Team Leader - Food Trade (East & Southern Africa)

Team Leader – Food Trade East & Southern Africa (ESA)  

About DAI

DAI is an employee-owned global development company. For over 40 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governments, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 60 countries. Our integrated development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines—crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS and disease control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.

Programme Overview

Food Trade ESA is designed to systematically improve the functioning of national and regional staple food market systems across 9 countries in East and Southern Africa (namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.) The programme will look to address systematic market failures that should lead to the deepening and improved functioning of food markets and therefore increase trade. Food Trade ESA is designed to be opportunistic and flexible with a specific focus on targeting:-

• Food storage and collateral management systems
• Supply chain coordination and information systems
• Markets for inputs, including seeds and fertilizer
• Markets for services, including advice, transport, finance, insurance and market intelligence
• The regulatory environment affecting the success of these interventions

The project is entering its second year and building on a foundation of programme activities with regional partners, companies and organizations engaged in improving market performance.

Objectives of the role

The Team Leader will be the main focal point for the Department for International Development (DFID), based in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and DAI’s representative who manages all programme personnel and field operations across the region. The Team Leader will manage the implementation phase of the programme and ensure that it meets technical and financial targets. The Team Leader will ensure that deliverables are met, finance and compliance systems are adhered to, the broader project team, including the Project Management Unit (PMU), consultants, partners and service providers, is effectively managed, and the programme is well represented when required by DFID or DAI.

Length of the project: 3.5 years

Start Date: December 2014

Duties and Responsibilities

These may be subject to change as the project evolves:

General Tasks:

• Effectively manage the project team both technically and financially, ensuring optimal roles for PMU staff, consultants, subcontractors to operate high performing programmes that meet deliverables and performance targets.
• Develop the project team into an effective resource centre of trade related information and best practices across the region of the programme
• Maintain and build the relationship between DFID and DAI, to ensure that both parties are mutually benefited
• Lead and work with the project team develop concrete ideas for expanding the reach and scope of Food Trade ESA
• Oversee and ensure that monitoring and evaluation frameworks and systems are managed effectively to provide timely and accurate reports for stakeholders and DFID.

 Specific Task and Requirements:

• Review and contribute relevant literature and reports in regards to policy for regional trade in East & Southern Africa and Africa in general
• Conduct and lead strategic discussions with key stakeholders across the industry including government organisations, public sector entities, representatives from producers and retailers and regional economic bodies
• Identify strategic linkages that should be made, as well as assisting the design of interventions where the programme have make an impact
• Actively market the Food Trade ESA brand in the region, to ensure a greater reach of the project in the countries being targeted
• Build the communications framework with relevant parties in the media and ensure that marketing for the programme stimulates wider discussions
• Contribute and coordinate with the DAI Project Director and Project Manager for relevant quarterly and annual progress reports, as well as leading the discussion within the steering committee meetings
• Ensure the timely submission of the annual and final reports, including regular financial reports to the standards set by DAI & DFID

Key Skills & Qualifications

• Previous team leader role/s and experience of working with DFID and/or high profile initiatives, preferably five years
• Ideally 12-15 years’ experience in managing large DFID funded programmes and project teams, especially multi-country and regional programmes in agriculture, trade and related sectors
• In-depth knowledge, experience and understanding of cross-border and regional trade issues as well as staple food markets
• Strong networks with relevant players in the region
• Capacity to represent FoodTrade with senior political and business figures in the region
• Strategic vision and leadership

 Education:

• Educated with a Master’s degree in a relevant subject in International Development and Trade Markets

 Deadline for Applications:   Friday, November 21, 2014 

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