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: The primary objective of the TNS agronomy program will be to increase the production of the coffee tree for coffee farmers through both yield improvement and behavioral shifts due to price incentives. This production improvement will be achieved by educating project farmers on agronomy and environmental best practices, farm management, and assisting them in applying those techniques at an individual farm level. TNS will use two-year farm college training and individual farm visits to improve farmer knowledge of agronomy techniques and oversee implementation.

III. Position Description:

Support the implementation of strategies that will enable smallholder coffee farmers to achieve sustainable increases in coffee quality and yields as per Technoserve quality requirements. Responsible for day-to-day execution of the coffee agronomy program, activities plan and supervise project deliverables of farmer trainers to ensure the timely achievement of targets.

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I.             DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.      Planning and management of BA’s and FT’s

·         Submit SBA Weekly work plan to Program Manager

·         Review BA weekly work plans and previous week’s achievements.

·         Attend monthly Agronomy SBA team  meeting

·         Manage monthly BA meeting

· communicate goals and roles and responsibilities to all staff

·         Provide feedback, coaching and development activities related to performance management, following HR guidelines. 

·         Notify the Program Manager of any performance issues as soon as observed.

·         Develop a team spirit among all reports.

·         Manage Farmer Trainer of the month awards for area and Cohort.

2.      Support monthly Agronomy trainings to BA’s and FT’s

·         Review the monthly agronomy modules and give feedback

·         Deliver modeling training to BA’s every month at local training demonstration plot

·         Attend modeling sessions to FT’s, complete Training Observation form for BA, give feedback to BA’s (applicable to BA’s delivering training)

·         Ensure all training materials reach BA’s on time

3.      Support BA’s in the field

·         Observe full training to farmers

o   Complete the training observation form and give feedback to BA and FT

o   Check attendance form, cross-check with the number of farmers seen as present. Ensure the reported data is accurate.

o   Check demo plot status, complete form and give feedback to BA and FT

·         Visit farmers selected at random, with BA and FT

o   Discuss training, farmer adoption, and challenges

·         Complete Best Practice checklist with BA and FT

4.      Attendance M & E

·         Collect, review and submit a complete set of FT’s attendance sheets to M & E within 10 days of training completion. 

·         Discuss any attendance issues with BA’s and Program Manager and develop an action plan.

·         Compile weekly attendance update and submit to Program manager

5.      Training Observation & Demo plot observation using digitalized tablet-based

·         Ensure tablet application for training observation are being completed and uploaded by BA’s.

·         Discuss any performance issues related to training quality with BA’s and take appropriate action.

·         During each month training to client, check for the correct completion of the TO & DO by the BAs, before they synchronize their tablet to the system to upload the completed data. 

·         Discuss any issues that might be seen and give feedback on how to overcome these issues. (Problems with the TO& DO, problems with GPS recoding, problems with submitting final data.)

·         Discuss any issues with FT’s, BA‘s and develop an action plan for improvement.

·         Compile weekly Farm Support visit update and submit to SBA

6.      Stakeholder Management

·         Create a good working relationship with stakeholders. 

·         In consultation with Program Manager hold meeting with Agricultural Development and administration offices of the appropriate Wereda once every quarter.

·         Meet with Cooperative to give progress reports every quarter.

·         Attend annual stakeholder meetings

7.      Agronomy Budget & Administration

·         Implement and manage agronomy budget for the area

·         Prepare monthly agronomy budget and submit to area finance office

·         Timely submission of all internal reporting requirements.

·         Collect receipts from BAs for FT accommodation and transport costs and prepare the necessary paperwork for payment Timely approval and submission of FTs timesheets monthly

·         Timely approval and submission of FTs timesheets monthly

Required Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Agronomy, Plant Science, Crop Sciences, Agricultural Science, etc/. May accept experience in lieu of a four-year degree. 
•  At least six years’ professional experience – ideally private sector – in one or more of the following areas: Strong knowledge and skills on Coffee Agronomy best practices, Leadership role in Coffee Agronomy and Agricultural sector

• Strong coffee and agricultural expertise especially in regard to the development of coffee production systems 
• A demonstrable understanding of TechnoServe Agronomy Program, this should include knowledge of Agronomy best practices and practical working experience.
• Solid private sector strategy and management experience, including in several of the following key skills areas – coffee yield improvements and training
• Entrepreneurial
• Inspirational leader of professional staff
• Developing country experience
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills
• Willingness to travel domestically when necessary
• Computer Literacy
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral, in both English and Amharic

 Success Factors:

Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information appropriately and helpfully; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships:  Works cooperatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal.  Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude:  Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness:  Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication:  Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas, and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates an open exchange of ideas and information; use appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Can analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution.  Can make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgment in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results-Oriented/High-Quality Deliverables:  Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management:  Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just their job responsibilities; manages their own time effectively.
• Business Acumen:  The ability to use information, ask the right questions and make decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Financial & Resource Management: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Managing Resources is about understanding human, financial, and operational resource issues to make decisions aimed at building and planning efficient project workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
• Computer Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.
• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Compliance & Governance: Compliance with and knowledge of company policies, applicable legislation, grant requirements, donor contracts, the local labor code, and tax laws.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.
• Internal Client Focus: Client Focus is based on the ability to understand the client’s needs and concerns in the short to long-term and to provide sound recommendations and/or solutions