Senior Program Manager Coffee Initiative, Ethiopia

Reporting Unit/Supervisor: Country Director, Ethiopia
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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:

TechnoServe’s Ethiopia Coffee Initiative (CI) is funded primarily by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and aims to help over 90,000 small-holder coffee farmers improve their incomes by increasing coffee quality and production. The project was launched in 2008 and has secured funding through the end of 2015. Through its staff of 300 people the program currently trains over 50,000 farmers and supports over 100 cooperative wet mills.

III. POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Senior Program Manager will serve on the management team of the Ethiopia Program Office and the Coffee Initiative to manage the operational activities of the coffee program including, field administration, training, credit access and program monitoring. S/he will drive key new business processes, carry out strategic analysis and develop industry strategic plan for the CI program.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

FIELD ADMINISTRATION

• Support program managers to develop detailed work plan and program budget and ensure they receive regular supervision, reviews and feedback
• Monitor program expenses against budget and participate in monthly budget reviews meetings
• Ensure field admin functions are efficiently supporting program staff
• Review and advise on administrative polices and directives
• Guide and assist on the preparation of annual operation plan of resources to improve and maximize resource utilization.

CREDIT ACCESS

• Support cooperative clients to access credit facilities, namely short-term working capital and longer term investment capital
• Work with banks, international guarantors and other partners to ensure clients have access to sustainable credit facilities (post-TechnoServe support)
• Provide mentoring and training to CI’s Credit Manager as well as local bank officers

TRAINING

• Manage CI’s training department; provide supervision and coaching to the training coordinator
• Support training coordinator to develop detailed annual work plans

STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP

• Work closely with the Country Director to develop, present and implement the overall goals and objectives of the program
• Mentor, coach and work with program managers and other coffee initiative staff to develop technical and managerial skills so as to assume greater responsibility.
• Regularly review and update the strategic plan for the Ethiopian coffee sector
• Identify and pursue opportunities for TechnoServe to build new partnerships and expand its work in Ethiopia
• Identify key risks to the project and propose solutions to mitigating such risks

IV. REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree in relevant subject preferred (e.g., business, economics, international development, etc.)
• Experience managing large projects and teams of people
• Inspirational leader of professional staff
• Solid management experience, including key skill areas such as business development, consulting, training, financial analysis and coaching
• Developing country experience with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills
• Strong analytic and financial modeling skills
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English

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