Vacant Position: Director, Sales and Partnerships - AfricaKickStart International prides itself in being an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise that develops and mass- markets low-cost irrigation solutions that are bought by thousands of small-holder farmers in developing countries and used to increase their income by up to a factor of ten, enabling them to lift themselves sustainably out of poverty. Function: Sales and Partnerships (B2B or Institutional Export sales) Location: Nairobi – Kenya with > 50% travel in Africa
Role Purpose: The Director Sales and Partnerships - Africa will be responsible for developing business and markets for Kick Start’s products and services in Africa outside our country programs.

Reports to: Director- Programs & PartnershipsStaff directly reporting to this post: 3 Head of Partnerships & Sales for East Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa & Executive Sales administrator  Works with: All KickStart Directors, Heads of Partnerships and Sales, Executive Sales Administrator, 
Nature and Scope: The position is mandated to develop markets for KickStart products and services outside country programs where KickStart operates through creation of partnerships and development of the private sector supply chain.The Director of GIP (Global Institutional Partnerships and Sales) key focus will include:
Business to Business Export Sales to countries outside our Country Programs through creation of partnerships with NGOs, Governments and the private sector supply chain and prepare them for in-country funding.Fund raising- Concept papers for funding, Conference & w/shop paper Presentations, feasibility studies.  Physical knocking on donor doors in various countries and making necessary follow-ups.Public Relations- Corporate Image of the Corporation. Attending to international enquiries by email or physically.  Attending interviews and presenting KS to development forums through paper presentations and/or participation. Assist in the internal management of KS- Assist in the day to day coordination of activities. 

Development of sales and marketing strategiesDevelopment of sales forecast on monthly basisNumber of partnerships created Number of distributors and dealers identified and trainedCreating of end user database for impact monitoring and donor visits.Collection of receivables on monthly basis

Prepare Key presentations that can be used by Heads of Partnerships & Sales to introduce KickStart solutions to partners in various countries.Prepare, attend and make presentations at International conferences to promote KickStart mission and Agricultural water management solutions.Identify sales opportunities by identifying and creating working business relationship with NGOs, relevant government institutions and other clients for the sale and marketing of KickStart products and development of sales opportunities pipeline. Prepare and develop potential countries for donor funding on our expansion strategy.Set up new country programs Recruit, train, coach and support Heads of Partnerships & Sales to achieve their sales target.Collaborate with marketing function to create marketing collateral and strategies for various Regions under GIP.    Ensure that KickStart meets its quantitative targets including trainings, post sales supports and create awareness to potential customers and close sales and achieve sales quota.Identify, recruit, train and manage distributors and their dealers or partners in all GIP Regions.  Representing KickStart at international trade fairs and exhibition.Assist the Impact Monitoring team on Impact Monitoring activities by creating a database on end users in GIP regions/countries.Provision of customer care services to all export clients from various clients in Africa and beyond on timely basis.Management and reporting on all export sales opportunities and receivables Receiving requests and responding to customer inquiries on Sales and Marketing issuesAssist in the recruitment, management of sales agents in potential countries within the region as deemed necessary.
Liaison with Supply Management
Compile monthly sales forecast to streamline production forecast and delivery schedules in collaboration with Supply management.Liaise with Supply Management Department to ensure the availability and delivery of export goods within stipulated time frame and costs. Liaise with Supply Management Department to establish product availability status for different technologies for sales.Liaise with Supply Management for shipping cost information for various quotes and destinations.  Organize the transportation of orders to clients in liaison with the Supply Management department. 

Monthly reporting on Projected forecast of sales and ordersMonthly work planMonthly sales against targetField reportsPrepare quarterly board reportsReceivables

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Development, Agronomy, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences or Social Sciences or related fields.7 plus years of progressive responsible experience in Private sector, International Development, social enterprise or in providing management advisory services. Prior experience in Africa and in the Agriculture sector. Prior working experience in East African, Southern Africa and West Africa a plus

Strong strategic as well as implementation skillsResults/performance orientation; proven “self-starter”Business and Strategic planning skills as well as knowledge of finance budget managementSales and Marketing experience. Competency in consultative and solution selling. Commercially-minded and highly collaborative with proven sales experience and  record of results and clear “wins”Excellent customer focus and relations putting the customer at the forefront of the decision making process.Track record in people management and in setting of a high performing teamExcellent personal communication & negotiation skillsStrong analytical abilities and detail orientationFluency in English while French speaking is an added advantage.Commitment to KickStart’s core valuesIf you feel you are the right candidate to fill this position, please send your CV and Cover letter to hr@kickstart.org quoting the position title on the subject line by COB 30th September, 2014.

(See www.KickStart.org for more information).

KickStart International prides itself in being an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise that develops and mass- markets low-cost irrigation solutions that are bought by thousands of small-holder farmers in developing countries and used to increase their income by up to a factor of ten, enabling them to lift themselves sustainably out of poverty.Global Marketing Manager - KenyaFunction: Programs and Partnerships 
Grade: Type of Contract: Permanent
Role Purpose: The position is responsible for Global Marketing operations for KickStart.
The Global Marketing Manager’s key focus will include:Building Marketing plans and programs.Advertising and Agency liaison and promotional activities.Market research and consumer trend analysis.Management of all marketing functions.Organization’s marketing support across programs in Africa.Promotion of the MoneyMaker brand across AfricaCustomer profiling for KS products.Close liaison with Country Directors in KickStart Country programs to ensure their promotion and marketing requirements are being realized.Reports to: Director -Programs & Partnership in AfricaStaff directly reporting to this post: None but supporting Country Programs Marketing staffWorks with: Country Directors, Marketing staff in country programs and occasionally with Partnership and Sales staff in the country programsGrowth and stability of Market Share of the MoneyMaker pumpsCost effective and timely production of marketing materials and distribution to all programsEnsure top quality and creative design for the marketing elementsTeam performance and individual’s development.Effective management of marketing budgets.Production of effective case studies for marketing and fundraisingEstablishing marketing goals to ensure that the MoneyMaker enjoys substantial market shareDevelop and execute marketing plans and programs, both short and long term, to ensure sales growth across the country programs and GIP program.Understand the donor funded programs in and their promotion and marketing plans for execution in all country programs.Plans and oversees the organization’s advertising and promotion activities including print and electronic media.Solicit for free advertising and/or subsidized advertisement on promotion to irrigate Africa from development partners and media houses.Communicates with outside advertising agencies on ongoing marketing campaigns /field days /agricultural shows / trade fairs / exhibitionsEvaluate market reactions to advertising programs and product packaging and formulation to ensure the timely adjustment of marketing strategy and plans to meet changing market and competitive conditions.Recommend changes in basic structure and organization of the marketing section to ensure effective fulfillment of objectives assigned to it and provide the flexibility to move swiftly in relation to marketing problems and opportunities.Ensures full exploitation of the marketing mix to achieve optimal market share.In liaison with Monitoring & Evaluation and PID functions, conduct marketing surveys on current and new product concepts.Formulate and implement product launch campaign and coordinate promotional activitiesWith the direction of the Country Directors, plan and control the marketing expense, ratios and sustain marketing score card analysis.Design communication plans to enhance brand awareness and build brand loyaltyProvides marketing support to the sales function across all country programs.Strengthen the existing systems and processes for customer serviceDegree in Marketing and Sales or Business Management or degree in relevant field with 5 years post qualification experiencePlanning, organizational and analytical skills and a team playerGood negotiation skills in the development of the marketing and promotion material by third parties.Adequate knowledge of the small scale agricultural sector across AfricaHands on previous experience with the media and advertising agenciesMust have in depth understanding of the various materials used in producing marketing collaterals / ability to discern and recommend quality materialsExpertise in desk top publishingSharp IT skills / use of IT for presentationAbility to produce radio scripts, documentaries that are captivating and write up articles for publicationAbility to document outstanding case studies.Ability to organize shows, exhibitions, product launches and field days to show case our productsMeticulous, creative and attentive to detailsHands on and self- drivenWillingness and flexible to travel, work and support country programs in their marketing initiatives.If you feel you are the right candidate for this job, please send your CV and Cover letter to hr@kickstart.org quoting the position title on the subject line by COB 31st July, 2014.

KickStart International is an award-winning, non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to provide smallholder farmers with access to income-generating products and services that will empower them to lift themselves out of poverty. KickStart’s best-selling products are low-cost, human-powered “MoneyMaker” irrigation pumps that enable farmers to move from subsistence to commercial irrigated farming. KickStart has sold over 200,000 pumps across sub-Saharan Africa, through retailers, distributors, and NGOs. However, KickStart recognizes that in order to create successful, sustainable farming businesses, smallholder farmers also need access to other important resources, such as other types of irrigation technologies/accessories, farmer-friendly financing, agronomy information/training, and market linkages. Offering a more holistic value proposition to farmers is an integral component of KickStart’s strategic plan to scale impact through innovative products and services, innovative sales & marketing tactics, and strategic partnerships. KickStart is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Product Manager to lead and manage the enhancement of KickStart’s Value Proposition through expansion of its product and services portfolio. The Product Manager - Innovations will work with members of cross-functional teams (Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Product Intelligence and Development (PID), Finance, Impact Monitoring, Business Improvement and Information Services) to bring these new projects to fruition. The position will report to the Head of Marketing & Innovation and will be based in Nairobi with travel within Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. Specifically, the job responsibilities will include: Product Development Roadmap/Product Portfolio Management Facilitate the decision-making process for expanding KickStart’s product/services portfolio and developing KickStart’s product roadmap Analyze product mix and each product’s contribution to overall gross margin Develop and pilot strategy for “bundling” related products and services into a holistic solution to be packaged and offered to customers Product Management of Irrigation Technologies that enable smallholder farmers to increase income by cultivating dry season crops. Work with the Product Intelligence and Development and Marketing & Innovation teams to determine product features, pricing, positioning, and promotion Manage project timelines & deliverables o Conduct training of Sales Team o Evaluate sales performance post-launch Product Management of Financial Services that are designed to enhance and accelerate the impact created by our Irrigation Technologies Tailor design of KickStart’s existing Mobile Layaway service (micro-savings via M-PESA mobile money transfer) to target farmer groups in Kenya and Tanzania Design and pilot Rent-to-Own (micro-credit version of Mobile Layaway) service Design financial model, design systems and processes for administering service, and define marketing strategyConduct training of Sales Team Oversee the field implementation of pilot Evaluate performance post-launchExperience in Product Design, Product Management, and/or Product Marketing and in sales and marketing of physical products, ICT services, and/or financial services Experience in Project Management and ImplementationExperience in Team Leadership and Management with a high level of responsibility Strong analytical skills including Microsoft Excel financial modeling skills Results/Performance Orientation – proven “self-starter” Ability to work in a dynamic and unstructured environment Undergraduate degree required. MBA or relevant Masters degree preferred.Fluency in English. Kiswahili preferred. Experience working or living in developing countries - preferably in AfricaHow to apply:

To be considered for this position, kindly email your one page Application Letter, together with your CV (maximum of 2 pages), with the position in the subject line of your email to hr@kickstart.org by December 31, 2012.

Position Specification

Position: Director of Fundraising - Africa

Based in Nairobi, Kenya

About The Organization:

KickStart - International (KickStart) is an innovative, 501c3 non-profit, social enterprise with a mission to help millions of people in Africa escape poverty by promoting sustainable employment creation and economic growth.

KickStart believes that impoverished people in the developing world need precisely what any other poor person needs: a way to earn more money.

KickStart works by designing very low cost tools and equipment, and mass marketing them to very poor, but entrepreneurial African men and women, who buy them and use them to establish profitable small-scale family businesses.

KickStart’s best-selling products are manually operated irrigation pumps which are marketed under the brand name “MoneyMaker”. KickStart develops a private-sector supply chain to distribute and sell the equipment, and a large-scale marketing/ extension program to widely promote the equipment to poor farmers.

Finally, KickStart carefully measures its impacts to determine if the families who buy the equipment really do make enough money to get out of poverty. To date over 110,000 families have lifted themselves out of poverty with these tools. In summary, KickStart has developed and proven a cost-effective, replicable and sustainable model with the potential to take many millions of families around the world out of poverty.

KickStart has won many international prizes/accolades and was recently featured as a “Top Project” on Jumo.org and recognized by Fast Company magazine and the Monitor Group.

KickStart was also named “One of the Top 15 Charities for Investors” by Nuwire and has earned the highest possible rating on Charity Navigator. Additionally, the MoneyMaker pump was called one of the “Ten Inventions that Will Change the World” by Newsweek.

For more information, please visit www.kickstart.org

About The Position:

KickStart is seeking an experienced professional to expand and manage its institutional (corporate and foundation), government and multilateral fundraising programs for its Africa Office in Nairobi Kenya.

KickStart is in the midst of a major expansion with a goal of increasing its annual impacts by approximately 4x over the next 5 years.

The Director of Fundraising-Africa will be responsible for generating new revenue from corporations, foundations, government and multilateral funding agencies, and for developing and managing related external relationships and partnerships.

This person will manage a staff of two, and work closely with the Directors of Institutional Development (NY) and Government Relations (Washington, DC), and report directly to the CEO (San Francisco, CA)

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational and Strategic Planning

Generate and execute KickStart’s institutional and governmental fundraising strategy and objectives in Africa, designing a detailed fundraising plan and ensuring key performance indicators are met Work closely with KickStart’s development, management and program teams in the US and Africa to manage institutional and government funding proposals from start to finish, including conceptualizing programs, developing budgets, writing proposals and reports, managing implementation and reporting on resultsLead KickStart’s careful tracking of and response to requests for proposals (RFPs) from institutions, government and multilateral agenciesResearch and apply for new funding opportunities from institutional funders, US government agencies (e.g., USAID missions, bilateral donors, and multilateral agencies (e.g., World Bank/International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank)Identify and secure opportunities for KickStart to provide its services (e.g., MoneyMaker irrigation pumps, supply chain development, training, etc.) to projects worldwide, as lead and/or subcontractorWrite and submit proposals, grant applications and reportsRepresent KickStart at Africa based meetings and public forums related to its mission and programs (e.g., development aid, job creation, technology, agriculture, food security)Initiate and maintain strong, ongoing partnerships with relevant community, including governmental consultants, other non-governmental and non-profit organizations , and for-profit corporations to collaborate on government funding proposalsBuild strong public-private partnerships and actively cultivate and manage relationships with program staff at bilateral, USAID and multilateral funding agenciesCandidate Qualifications:

Candidates should possess the following:

Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred Knowledge of international development and/or international agriculture and rural development10+ years of experience and proven success working within and/or seeking funds from institutional funders, bilateral donors, US government and multilateral funding agencies 1+ year experience living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa or in a developing country in another part of the world Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal (e.g.: public speaking, presentations, correspondence, proposals and reports), including compelling, clear, succinct and jargon-free writing abilities Work effectively with cross-functional teamsA drive to cultivate and close new and existing revenue opportunities Sophistication and poise, with the intellectual depth and maturity to work with executives, staff, government officials and other leadersDetail orientation, with an ability to operate in a highly organized fashionDemonstrated competency working with and developing budgets using ExcelCharisma, able to articulate KickStart’s mission and programs to inspire across multiple formats (e.g., in-person meetings, phone and video conference) Flexibility and creativity, exhibiting determination while maintaining respect for others’ concerns Emotional maturity and a good sense of humor Ability to work independently and remotely, sometimes on weekends, early in the morning or late in the evening to collaborate with colleagues in Africa and the United StatesCommitment to KickStart’s mission, purpose and values, and to its methodology, history, culture, programs and constituenciesForeign language skills (French, Portuguese, Swahili) a plus, but not requiredWillingness to live and work in Nairobi, KenyaWillingness to travel (estimated at 25%), including internationallyLocation: Nairobi, Kenya

Compensation: Competitive compensation commensurate with experience

Qualified individuals, please apply to: info@kickstart.org

All applicants are asked to type in “Director of Fundraising-Africa” in the subject line of your e-mail.

All candidates MUST include both a cover letter and resume to be considered for this position.

Visit www.kenyan-jobs.com for many more jobs in Kenya

Position Specification

Position: Director of Fundraising - Africa

Based in Nairobi, Kenya

About The Organization:

KickStart - International (KickStart) is an innovative, 501c3 non-profit, social enterprise with a mission to help millions of people in Africa escape poverty by promoting sustainable employment creation and economic growth.

KickStart believes that impoverished people in the developing world need precisely what any other poor person needs: a way to earn more money.

KickStart works by designing very low cost tools and equipment, and mass marketing them to very poor, but entrepreneurial African men and women, who buy them and use them to establish profitable small-scale family businesses.

KickStart’s best-selling products are manually operated irrigation pumps which are marketed under the brand name “MoneyMaker”. KickStart develops a private-sector supply chain to distribute and sell the equipment, and a large-scale marketing/ extension program to widely promote the equipment to poor farmers.

Finally, KickStart carefully measures its impacts to determine if the families who buy the equipment really do make enough money to get out of poverty. To date over 110,000 families have lifted themselves out of poverty with these tools. In summary, KickStart has developed and proven a cost-effective, replicable and sustainable model with the potential to take many millions of families around the world out of poverty.

KickStart has won many international prizes/accolades and was recently featured as a “Top Project” on Jumo.org and recognized by Fast Company magazine and the Monitor Group.

KickStart was also named “One of the Top 15 Charities for Investors” by Nuwire and has earned the highest possible rating on Charity Navigator. Additionally, the MoneyMaker pump was called one of the “Ten Inventions that Will Change the World” by Newsweek.

For more information, please visit www.kickstart.org

About The Position:

KickStart is seeking an experienced professional to expand and manage its institutional (corporate and foundation), government and multilateral fundraising programs for its Africa Office in Nairobi Kenya.

KickStart is in the midst of a major expansion with a goal of increasing its annual impacts by approximately 4x over the next 5 years.

The Director of Fundraising-Africa will be responsible for generating new revenue from corporations, foundations, government and multilateral funding agencies, and for developing and managing related external relationships and partnerships.

This person will manage a staff of two, and work closely with the Directors of Institutional Development (NY) and Government Relations (Washington, DC), and report directly to the CEO (San Francisco, CA)

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Organizational and Strategic Planning

Generate and execute KickStart’s institutional and governmental fundraising strategy and objectives in Africa, designing a detailed fundraising plan and ensuring key performance indicators are met Work closely with KickStart’s development, management and program teams in the US and Africa to manage institutional and government funding proposals from start to finish, including conceptualizing programs, developing budgets, writing proposals and reports, managing implementation and reporting on resultsLead KickStart’s careful tracking of and response to requests for proposals (RFPs) from institutions, government and multilateral agenciesResearch and apply for new funding opportunities from institutional funders, US government agencies (e.g., USAID missions, bilateral donors, and multilateral agencies (e.g., World Bank/International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank)Identify and secure opportunities for KickStart to provide its services (e.g., MoneyMaker irrigation pumps, supply chain development, training, etc.) to projects worldwide, as lead and/or subcontractorWrite and submit proposals, grant applications and reportsRepresent KickStart at Africa based meetings and public forums related to its mission and programs (e.g., development aid, job creation, technology, agriculture, food security)Initiate and maintain strong, ongoing partnerships with relevant community, including governmental consultants, other non-governmental and non-profit organizations , and for-profit corporations to collaborate on government funding proposalsBuild strong public-private partnerships and actively cultivate and manage relationships with program staff at bilateral, USAID and multilateral funding agenciesCandidate Qualifications:

Candidates should possess the following:

Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred Knowledge of international development and/or international agriculture and rural development10+ years of experience and proven success working within and/or seeking funds from institutional funders, bilateral donors, US government and multilateral funding agencies 1+ year experience living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa or in a developing country in another part of the world Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal (e.g.: public speaking, presentations, correspondence, proposals and reports), including compelling, clear, succinct and jargon-free writing abilities Work effectively with cross-functional teamsA drive to cultivate and close new and existing revenue opportunities Sophistication and poise, with the intellectual depth and maturity to work with executives, staff, government officials and other leadersDetail orientation, with an ability to operate in a highly organized fashionDemonstrated competency working with and developing budgets using ExcelCharisma, able to articulate KickStart’s mission and programs to inspire across multiple formats (e.g., in-person meetings, phone and video conference) Flexibility and creativity, exhibiting determination while maintaining respect for others’ concerns Emotional maturity and a good sense of humor Ability to work independently and remotely, sometimes on weekends, early in the morning or late in the evening to collaborate with colleagues in Africa and the United StatesCommitment to KickStart’s mission, purpose and values, and to its methodology, history, culture, programs and constituenciesForeign language skills (French, Portuguese, Swahili) a plus, but not requiredWillingness to live and work in Nairobi, KenyaWillingness to travel (estimated at 25%), including internationallyLocation: Nairobi, Kenya

Compensation: Competitive compensation commensurate with experience

Qualified individuals, please apply to: info@kickstart.org

All applicants are asked to type in “Director of Fundraising-Africa” in the subject line of your e-mail.

All candidates MUST include both a cover letter and resume to be considered for this position.

Visit www.kenyan-jobs.com for many more jobs in Kenya

An Exciting Opportunity at KickStart International

Product Management Fellow, Kenya

KickStart is an award-winning, nonprofit, social enterprise with a mission to lift millions of people in Africa out of poverty. Their unique solution is to design and mass-market simple, money-making tools that poor entrepreneurs buy and use to create highly profitable businesses.

KickStart’s best selling devices are their human-powered, MoneyMaker irrigation pumps. These low-cost pumps are sold in local retail shops and enable famers to move from subsistence to commercial irrigated farming.

The farmers grow high value crops throughout the year, increase their net annual incomes by over $900 and lift their families out of poverty. Over 110,000 farmers across Africa are already using these pumps, and presently over 2,500 more pumps are being sold every month.

The Opportunity

KickStart is seeking a proactive and dynamic Product Management Fellow whose overall purpose will be to help launch, oversee, and drive new product development in Kickstart.

The successful applicant will have an opportunity to work with the Management team of KickStart to apply their knowledge and experience to make a difference in the lives of small-holder farmers across Africa.

Plus, the successful applicant will also have a chance to work with multi-cultural teams and gain hands-on experience with a leading social enterprise.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast paced, innovative work environment and experience working in a multi-cultural environment.

This is a 6-9 months position based in KickStart’s Nairobi office in Kenya.

The Job Responsibilities will be:

The Fellow will be managing several different projects.

Specifically, the set of activities for the candidate will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

Planning and coordinating:

The full market launch of a new product within KickStart’s country programs and export sales programA customer market test in Kenya for a new product currently in the final stages of developmentThe implementation of KickStart’s accessories and complementary products (hoses, sprinklers, water catchment) strategyLeading the creation of the training content, marketing collateral, and product packaging for KickStart’s products under developmentBuilding great customer and market research to drive and inform new product decisions to best meet customer needsManaging KickStart’s product pricing model and providing input to KickStart staff on overall pricing strategy across all physical products from pumps to spares and accessoriesContinuing to develop KickStart’s product roadmap, exploring new product opportunities, and creating any applicable business casesPartnering with engineering and supply chain to build product design criteria and testing/QC procedures for new productsSkills, Experiences, and Competencies required:
Product management or product marketing experience. Experience in new product hardware introduction (versus service offering) preferredExcellent interpersonal and communications skills – a complete team playerExceptional planning, organizational, and leadership capabilitiesStrong analytical skills including Microsoft Excel financial modeling skillsResults/Performance Orientation – proven “self-starter”Ability to work in a dynamic and unstructured environmentTechnical background preferred – knowledge of mechanical engineering & manufacturing engineering theories usefulUndergraduate degree required. MBA desirableFluency in English required. Fluency in French or Kiswahili desirableShares KickStart’s values and believes in its MissionThe successful Fellow will be paid a monthly stipend that will cover the basic expenses.

How to apply

If you believe you have what it takes to handle this exciting opportunity, kindly email your one page Application Letter, together with your CV (maximum of 3 pages), with the position in the subject line of your email to HR@kickstart.org by August 20, 2011.

Website: http://www.kickstart.org/

Visit www.kenyan-jobs.com for many more jobs in Kenya

KickStart International is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise with a mission to help millions of people in developing countries escape from poverty and to “kickstart” sustainable economic growth. KickStart develops simple money-making tools and markets them to poor, entrepreneurial persons who use them to start profitable new businesses, increase their family wealth and boost local economic growth. (www.KickStart.org).

The organization is recruiting for a top university graduate with 1-3 years of work experience to help us research, design, launch, and monitor several new product launch initiatives. The Product Management Trainee will be based in Nairobi with occasional travel within Kenya.

Key Job Responsibilities
The Product Management Trainee will directly report to the Product Manager – Services and support the design and implementation of several new products and services. Activities for the Trainee will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

* Mobile Layaway Service
o Monitoring and administering the registration of KickStart customers who are paying for their pumps through M-PESA
o Analyzing participation and generating reports by Product, Dealer, Sales Rep, Territory, etc.
* Farmer-to-Farmer Referral Service
o Helping to design the levels of recognition and rewards, marketing collateral, operations, tracking system, etc.
o Monitoring and analyzing the successes and challenges of the initial pilot
* New Services
o Conducting field research to assess the market potential for new services, such as “Facebook for Farmers,” dealer incentive programs, brokers/middlemen as mobile dealers, etc.
* General Product Management
o Building a KickStart customer segmentation and customer fact sheet based on analysis of our Hot Prospects database, Voice of the Farmer surveys, and Impact Monitoring data
o Supporting the product management team and senior management team in ad hoc customer surveys and financial modeling
o Driving the development and production of instructional videos for dealers and end-customers on how to install 2 of our newest irrigation pumps set to launch this year

Qualifications For Kenyans
* Bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record required, no lower than a second class honours upper division or equivalent GPA. MBA preferred.
* 1-3 years of work experience, preferably in business management.
* Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office, especially in Excel.
* Strong research, analytical, and financial modeling skills.
* Ability to think strategically about complex issues and develop thoughtful recommendations and action plans.
* Results/performance oriented – proven “self-starter”.
* Excellent interpersonal and communications skills – a complete team player.
* Exceptional planning, organizational, and leadership capabilities.
* Ability to work in a dynamic and unstructured environment.
* Technical background, especially experience with mobile technology, highly preferred.
* Fluency in English and Kiswahili required.

How to apply for this management trainee job
If you believe you have what it takes to handle this opportunity, kindly email your one page Application Letter, together with your CV (maximum of 3 pages), with the position in the subject line of your email to HR@kickstart.org by May 10, 2011.

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KickStart is an award-winning, nonprofit, social enterprise with a unique solution for fighting poverty in Africa. They design and mass-market simple, money-making tools that poor entrepreneurs buy and use to create highly profitable businesses.

Location: Kenya - Nairobi

The Job Opportunity

The successful candidate will provide leadership for, and manage, a number of exciting new Product Management and Process Improvement projects at KickStart.

They will report to the COO, and work with, and manage, a number of small, but dynamic, teams to bring these new projects to fruition.

Specifically, the job responsibilities will include, but not necessarily be limited to:

Ensuring the successful market test and launch of two exciting new irrigation pumps that will improve and expand KickStart’s product line. In particular:The mass market launch of KickStart’s new MoneyMaker-Max irrigation pumpA market test of KickStart’s new Deep Lift Pump.Managing the development and piloting of a new line of KickStart Service Products, that will greatly increase the impacts of KickStart’s irrigation pumps. In particular:An expanded pilot of KickStart’s Unique Cell Phone Based Layaway Payment System that enables farmers to save money to pay for pumps.Developing and piloting KickStart’s new MoneyMaker Farmer’s Club – a cell phone based social networking product that will enable farmers to better utilize and promote KickStart’s irrigation pumps.Developing and piloting a new system that can track and measure the social impacts of KickStart’s B2B Export pump sales.Designing, implementing and managing key process improvement initiatives. Specifically new initiatives to:Reduce the time from inception to market for KickStart’s new products without compromising quality and performanceIncrease the cost effectiveness of KickStart’s procurement and inventory management processes.Establish, and put in place systems to track, new Key Performance Indicators for KickStart’s Product Development/ Management, Procurement and Inventory Management processes.Qualifications:

Necessary Skills and Experience:

Strong background and experience in Project Management at a Senior LevelExcellent experience and proven skills in Team Management with a high level of responsibilityExcellent interpersonal and communications skills – a complete team playerExceptional planning, organizational, and leadership capabilitiesStrong analytical skills including Microsoft Excel financial modeling skillsResults/Performance Orientation – proven “self-starter”Ability to work in a dynamic and unstructured environmentUndergraduate degree required. MBA desirableFluency in English.Desirable Skills and Experience – a successful candidate will have some or all of:
Experience in Product Management of hardware and/or software products.Experience in supply-chain management including vendor and inventory management, procurement and logisticsExperience and knowledge of computer science, mechanical and/or manufacturing engineering, marketing/sales, social networkingExperience working and living in, or visiting developing countries - preferably in AfricaFluency in French and/or Kiswahili desirableHow to apply

If you believe you have what it takes to handle this opportunity, kindly email your one page Application Letter, together with your CV (maximum of 3 pages), with the position in the subject line of your email to HR@kickstart.org by January 31, 2011.

For a more comprehensive collection of jobs in Kenya, visit our new Kenyan Jobs Website http://www.kenyan-jobs.com/