Country Director at TechnoServe Kenya

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 hardworking people 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. Our success in creating business solutions to poverty is due in large part to our talented and highly committed team. TechnoServe employs more than 900 people, the vast majority of them host-country nationals working in the field. Our staff combine business expertise with local knowledge, relationships and context to help hardworking men and women generate income, jobs and wealth for their families and communities. In 2014, TechnoServe’s work made a difference in the lives of 1.7 million people in more than 29 countries, creating a better life and better world for this generation and the generation to come.

Program Overview:

TechnoServe has been designing, executing, and scaling transformational market-led agricultural and entrepreneurship development programs in Kenya since 1973.

The country team has deep technical and sectoral expertise and is delivering a dynamic, impactful, and growing portfolio of programs in coffee, food processing/fortification, youth conomic empowerment, and micro-retail programs.

In addition to traditional bilateral donors such as USAID, and Sida, our portfolio includes partnerships with foundations such as the Mastercard Foundation and Citi Foundation. TechnoServe also collaborates closely with corporate partners to strengthen sectors and drive inclusive growth for poor women and men. This increasingly important source of funding has included highly successful partnerships with companies such as Nespresso, John Deere, and Syngenta and Coca-Cola.

Job Summary:

The Country Director is the heart of the organization and must successfully function at many different levels at once. The Country Director is simultaneously a diplomat, networker, sales person, program, finance and people managers, often serving in all of these roles in any one day. It is one of the most challenging roles in our organization, but also one of the most rewarding

for its direct impact on making the world a better place. The Kenya Country Director leads all aspects of TechnoServe’s country level strategic branding, fundraising, and operations to achieve sustainable economic development in a cost-effective manner.

This position serves as TechnoServe’s in-country legal representative and provides overall management of TechnoServe Kenya, including HR, procurement, finance and operations, ensuring efficient and effective and high quality implementation of programs, compliance with all donor and local legal requirements as well as TechnoServe policies and regulations. The Country Director serves as an important link between the country office and our headquarters in the US. S/he provides context rich communications and are critical advocates for building and maintaining a culture in line with our strategy and values. The Country Director generally has knowledge or expertise in one or more of TechnoServe’s technical areas of excellence so that s/he can credibly represent the organization effectively. However, the Country Director often focuses his/her time much more on business development, program management, and people management than on serving as a technical advisor.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

The Country Director is expected to effectively manage all aspects of country operations including: 

• Program Oversight: Coaching and supervising leaders and managers of programs for successful delivery of results; ensuring timely submission of internal reports and corporate measurement; ensuring timely submission of high quality donor reports with support of the divisional back-stopping team; supporting country-level adaptation and use of program management tools; and working with program staff to identify and address technical assistance needs.


• Program Development: In collaboration with regional leadership and program development teams, executing a business strategy aligned with TechnoServe’s global and regional strategies, maintaining and building strong relationships with a wide range of donors, and proactively developing and delivering upon a robust pipeline of new program opportunities to grow the country platform and scale TechnoServe’s impact.


• Stakeholder Representation: Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with relevant in-country stakeholders, including government ministries, private sector companies, business associations, and civil society organizations; securing their support as needed; representing TechnoServe at internal and external functions. Also establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with internal divisional, regional, and HQ teams.


• People Leadership: Hiring, supporting, and managing a talented local staff in line with local labor laws as well as TechnoServe policies and approaches related to recruiting, pay, and performance. Putting together and leading a local senior management team made up of program managers, HR, Finance, and Procurement functions. Developing and communicating a principled commitment to TechnoServe’s mission and building a working culture that aligns with organizational values of integrity and collegiality


• Compliance Leadership: Representing TechnoServe in all legal matters at the country level, and ensuring TechnoServe retains and consults with qualified local legal counsel as needed; ensuring that TechnoServe is properly registered and complies with all related regulations.


• Finance Leadership: Reviewing and approving expenditures to ensure compliance with country and donor budgets and TechnoServe’s procurement/finance policies; ensure submission of high quality reports and documents to TechnoServe’s HQ on a timely basis in accordance with the corporate calendar, including monthly financial close, annual and mid-year budgets; monitor burn rates on a monthly basis and course correct spending as needed and/or ensure donor and internal budget realignments are requested and approved when required.


• Safety and Security: Ensuring that the country office has a robust and highly communicated security plan; expeditiously managing safety and security issues as they arise, with help from headquarters and our external security advisors.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience; or a Master’s degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.


• 5 years’ implementation and management experience relating to large-scale projects with responsibility for all aspects of operations including HR, Finance, and Procurement.


• Proven ability to fundraise / work with donor organizations and professionally and proactively represent an organization.


• Experience working in developing countries


• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English, including report writing and presentations.


• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% and internationally as necessary.

Preferred Qualifications:

• East Africa country and program management experience is strongly preferred


• Significant operations experience, including experience in budget development and management


• Private sector experience and/or overall business acumen


• Strong people management skills and experience with a record of recruiting and retaining top talent as well as the ability to quickly address performance and/or behavior issues.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Entrepreneurial and inspirational, with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain high performing teams in stressful contexts.


• Ability to build strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.

Supervisory Responsibilities – Supervises 8 direct reports including program and operations staff.

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe’s vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

The post Country Director at TechnoServe Kenya appeared first on Jobs in Kenya - http://jobcenterkenya.com/.