TechnoServe,Private Sector Component Lead Jobs in Tanzania

Location:
Tanzania

I. TechnoServe
Background:

TechnoServe works
with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms,
businesses and i
ndustries. 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:

USAID/ Tanzania is
planning a new, multi-year value chain strengthening program for Tanzania that
seeks to increase the competitiveness and inclusiveness of the horticulture
subsector, while improving the nutritional status of Tanzanians by:

1. Scaling
   improved technologies and practices that lead to the increased
   productivity of smallholders, including large numbers of women and youth,
   in targeted commodities;
2. Scaling
   market system models able to reach large numbers of direct and indirect
   beneficiaries, including vulnerable populations, while increasing trade
   for targeted commodities; and
3. Strengthening
   the overall capacity of the industry.

The program will
employ a facilitative value chain approach, a market system approach to
development which focuses on end market demand and identifies leverage points
to catalyze the dissemination of innovative technologies, practices and market
system models. Interventions will encourage the adoption and scaling of
innovations at the firm and/or farmer level, innovative business models at the
market system/value chain level, and a more broad-based distribution of
benefits all along the chain, including at the level of the producer/ smallholder.

III. Position
Description:

The Private Sector
Component Lead will lead and manage the Program’s relationship with private
sector market actors, including input suppliers, aggregators, traders,
processors, transporters, end buyers, financial institutions, and service
providers of supporting markets. S/he will lead efforts to scale market models
that lead to a more organized market system; strengthen the supporting markets
needed to enable value chain actors to innovate and invest, including building
the capacity of lead firms; and facilitate increased trade. In addition, s/he
will work to strengthen commercial relationships between service providers and
clients, while testing innovative new business models that foster both
extending the reach of service provision to smallholders, as well as creating
employment, particularly for women and youth.

Core
responsibilities include identification and development of innovative business
models that can scale outreach to smallholders and create employment –
especially for women and youth – and deliver significant impact; management of
the implementation of business model piloting and the scale-up of successful
pilots; and the brokering of deals with lead firms and low-income ultimate
beneficiaries.

S/he will forge
partnerships with lead firms, help them analyze and address the opportunities
and challenges they face in the market, and strengthen their internal
operations and market strategies, with the aim of increasing growth and
improving performance, while at the same time benefitting smallholder
producers. S/he will also lead efforts to explore ways to develop industry food
safety standards and increase domestic demand for horticultural products to
expand market opportunities for smallholders, while also building awareness of
the nutritional value and health benefits of these products. The Private Sector
Component Lead will also lead and supervise a team of colleagues, coordinate
project activities with our partners, manage technical inputs and identify
strategies to effective execution of the project objectives. Additional,
specific responsibilities are outlined below; position is contingent upon
successful award of donor funding.

Build
Sustainable Partnership with Local and International Organizations

• Responsible
  for developing systems and tools to methodically identify local and
  national partners in the various districts where the program is
  implemented
• Map
  partner’s needs and capabilities, develop standards for vetting them and
  present value propositions (in accordance with the program framework) to
  the potential partners to secure their commitment to support the program
• Engage
  and work with lead firms in the horticulture market system
• Assist
  with policy advocacy training and event coordination.
• Together
  with the M&E team, design an appropriate framework for supervision and
  tracking of partner performance and compliance with the obligations under
  the partnership agreements signed
• Make
  regular visits to the partners to track their performance and provide
  regular updates/reports on their progress

Access to
Finance

• Evaluate
  access to finance options and solutions (formal and informal)
• Engage
  with broad group of financial stakeholders that may engage with the
  project teams
• Analyze
  and communicate the benefits of horticulture to financial sector actors
  and educate commercial bank staff as needed
• Establish
  successful linkage of horticulture aggregation and service providers to
  finance institutions
• In
  order to build relationship with banks staff, facilitate promotion and
  outreach efforts, and actively advocate for timely approval of the loan
  applications
• Train
  male and female members of selected aggregation and services businesses in
  business plan, loan documents and loan application preparation
• Train
  financial institution staff in horticulture, loan application review, and
  improvements in head quarter and branch offices

Access to
Markets

• Support
  negotiations where required with current or interested buyers or
  financiers
• Support
  program opportunity development, where required, in building business case
  surrounding Tanzanian horticulture for domestic and regional markets
• Support
  developing the business case for how to achieve sustainable, high quality
  horticulture, and how the costs of this can be embedded in the supply
  chain and scaled

IV. Required
Skills & Experience:

• Holds a
  Masters degree or equivalent in Business, Finance, Economics, Agricultural
  Economics or other business related fields;
• 5+
  years of experience in developing and implementing market systems and/or
  market-led value-chain interventions in agricultural / rural markets
  and/or in relevant support markets (e.g. inputs, transport, financial
  services, etc.) as well as basic understanding of production systems;
  horticulture sector experience strongly preferred;
• Understanding
  of Tanzanian agriculture and private sector challenges and opportunities;
  experience working in a sub-Saharan African context, with Tanzanian
  experience strongly preferred;
• Strong
  skills in quantitative analytics
• Experience
  working with agri-businesses;
• Demonstrated
  knowledge of business and ability to write a business case about an
  economic opportunity preferred;
• Proven
  experience engaging and equitably integrating women and/or youth strongly
  preferred;
• Demonstrated
  capability of effectively managing teams;
• Excellent
  communication and soft skills, including strong presentation, networking
  and facilitation skills.
• Highly
  desirable: experience and strong understanding related to climate smart
  agriculture, including addressing issues of climate change and resilience;
  gender mainstreaming/ women’s economic empowerment; and/or rural access to
  finance;
• Fluent
  in English as well as in Kiswahili.

V. Application
Instructions:

All applications
should be informed that this opportunity is dependent upon successfully
securing funding for this program. Qualified and interested applicants should
submit a single Word-formatted 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. Applications will be considered as received.
No phone calls please

Please also submit
this Candidate Self-Identification Form. The form is voluntary but the
information helps us to track our diversity goals. If a reasonable
accommodation is needed for the recruitment process, please contact a member of
our recruitment team at 202-785-4515 or jobs@tns.org.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
EMPLOYER OF MINORITIES, FEMALES, PROTECTED VETERANS, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES