Deputy Country Director (DCD) - Côte d’Ivoire

Reporting Unit/Supervisor: Country Director (CD)

Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Travel: International up to 20%    Domestic up to 10%                

I. 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.

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa, and a significant producer and exporter of cashews. Seventy percent of Ivoirians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, but yields remain low and incomes are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in international commodity prices. Meanwhile, 25 percent of the nation’s youth are unemployed, threatening peace and stability in the resurgent state. Currently, TechnoServe is working in partnership with the public and private sectors to increase the incomes of small-scale cashew and cocoa farmers, create a competitive local cashew processing industry and catalyze youth employment through enterprise development.

III. POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Deputy Country Director works closely in tandem with TechnoServe’s Country Director to develop and oversee TechnoServe’s strategic vision and direction in Côte d'Ivoire. Half of the DCD’s time will be spent directly overseeing and executing TechnoServe’s regional cocoa programs throughout West Africa.
As part of the senior leadership in Cote d’Ivoire, Deputy Country Director will:

• Supervise the execution of the regional cocoa program operations. (50%)
• Assist the CD to ensure that projects are implemented with sound managerial, technical, financial, personnel and overall programmatic practices and that the processes and activities adhere to corporate policy, legal and contractual obligations and corporate and donor standards. (30%)
• Support the CD in identifying, negotiating, and closing additional funding from corporates, donors, and government. (15%)
• Contribute to the development and execution of the overall strategic vision, goals and objectives of the country program. (5%)
• Represent the country program in the absence of the CD, at internal and external functions, as assigned.
• See below for a more detailed breakdown of these core areas.

SUPERVISION OF COCOA OPERATIONS

Lead the execution of the cocoa programs including Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP) by:

• Supporting the improvement and expansion of input supply chains through partnering with the private sector and using local promoters
• Expanding auxiliary services for farmer organizations
• Developing and piloting innovative financing and risk management tools for smallholder cocoa farmers
• Developing and piloting market information systems.

As part of this workstream, the Deputy CD will supervise the Deputy Regional Program Manager in: managing the program on a day-to-day basis; facilitating linkages between farmers and service providers; overseeing the development of innovations/technologies to improve production and facilitate market information; communicating and coordinating with all stakeholders in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana; and overseeing the team of business advisors to implement the project.

COUNTRY PROGRAM EXECUTION

• Support the CD in the development of programmatic work plans and ensure their feasibility and compliance with TechnoServe policies/standards and grant-specified milestones
• Support project teams to enhance the quality of their work, with a specific focus on managing for greater impact
• Support the CD in the overall monitoring of the project against milestones and the development of necessary changes/improvements to the program to stay on track
• Provide oversight of M&E, by collecting, vetting and submitting semi-annual Program Core Indicators
• Support the CD in the implementation of program operations including: project development; quality assurance; and relations with donor agencies, local government and other collaborating institutions/donors
• Conduct regular visits to the field with the view of identifying key issues associated with overall program efficiency and effectiveness and works with CD to develop and implement solutions, and also facilitates collaboration between the main office and field/partner (e.g., ACI, CLP) offices
• Instruct and mentor TechnoServe Business Advisors on creating effective market linkages on behalf of the rural poor with “client companies” domestically and internationally

COUNTRY FUNDRAISING

• Support the CD in developing relationships with potential donors (corporate, multi-lateral, public) in order to deepen the country program’s funding base
• Play active role in proposal development and other fundraising activities (e.g., stakeholder management, ISP development) for program activities

COMMUNICATIONS

• Meet with client companies (actual or potential)
• Meet with partner organizations including donors
• Prepare written materials regarding TechnoServe and its clients
• Communicate to CD key needs that emerge in the field
• Provide support to CD as required
• Represent CD/TechnoServe as required in internal and external meetings
• Represent TechnoServe for all CLP-related communications

IV. REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in business administration or related field
• Five years’ experience in management (and/or program management) within a for-profit enterprise
• Clear understanding of nonprofit management and fundraising, preferably with experience
• Strong communication (written and oral), interpersonal and organizational skills
• Aptitude for writing business plans and proposals
• Leadership skills; adept in leading teams to achieve results under pressure
• Skilled in managing and completing multiple projects
• Ability to train in-house staff and client company personnel on business issues
• Knowledge of agricultural development in the African context
• Oral and written fluency in French and English required

V. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Qualified and interested applicants should submit a Word-formatted single document consisting of cover letter, resume and salary history to jobs@tns.org. Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line.
Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be considered or contacted. No phone calls please.

TECHNOSERVE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER