Program Manager

TechnoServe Background

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets. Our work is rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hardworking men and women in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs and wealth for their families and communities. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives. For more information, visit www.technoserve.org

Position Description

Through the Nespresso AAA project and CREW programs, TechnoServe has supported over 200 washed coffee processors in Oromia, Sidama and South Ethiopia regions to sustainably produce coffee that meets the AAA standards. Through this project TechnoServe aims to support farmers, cooperatives and private coffee producers to 1) Adopt best practices in coffee cultivation to enhance the supply of the highest quality coffee, 2) Support farmers and wet mill clients to become more environmentally and socially responsible by adopting sustainable coffee production methods, 3) Support farmers and wet mill clients to improve productivity and implement cost reduction initiatives to increase their net income, 4) Improved and gender-responsive management of coffee wet mills while reducing their environmental footprint, 5) Increased promotion of sustainable, climate resilient, and gender equitable coffee production by coffee industry

This position specifically serves the below purpose:

• Manage the implementation of TechnoServe’s Nespresso Project activities with cooperative, private wet mills, farmers and stakeholders in Nespresso’s areas of operation in Ethiopia. This entails managing implementation of stakeholders, Wet mills, and quality related activities, and sometimes, agronomy related activities when required
• Ensuring all Nespresso program deliverables are reached within budget and on time, and that all regular progress reports are submitted to the Senior Programs Manager and other relevant departments on time.
• Manage the GAC - CREW Wet Mill Program and ensure that all program deliverables are met on time in line with Intermediate Outcome 2 and 3. These two outcomes are,1200- Improved and gender-responsive management of coffee wet mills while reducing their environmental footprint and1300-Increased promotion of sustainable, climate resilient, and gender equitable coffee production by coffee industry

 Duties and Responsibilities

Manage the Nespresso and CREW wet mill Programs and ensure that all program deliverables are met on time.

 Wet mill and quality activities implementation and management

• Manage a team of Business Advisors and/or a combination of Business Advisors quality team, Senior Business Advisors, finance and administration and overall project operations as well as clients in the program area
• Support and coordinate training activities with wet mills clients. This includes but not limited to audit trainings, SWOT analysis and feedback delivery to wet mills, quality trainings and all sustainability trainings as per the project requirement and donor requests
• Familiarize self with CREW and Nespresso proposals and agreement and ensure successful implementation of all activities and outputs related to these 2 projects wet mill components. For CREW, familiarize with outcomes 1200 and 1300 to ensure effective delivery of the wet mill and stakeholders components.
• For Nespresso- Familiarize with all activities, outputs and outcomes related to wet mills and Agronomy for effective implementation and impact of the project deliverables
• Together with the team, implement Nespresso’s TASQ sustainability standards to all AAA and CREW wet mills. Support in all the audits, feedback collection and sharing. The manager will ensure timely preparations for audits and communication of the same to all concerned support systems
• Model the sustainability and quality training to the Wet Mill BAs
• Observe training delivery by WM BAs to client leaders
• Provide technical support to BAs as required
• Manage relationships with woreda, zonal and regional officials, and actively engage in industry initiatives and partnerships with key stakeholders on issues that promote the mission of TechnoServe’s Coffee Initiative

 Nespresso Agronomy Activities Support (From time to time and if need be)

• Support the implementation of Nespresso agronomy and Academy + related activities from time to time based on donor interest and requests – Activities may include FARMS/KOLTITRACE TASQ surveys at selected farms, Farmer success stories collection, coordinating visits to AAA Farms, AAA+ and CFC training activities and stumping incentives activities.
• Overall, support any requests from Nespresso on past Agronomy work in Ethiopia

Project Technical Support

• Support the collection of feedback from the field team to aid in revision of lesson plans, training tools and data collection
• Lead weekly discussions with Wet mill team in order to plan for the upcoming activities and identify issues arising. 
• Ensure effective team interaction and positive employee relations within and across departments
• Support any Nespresso requests especially for both agronomy and wet mill related activities that may not be part of this JD
• Ensure the team produces and maintains necessary data for monitoring purposes.

Admin, team and overall project support

• Manage the overall bottom up budget and resources for the Nespresso project.
• Manage allocation of all program resources, including vehicles and motorcycles.
• Complete and periodically update the program work plan
• Submit regular reports on program activities, plans, and challenges to the Senior Programs Manager
• Manage government and other government relationships
• Manage vehicles, logistics, HR and other admin related activities
• Regularly reporting on all works streams for the CREW and Nespresso projects, including weekly 5-15s and detailed written inputs and data for and not limited to quarterly, mid-year and annual reporting
• Following the CREW and Nespresso reporting templates, submit biannual and annual donor reports and notes, high quality photos, success stories and quotes on timely basis
• Manage Aleta Wondo and Bule Hora offices and represent TechnoServe during stakeholder related activities at all administrative offices in the zones. Manage all administration related activities for the field offices as per project and organization needs
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Program Manager.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with 7-10 years; Master’s Degree with 5-7 years (Master’s degree preferred) in agriculture and rural development, natural resources, agro-economics, economics, ecology, business administration or other related discipline.
• At least five years’ professional experience – ideally including experience in the private sector – in one or more of the following areas: coffee processing, SME development, project or business management, finance, or engineering.
• Proven experience managing people and program/projects successfully.
• Solid understanding of business principles and rural development.
• Excellent computer skills, particularly the ability to conduct detailed analysis in Excel and prepare reports in Power Point and MS Word.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral, in both English and Amharic (knowledge of Afan Oromo is a strong added advantage).

 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.       

       Managerial Competencies

• Emotional Intelligence: Empathetic, understands attitudes, interests, needs of others; predict others behavior. Self-aware and keeps own emotions from interfering with work. Understanding both the strengths and limitations of others.
• Trust to Delegate: Appropriately allocates decision‐making authority and/or task responsibility to others; maximizes the organization’s and individual’s effectiveness.
• Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.
• Staff Development: Planning and supporting the development of individuals’ skills and abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job responsibilities more effectively.
• Coaching/Feedback: Recognizes and acknowledges strengths in others. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others develop knowledge and skill areas to accomplish tasks or solve problems.
• Fundraising (PMs only): Able to continuously identify opportunities for TechnoServe to grow revenue; demonstrates good understanding of fundraising and donor management. Able to develop high potential fundraising proposals.
• Strategic Thinking: Takes an overview and identifies patterns, trends and long-term possibilities. Creates and shapes a vision of the future that fits in with TNS’ long term objectives. Is able to articulate strategy to a wider audience. Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.

Technical Competencies

• 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.