AfriScout Managing Director at Project Concern International

Job description

PCI is currently seeking a Managing Director (MD) for AfriScout, a start-up social enterprise of Project Concern International in Kenya (PCI). The MD will work as part of a small but growing global team (US, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia) and will lead the oversight, management and implementation of AfriScout primarily in Kenya, but may extend to Tanzania, Ethiopia and other areas as funding permits. The Managing Director will also serve as PCI’s country representative in Kenya. This is a full-time position contingent on funding.

There are a quarter of a billion pastoralists in Africa using basic, and increasingly unreliable methods to find adequate grazing, resulting in significant herd loss. AfriScout is an innovative, Base of Pyramid (BOP) social enterprise using mobile technology to help pastoralists make more precise and cost-effective migration decisions. With the support of USAID/DIV, Google, Fintrac and other donors, PCI developed grazing maps that fuse traditional livestock herding knowledge and practices with real-time satellite imagery on vegetation and water. Since its inception, PCI and AfriScout have reached over 1 million pastoralists. PCI aims to expand its reach and build a financially sustainable social enterprise through a fee-for-service model.

Click here for more information on AfriScout.

Reporting to PCI’s Africa Regional Director in the US and working closely with PCI’s Strategic Initiatives team and other support staff at PCI’s International Office, the MD is responsible for the oversight, management and implementation of AfriScout, and provides overall technical and administrative supervision to the initiative. S/he will be responsible for the marketing and sales of the AfriScout mobile application in current mapped communities as well as mapping, orientation and launch within new areas. S/he will be responsible for all aspects of marketing, management and field execution, including customer education and adoption, stakeholder management with a broad range of partners, monitoring and evaluation, and quality assurance. The MD will represent AfriScout and is responsible for communications with donors, partners, sub-contractors, and other stakeholders including the general public.

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of pastoralist communities and livestock management as well as technology and digital solutions for development. The successful candidate should be an energetic leader who possesses strong project management skills including budget management, HR, and administration, an effective communicator and negotiator, and passionate about field work. S/he will have experience in small business administration, managing a start-up or social enterprise, or market-based interventions in an NGO context. S/he will be excited about the opportunity to work on a social enterprise project that could have a significant impact on some of the most marginalized populations in Kenya and across the continent.

These Are Candidates That Have

• The ‘Wow’ Factor - We are not looking for just any candidate but candidates we feel have the “Wow” factor.
• An innovative mind: You have the proven ability to see beyond convention and take you and your team to places others overlooked.
• A compassionate soul: Your life experience has conveyed in you a sense that your privilege (whether granted or earned) is also your obligation to serve those less fortunate, and you possess
• an uncanny ability to hear, understand and empathize with people regardless of how similar or dissimilar they are to you.
• An uplifting spirit: You have an infectiously positive attitude and ability to help people see any challenge as an opportunity.

Key Programmatic Priorities

The four key priorities for the MD over the next 3-5 years upon which performance will be measured are:

• Scale - Deepening and widening registrations of pastoralists directly and through strategic partnerships.
• Service quality - Ensuring well-trained field level customer support as well as oversight of effective debugging and appropriate functionality of the app.
• Commercial viability - Ensuring AfriScout is meeting revenue targets through direct sales, grants and contracts.
• Social impact - Rigorous monitoring and measurement of product impact on herd, pasture and community.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight for all AfriScout activities and ensure cost-effective implementation and achievement of targets and results, both programmatic and financial.
• Plan and support community mapping exercises and product orientations in counties.
• Lead the design and oversee the execution of robust, multi-channel marketing plan.
• Deploy an effective customer support management system.
• Interface with PCI’s technology development and maintenance provider to address application-related issues and consult on necessary fixes and refinements.
• Liaise with county and national government, telecoms, collaborating NGOs and other relevant actors.
• Manage internal and external deliverables, including compliance with PCI and donor rules and regulations, including timely and high-quality program and financial reporting to donors and PCI’s International Office.
• With staff, partners, and sub-contractors, translate project goals, objectives and milestones into implementable strategies and plans.
• Oversee and manage the operational, financial, HR and administrative needs of AfriScout and PCI Kenya, including budget management and grant/contract compliance.
• Lead, recruit, and effectively supervise a small team of office-based staff as well as support a cadre of part-time, field-based distributors/customer service providers.
• Represent PCI and AfriScout at external meetings, in the media, and other fora.
• Actively position, cultivate partnerships, and pursue new business opportunities for AfriScout and PCI Kenya.
• Participate in PCI’s innovation efforts and in teams on innovation initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Parameters / Special Responsibilities Required

This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya with up to 50% travel to various pastoral counties within the country where the application is relevant. Some international travel to the US and within the region may be required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, marketing, or a relevant field.
• Minimum of ten years of professional experience, with at least six years of experience leading social enterprise development activities, working in BoP markets in Kenyan rural areas; and experience with pastoral populations highly desirable.
• Comfortable working in a start-up environment.
• Strong project management skills.
• Strong organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills required.
• Literacy in Microsoft Office and Windows applications (and corresponding Google equivalents: Sheets, Slides, and Docs); experience with mobile-based ICT a plus.
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili required; any other local languages a plus.
• Experience managing a multi-donor budget and staff.
• Strong local networks: experience and relationships working with players in the Kenya BoP markets and in telecommunications is highly desired.
• Proven ability to motivate and inspire.
• Flexibility and ability to transition across a variety of roles and settings - from the village to the board room.
• Strong analytical and communication skills: ability to effectively synthesize data and prepare clear, compelling and high-quality reports and presentations.
• Strong work ethic and willingness to work a nontraditional work schedule.
• Balance: combining patience, empathy, and honesty with the assertiveness, clout and drive to see any job through to the end.
• A passion for the mission and values of PCI.