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. With more than five decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives. 

Program Description:

TechnoServe collaborates with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS), a non-profit organization that aggregates and links the corporate volunteer expertise of leading food companies—General Mills, Cargill, Buhler, DSM, Hershey, Ardent Mills and Smucker’s —with promising food industry entrepreneurs in Africa.

Under the USAID-funded Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Project, TechnoServe will work alongside PFS to engage local food companies, identify their growth challenges, and link them with volunteer experts from PFS corporate partners. The project will build the efficiency and inclusiveness of food processors – improving production and profitability, increasing linkages with smallholder farmers, and growing distribution channels to better reach Base of the Pyramid (BoP) markets. Implementation is anticipated to run until March 2024.

Position Description:

Under the leadership of the Business and Markets Manager (BMM), the Financial Services specialist shall be responsible for providing technical expertise and overall management of the access to finance component of AINFP program. Specifically, s/he will be the driving force to:

•  Work with ISF to improve access to finance for food processors;
• Work with AINFP team and stakeholders to establish revolving fund scheme for input supply to food processing industry;
• Establish and run the AINFP innovation grant;
• Serve as the local principal to support ISF to liaison between AINFP and food processors as well as financial institutions, including banks, micro finance institutions, impact investors, and other financial service providers.

Specific responsibilities:

• In collaboration with ISF A2F Manager:
• identify/determine high potential business cases for inclusive access to finance for food processors in Ethiopia
• Identify and document financial constraints in agribusiness clusters and value chain and develop strategies to address them
• Work with commercial banks, Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), impact investors etc and nurture relationships with food processors
• Under the guidance of the SBMM, provide technical support and guidance to food processors to make evidence based decision about their company’s financial needs, have appropriate business plans to seek finances
• Create opportunities and facilitate linkages between financers and food processors
• Undertake program and sector analyses within the scope of AINFP and develop guideline for establishment and management of AINFP innovation grant
• Manage the overall process of solicitation, award and implementation of the innovation grant
• Ensure documentation of lessons and learnings in access to finance portfolio of AINFP program
• Collaborate with industry stakeholders and identify need for revolving fund establishment for input supplies (such as micro-nutrients premix) for production of nutritious food
• Map alternatives/options for revolving fund establishment and develop a business model and management guideline for effective utilization of revolving fund 
• Present the revolving fund scheme and its model to stakeholders and get it validated
• Provide all necessary technical support to establish the fund
• Ensure proper utilization of the revolving fund by the food processors
• Documentation of lessons and learnings from the management of revolving fund
• Support organization, undertaking and implementation of sector wide trainings related to access to finances as needed
• Support the SBMM in compiling data and writing up reports, case studies and other M&E purposes
• Support the team I undertaking any finance related analytics as needed. 
• Ensure that at least 40% of processors that use AINFP A2F services are women or women led/owned organizations 

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree with 5-7 years; Master’s Degree with 3-5 years in economics, finance, business administration, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum 4 years of experience in banking or financial services out of which at least two years shall be on facilitating access to finance for business
• Familiarity and experience with food processing sector is preferred
• Experience working in Lebanon required and local hire preferred
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Good computer skills in business software (Excel, MS Project and PowerPoint).
• Strong English language skills

 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 in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively 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 open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement 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 own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• 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.
• 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.

Managerial Competencies

• Emotional Intelligence: The act of knowing, understanding, and responding to emotions, overcoming stress in the moment, and being aware of how your words and actions affect others. Emotional intelligence consists of 4 attributes: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
• Strategic Thinking: Managers should recognize key actions, underlying problems, make connection and patterns, see consequences and implications. Anticipates obstacles realistically and plans ways to deal with them.
• Staff Development: managers are required to work with employees to plan on the development of skills and abilities so that they can fulfil current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested applicants should Click here to apply for this position and submit a cover letter resume as a single document (either Word or PDF) by April 2, 2021. Applications will be reviewed and considered as received/on a rolling basis. Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be contacted. Please note that we are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated link.

The position initially has a duration until March 31, 2024, with the possibility of extension

TECHNOSERVE ENCOURAGES DIVERSITY IN ALL LEVELS AND ACROSS ALL FACETS OF OUR ORGANIZATION. WITH THIS COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF GENDER, RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, AGES, DISABILITY, AND ALL OTHER PROTECTED CLASSES. 

TechnoServe has the right to cancel this advertisement. Women are highly encouraged to apply