TechnoServe Business Advisor Job in Kenya

Business Advisor

Connected Farmer Alliance Program

I. General Information:

TechnoServe is an international non-profit economic development organization in 1968 out of a conviction that a vibrant private sector is an essential foundation for economic growth and poverty reduction.  

TechnoServe undertakes targeted, catalytic technical assistance and other programming to increase the competitiveness of entrepreneurs, businesses and industries that in-turn provide sustainable employment, inclusion of the poor and increased incomes.  

TechnoServe operates in 25 developing countries with over 1,000 employees. 

A substantial portion of our work is in agriculture, enhancing farm productivity and commodity quality and addressing gaps in processing and other agribusiness capacities.  

Our programs increase smallholder access to new technologies, aggregation and storage mechanisms, markets, critical information and finance.  

TechnoServe also undertakes structured programs to identify and support high potential entrepreneurs in various sectors through leadership mentoring networks, formalization support, access to capital and development of sustainable business services.

II. Primary Purpose & Function:

TechnoServe is in the process of securing funding for a $10 million Global Development Alliance (GDA) funded by USAID and Africa’s leading Mobile Network Operator (MNO). 

The three-year Connected Farmer Alliance (CFA) will develop and launch business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) mobile solutions that will create market opportunities for smallholder farmers and improve return on investment for the agribusinesses that source from them, while unlocking new market opportunities for MNOs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

The CFA will facilitate access to output and financial markets for 500,000 rural smallholders, nearly 150,000 of whom will be women. 

By developing sustainable business models that serve the interests of a broad range of private sector stakeholders, the CFA will seek to prove the commercial viability of rural mobile solutions. 

By profitably serving rural markets across a representative cross-section of African information and communication technology (ICT) industries, the CFA will pave the way for widespread replication of developed mobile solutions across the sub-continent.

III. Purpose

TechnoServe seeks three world class Business Advisors (BAs) – two in Kenya and one in Tanzania – to lead the provision of services to TechnoServe CFA clients, which will include agribusinesses, government extension agents and lead farmers. 

The BAs’ mission is to backstop the management of the program, train clients on relevant mobile solutions and support Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) to document program performance and impact.

IV. Duties & Responsibilities:

1.    Project Management

• Backstop Country Lead on project work planning, budgeting and stakeholder engagement
• Enable accurate and timely reporting to all stakeholders and partners as well as meet TechnoServe internal processes
• Monitor program results and achievements and identify lessons learned and areas of improvement for the CFA and future programming.
• Carry out country-specific gender analysis to better understand the constraints facing women’s program participation and their ability to control program-related benefits
• Maintain project work plan and activity budget
• Ensure timeliness and quality of activity implementation
• Actively participate in regular team meetings to track implementation progress and share relevant program and administrative data
• Support the production of narrative and M&E reports by collecting relevant data for monitoring and evaluation purposes
• Ensure excellence in execution of all program activities and events

2.    Mobile supply chain solutions for rural smallholder farmers

• Identify and sign-up partner agribusinesses in each country
• Conduct needs assessment to determine information flows needed to make smallholder sourcing
• economically viable
• Identify mobile services that meet needs identified by needs assessments
• Identify technology partners that can help develop solutions; support partners to develop and test solutions
• Support agribusinesses on marketing and acquisition

3.     Mobile financial services for rural smallholder farmers

• Identify and sign-up partner financial institutions in each country
• Conduct needs assessment to determine financial services requirements of rural men and women
• smallholders
• Identify mobile services that meet needs identified by needs assessments
• Identify technology partners that can help develop solutions; support partners to develop and test solutions
• Support financial institutions on marketing and acquisition

4.     VAS business support for new services to smallholders

• Define Accelerator processes, evaluation criteria, and support systems; launch and promote to stimulate applicants
• Screen and select incubated businesses and enter into agreements
• Provide business support service and facilitate access to finance and market linkage for selected applicants

5.     Capacity Building and Gender integration into overall project management system and approach

• Contribute to the design and delivery of training to clients on the use and management of relevant mobile solutions
• Develop strategy to encourage women smallholder farmers to adopt mobile services
• Conduct gender integration training for program stakeholders
• Incorporate targets for women's participation into work plans and performance management plans

6.     Learning, M&E system operational

• Working closely with the Regional M&E Manager, collect data on customer usage of mobile solutions, and impact of services on rural farmers
• Participate in ongoing M&E reporting, baseline assessment, midterm evaluation and closeout impact assessment
• Participate in organizing events in each country to disseminate learnings to private sector stakeholders on development and launch of commercially viable mobile solutions that benefit smallholders, including sex-differentiated understanding of adoption and use

V. Knowledge & Expertise:

• Bachelors Degree or equivalent title in business administration or related field work
• 3 years experience in agribusinesses, business, finance, and/or design and administration of projects
• Deep knowledge of the local business and technology environment and trends
• Experience in agribusiness, stakeholder management banking and/or micro finance and ICT related field Proven ability to develop business plans
• Skills and experience in M&E and gender integration is an added advantage
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, excellent oral and written communications
• Self-motivated person with proven entrepreneurial and leadership skills

Reports to: Country Lead

Position Location: Nairobi, Kenya

To Apply: 

Please submit your application (by email only) to ke-recruit@tns.org  with the position title placed in the subject line. Please include 

(1) cover letter describing your interest, 

(2) curriculum vitae, 

(3) salary history, and 

(4) telephone contacts of three referees (former supervisors). 

Please include all requirements in one document (pdf). Applications will be treated confidentially.  

Deadline for applications is Wednesday 17th October 2012.  Note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.