Senior Business Advisor

TechnoServe
 

Recruitment Notice
 

Job Vacancy: Senior Business Advisor

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 four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives. 
 

Program Description: TechnoServe is supporting the implementation of a pilot program that aims to address shortcomings in financial inclusion primarily, financial literacy training and existing digital payment systems in the dairy sector by tailoring experiential, participative and innovative training tools coupled with digital financial tools for disbursements and input purchases alongside the adoption of improved operations management (DOM) systems to facilitate use of digital transactions to expand credit provision. 
 

The end goal of this pilot program is to increase the incomes of small-scale dairy farmers and agribusinesses by addressing shortcomings in existing digital financial service systems.  

The intended outcomes of the pilot are to:

1. Refine the value proposition of digital financial tools in the dairy sector and define strategies to overcome barriers and risks to adoption (including financial, mobile and product literacy)
2. Test new digital financial tools as a model to increase access to working capital credit and other tailored financial services (including asset finance, insurance).

If this pilot program demonstrates that the new digital financial tools can effectively advance rural financial inclusion, there would be numerous opportunities to scale the model across other agricultural sectors.  

Position Description:
 

The individual will facilitate the following activities to achieve the project objectives:

• Provide technical assistance to pilot partner SACCOs in adopting and adapting the financial literacy training tools; including technical assistance to scale.
• Provide technical assistance to pilot partner SACCOs in developing and implementing their digital financial strategy for the dairy sector.
• Build partnerships to address key financial service needs of dairy co-ops, processors, input SMEs and farmers (e.g. working capital, asset credit, insurance)
• Provide technical assistance to pilot partner banks and SACCOs in extending their digital financial solutions into the informal dairy sector.
• Identify and enable opportunities to work with additional SACCOs
• Collect relevant data for monitoring and evaluation purposes and support the production of narrative reports and case studies.

Minimum Skills and Experience required

• Degree in Marketing, Banking, ICT and/or related fields
• Minimum 5 years relevant experience
• Training and experience working in M4P projects a must
• Experience working in the banking sector or in marketing
• Track record of building and managing strong client and stakeholder relationships with private, public sector and government
• Confident with project management and reporting
• Excellent communication, analytical and strategy skills
• Confident with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Desired Skills

• Is a self-starter, energetic, and friendly
• Comfortable with new ways of thinking and working
• Engages people and empowers them to deliver on promises
• Maintains integrity and personal reputation
• Ability to analyse complex issues and propose solutions
• Reviews information quickly and does not hesitate to try out solutions
• Is passionate about knowledge learning and sharing

How 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.

Please include all requirements in a single document (pdf). 

Applications will be treated confidentially. 

Deadline for applications is 20th October 2017. 

Note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

TechnoServe is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females and Individuals with Disabilities.