Ethiopia Deputy Country Director – Operations 38 views

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

Since 2009, TechnoServe has been working in Ethiopia to address market systems challenges, particularly the lack of integration of smallholders into commercial markets. For more than a decade, we have focused on strengthening a variety of value chains including coffee, honey, spices, staple crops, and high value commodities. We have assisted farmers to access improved inputs, adopt good agricultural practices, and link to buyers, and we have helped small and large companies and entrepreneurs increase their incomes, create jobs and grow their businesses. TechnoServe Ethiopia generates over $7M/year in additional revenue and wages for its beneficiaries, of which a third are women. Our Ethiopia country team currently spans 9 projects with an annual project budget of $8M.

Job Summary:

As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Deputy Country Director-Operations (DCD-Operations) is responsible for leading strategic and daily operations of the Ethiopia Country Platform’s Administration, Procurement, Government Relations, IT and Monitoring and Evaluation Teams. The DCD-Operations reports to the Ethiopia Country Director, and may serve as acting country director in their absence.

Position Description:

The DCD-Operations leads strategic and daily operations for the country platform through management, planning, and analysis. The DCD-Operations role is a combination of working directly to manage and solve operational issues and developing and overseeing a capable team of direct reports, many of whom will have their own teams. The DCD-Operations top priorities will be to:

•  Lead operational initiatives, and drive implementation
•  Improve planning capabilities in all administrative areas, finance in particular
•  Build relationships with internal program directors to streamline and add rigor to operations
•  Lead systems improvements in budgeting and cost control
•  Ensure high levels of consistency and compliance across head office and field offices that support programmatic excellence
• Set up systems to monitor and drive program quality for the country portfolio
• Successfully manage a large team through recruiting, strong performance management and coaching, and proactive professional development.

Responsibilities:

Financial Planning and Reporting

Along with the Financial Controller, the DCD-Operations will:

•  Lead key strategic operational decisions around organizational structures, new investments and the funding pipeline, and design tools to synthesize data
•  Analyze current review and approval processes and systems, identify gaps and implement improvements
•  Develop and utilize forecasting, and financial analyses to inform planning and operational decision-making
•  Work with Program Managers for budgeting, financial planning and centralized reporting
•  Assist with annual and mid-year budgeting processes
•  Ensure timely, accurate, and useful financial and management reporting for multiple audiences, including Country Director and Program Directors, and donors/funding sources

Strategic Planning

As part of Ethiopia’s Senior Management Team, the DCD-Operations will:

• Regularly review and update TechnoServe Ethiopia’s Country strategy, identifying opportunities to achieve targets.
• Lead strategic organizational development or technical initiatives, such as the Gender, Green Growth, or new industries and businesses TNS can support
• Lead internal communications with a goal of cohesion and engagement of staff including managing country SMT meetings and knowledge management.
• Support other initiatives and priorities, as assigned by the CD

Administration

•  Ensure and plan for efficient use of resources to deliver quality operations support to program teams
•  Establish standards for TNS infrastructure: IT, vehicles, offices, utilities, etc, in the support of program activities
•  Increase efficiency and transparency of the procurement function; and provide training. Ensure systems are in place for inventory management
•  Manage contracts and relationships with security services and vendors – including disaster preparedness, security procedures and equipment,
•  Ensure compliance with immigration and visa regulations for all staff and visitors

Program Quality / Monitoring & Evaluation

The DCD-Operations will act as the country coordinator and point of contact on MEL matters. In particular, the DCD-Operations will:

• Support Program Managers to update and refine work plans to ensure their projects comply with grants and contracts as well as providing tools and training for sub-grants, donor communications and M&E.
• Ensure accurate and timely submission of corporate measurement reports and c

Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in international development, business administration or other relevant discipline plus 10 years relevant professional or a Bachelors with minimum of 12 years of relevant professional and leadership experience
• Strong financial analysis and ability to lead programs based on rigorous data analysis
• Strong leadership experience, sourcing, attracting, managing, motivating, retaining their team and developing their own managers
• Technical skills and experience in the private sector, markets, and quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation
• Excellent oral and written communication skills essential, including proposal writing, report writing and presentations, as well as strong program budget capabilities
• Experience working in Ethiopia and knowledge of the country
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English; fluency in Amharic, a plus

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Analytical and empathetic manager and leader who strives for sustainable impact, by building and working through impactful, high-performing teams;
• Flexible, creative, proactive and resilient problem solver who doesn’t get discouraged
• Effectively cultivates and engages external networks; inspires donors, partners, smallholder farmers and other counterparts and stakeholders to take action toward bold and large-scale transformation that benefits the poor, especially women
• Embraces and exemplifies a learning mindset
• Passion for development, the environment, advancing gender equity
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills; a self-starter

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe’s vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action empolyer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.