Program Manager - STRYDE

Reporting Unit/Supervisor: Regional Project Director

Location: Dar es Salaam

Domestic Travel: 30%-40%

TechnoServe Background:

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are a non-profit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets. Our work is rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hardworking men and women in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs and wealth for their families and communities. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

Project Description:

Through the four-year STRYDE program, TechnoServe has successfully worked with over 10,000 youth in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, enabling a more successful transition of rural women and men, aged 18 to 30, into economically independent adulthood. The Program is now entering a second Phase, where it will work with an additional 48,015 youth, 15,000 of which will be in Tanzania.

The STRYDE Program consists of a 3-month training program and a 9-month aftercare phase which helps youth to identify models to start a business, find a job, or return to the family farm utilizing their new commercial skills. To support youth in starting businesses or obtaining employment or internships, TechnoServe coordinates job fairs, facilitates linkages to additional training, arranges finance clinics with financial service providers, connects youth to local employers and business and/ or micro-franchise opportunities and looks for ways to create linkages for youth within its existing networks in local and regional agribusinesses and agricultural production.

TechnoServe also recognizes that youth workforce development in parallel with job creation is critical to violence prevention and political stability, and is increasingly identifying avenues to integrate youth into its value chain and entrepreneurship work. Over the next 4 years, our strategic plan identifies addressing barriers to opportunities for youth as an important priority.

Primary Objectives:

To improve the economic status of 48,015 male and female rural youth ages 18 to 30 in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda. The program in Tanzania focuses on youth economic empowerment in the target region of Mbeya.

Position Description:

Project Management:

• Responsible for all STRYDE deliverables in Tanzania, including specific outputs and outcomes laid out in the program proposal
• Provide leadership, direction, and coaching support to country team members to achieve results
• Lead the implementation of Tanzania project activities and ensure excellence in execution
• Oversee annual Planning and Budgeting process, monitoring and evaluation and ensure timely project implementation
• Frequently conduct strategic and operational planning to address project and organizational priorities
• Ensure the project is implemented with sound managerial, technical, financial, human resources and overall programmatic practices
• Hold regular team meetings to track implementation progress and share relevant program and administrative data
• Manage country budget to ensure responsible stewardship of donor funds and effective and efficient implementation
• Produce narrative reports for internal and external consumption
• Ensure delivery of technical training packages is of high quality, is appropriate to the local context, and is effectively reaching participants
• Develop and manage competent project implementation teams

Team Leadership:

• Manage performance of team members through the establishment of annual goals in line with the project objectives work plans, monitoring performance against those goals, providing feedback on an ongoing basis and delivery of annual performance appraisals
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with regional management team
• Interface with other country, regional, and HQ staff; ensure information is shared and flows transparently within the program team and to the regional program management team
• Share best practices and lessons learned from the project in Tanzania
• Recruit qualified and capable staff to fill vacant or new positions, and develop existing staff to assume greater levels of responsibility over time
• Work with program staff to identify TNS technical assistance needs at the country level
• Work with the country director to ensure appropriate support for respective teams
• Facilitate communication of technical program staff with other STRYDE program and regional staff

Representation:

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with local partners/contractors in Tanzania
• Develop strong partnerships and strategic engagements with key stakeholder, working closely with relevant government departments, NGOs, youth organizations and technical training institutions to promote cross sectoral collaborations.
• Secure the support of relevant private sector firms, financial institutions, professional business councils/associations, and other stakeholders to support the initiative as advisors, sponsors, mentors, and volunteers
• Identify and pursue opportunities for TechnoServe to be a leader in the sector
• Represent STRYDE and TNS at internal and external functions
• Support new business efforts within the region in the youth space

Required Skills & Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in business-related studies, international development or other related fields and at least five years of experience as described below or Master’s Degree and at least three years of experience as described below.

• Strong project management experience and financial/budget analysis skills
• Personnel management experience is required
• Prior multi-cultural management and remote personnel management experience
• Field and technical experience with youth economic empowerment, agribusiness development entrepreneurship or enterprise development in Tanzania
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills a must
• Excellent time management skills including the ability to prioritise workload and complete tasks within stringent deadlines
• Strong planning, budget management, compliance and administrative skills
• Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
• Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships
• Ability to identify and understand issues and opportunities, compare data from different sources to draw conclusions, use effective approaches for developing appropriate solutions, take action that is consistent with available facts and probable consequences, communicate with and seek guidance from regional program management team
• Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations
• Ability to work with minimum supervision is a requirement.
• Fluency in English is required, Kiswahili is preferred
• Willingness to be based in Dar es Salaam, to travel internationally and to remote rural locations

Physical Requirements:

• The incumbent must sit for an extended number of hours throughout the day using a computer, talking by telephone or Skype and meeting with others.
• This person must occasionally lift items which weigh up to 20 lbs. and must be capable of lifting and pulling their luggage when traveling.
• Other requirements include climbing stairs, walking and bending.

Application Instructions:

Successful candidates will be those who are passionate about success, believe in hard work, and effectively leverage the dynamism of creative teams. Qualified and interested applicants should submit a single Word-formatted document consisting of cover letter, resume and salary history to jobs@tns.org. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be considered or contacted.

Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities