THIS POSITION CLOSES ON NOVEMBER 8, 2013 OR WHEN 200 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
Function:
The East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) Country Program Manager, under the overall guidance of the EADD Regional Director and dotted line to the Heifer Kenya Country Director, will provide the overall leadership to staff and other EADD partners in the implementation of all components of the EADD-2 project in Kenya. The position will assume the overall responsibility of assuring quality in service delivery of field operations including compliance with the institutional mission and objectives. This position will also be responsible for preparing and maintaining long-range annual plans and budgets, as well as developing the appropriate monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that all outcomes are achieved.
Required Skills
Responsibilities:
- Lead and execute all EADD country plans and budgets (e.g.: work plans and strategic plans), and ensure proper maintenance and use of assets.
- Facilitate the transformation of producer organizations (POs) into formal collective enterprises that stimulate rural dairy business hubs, and identify critical investment needs among key producer organizations.
- Identify and develop investment and financing options in dairy value chains with the view to increase net returns to actors Design and roll out appropriate support intervention to improve milk quality and value addition capacity, and provide ongoing support to POs with the goal of increasing production and business capacity.
- Develop the capacity of input service providers and their linkages with POs.
- Participate in designing of EADD staff training programs, as well as any inter-organizational training and learning events, in collaboration with Kenya country office.
- Identify banks and/or microfinance institutions ready to engage with POs and agro entrepreneurs and assist in developing proposals for funding;
- Facilitate development of business planning guidelines and conduct strategic business planning sessions for member organizations;
- In cooperation with the Country Director, manage all stakeholder relationships.
- Ensure quality service delivery in operations, including compliance with project goals and objectives.
- Network and forge new working relationship with interested external stakeholders.
- Design catalytic activities within the value chain (e.g. the concept of quality based pricing).
- Ensure timely generation and dissemination of relevant reports.
- Provide overall technical guidance and forward progress on emerging programmatic issues.
- Represent EADD in various stakeholder meetings, workshops, conferences and shared learning events, ensuring that EADD interests are taken care of at all levels.
- Oversee both department and individual staff performance, providing ongoing feedback and development, as well as identify opportunities for coaching, staff development and training. Ensure timely completion of annual performance staff appraisal.
- Work with partners and stakeholders in improving sharing of experiences across Kenya.
- Participate in the design of a monitoring and evaluation framework.
- May perform other job-related responsibilities as assigned.
Minimum Requirements:
- Master's Degree or equivalent in the fields of Agriculture Economics, Business Administration, Rural Development, Enterprise Development or other related field.
- At least 10 years' experience in a mix of economic growth/trade, value chain competitiveness, investment promotion, or agriculture development.
- At least five (5) years' management-level work experience.
Most Critical Proficiencies:
- Knowledge of income and expense budget preparation and monitoring.
- A good understanding and sensitivity to issues associated with poverty, hunger and environment, and knowledge of the context to which non-profit organizations operate.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in value chain development that reaches women, youth, and underprivileged.
- Knowledge of enterprise development and linkages to poverty alleviation.
- Proven team leadership and supervisory skills.
- Demonstrated ability to design and implement strategies aimed at providing institutional capacity building to key partner institutions with a view to build a more efficient, competitive, and sustainable dairy industry.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Proven experience in building the capacity of partner institutions to document and disseminate industry information, manage knowledge, measure progress and plan and advocate within the industry.
- Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft Office preferred) and Internet.
- Knowledge of and experience with setting up cottage industries for processing locally branded dairy products (e.g. cheese, butter, fortified milk and yoghurt among others) for onward supply to niche and markets.
- Knowledge of and experience with equity financing and developing private/public partnerships.
- Demonstrated proficiency in English and Swahili, both oral and written.
Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:
- Preparing and presenting documents in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
- Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work cooperatively, tactfully and diplomatically with culturally diverse groups of people.
- Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of direct reports and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
- Proven team leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to train and work cooperatively with a diverse staff.
- Constant face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues and the general public.
- Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout Kenya and other EADD project sites.
- May require constant sitting; working at a computer and focusing for extended periods of time and performing office environment activities while on the road and/or in remote conditions.
- Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.
- Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting sometimes inflexible deadlines.
Country Program Manager - East Africa Dairy Development II
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