Technical Specialist 11 / Senior Food Technologist

The International Economic Growth Division manages projects that are pioneering new approaches to agriculture, food security, climate change, and competitiveness—as well as monitoring and evaluating projects within these sectors. We work throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East for chiefly governmental clients, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Exciting Opportunity for Senior Food Technologist

Background

The Tuboreshe Chakula project is a USAID funded project, whose purpose is to transform a critical segment of Tanzania’s agro-processing industry – maize, rice, edible oil and horticulture processing – and dramatically increase the supply of and demand for nutritious and fortified foods, especially among vulnerable populations in the food insecure regions of Morogoro, Dodoma and Manyara.

The Project will achieve this goal by building the capacity of agro-processors to improve the quality, safety, presentation, sale and distribution of new and existing food products; to maximize its impact and reach vulnerable groups, particularly the target audience of pregnant or lactating women, children between 6 months and 59 months of age, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) in the project’s districts of operation.

The USAID Tuboreshe Chakula Project is a key activity of the Feed the Future (FtF) initiative, a major U.S. Government effort which aims to address the root causes of global hunger by sustainably increasing agricultural productivity to meet the demand for improved, nutritious foods.

Food Processing Technical Lead

Tuboreshe Chakula is seeking a Food Processing Technical Lead to review strategy for key project areas sunflower oil processing and refining, maize flour milling and fortification, and rice milling.  The technical lead will also provide guidance to a talented food tech team working with over 600 millers and processors in Babati, Dodoma, and Morogoro.  Support to clients is focused on providing technical leadership the promotion of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), including hygiene, food safety and worker safety. The Food Processing Technical Lead will help processing enterprises improve technology and equipment, based on assessments already completed. Activities include assisting selected millers upgrade equipment, and providing training to milling technicians and operators on repair, maintenance and calibration of processing equipment.  The Food Processing lead works closely with the enterprise lead and liaises with the capacity building lead and nutrition lead, all of whom drive the strategy for a comprehensive business development package that is meant to result in high quality products, some of which are fortified and all of which are aimed at bringing better food into the household to reduce the high levels of malnutrition. The project ends in February 2015 so the candidate could be part of a consulting firm or seconded from an existing office.  The position is based in Dar es Salaam, with an option to be placed in any of the regional offices (Morogoro, Dodoma, and Babati) and requires 50% travel.

Additional Qualifications

• Must have at least a master’s degree in food science, food processing, or a related discipline.
• Must have at least 4 years of experience within a food processing firm.
• Must have management and leadership experience.
• Must have a demonstrated familiarity with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMF), including basic hygiene, food safety and worker safety.
• Must have demonstrated experience with SME-scale processing equipment, particularly for SME maize and sunflower oil processing.
• Experience with food fortification is a plus.
• Proven ability to work effectively with large, diverse teams.
• Must be fluent in spoken and written English and Swahili and able to draft written communications.
• Must be able to legally work in Tanzania without being sponsored for a work visa.
• Preference given to Tanzanian citizens.

Minimum Qualifications
 

8+  years of experience OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Please apply online by 30 May 2014.

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