + 7 years relevant experience OR Master’s Degree + 5 years relevant experience
• Experience managing MEL systems for Large Scale Food Fortification and/or B2B programs and engaging private sector partners.
• Knowledge of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or other international development donor reporting requirements.
• 5 years of experience with MEL methods and approaches in an international development context, including designing, planning, and implementing MEL systems, analyzing, and reporting using a logical framework, and other strategic planning approaches.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-sectoral stakeholders, including development partners and national governments
• Experience working in any of the listed program countries
• Fluency in spoken and written English is required
• Competence in managing and analyzing large datasets
• Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
• Strong analytical, program management, and analytical skills
• Advanced proficiency with relevant software packages, including Microsoft Office (With advanced knowledge of Excel), Google Suite, Salesforce, Smartsheets, Google Analytics, or Power BI.