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:

The primary objective of the TNS agronomy program will be to increase production of the coffee trees for coffee farmers through both yield improvement and behavioral shifts due to price incentives. This production improvement will be achieved through educating project farmers on agronomy and environmental best practices, farm management, and assisting them in applying those techniques at an individual farm level. TNS will use two-year farm college training and individual farm visits to improve farmer knowledge of agronomy techniques and oversee implementation. In addition, the project will provide business and sustainability training to coffee washing stations (CWS) in the same kebeles as participating farmers, which will result in higher quality washed coffee, better managed businesses, stronger market linkages, and ultimately higher incomes for coffee farmers.

Position Description:

A field based position responsible for day-to-day support of wet mill clients (Private and Cooperatives) to develop and implement the TechnoServe sustainability standards, coffee quality control and processing standards, and bookkeeping training. The standards aim to improve business practices under the following criteria; social responsibility, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), environmental responsibility (wet mill and farm), and economic transparency.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Keep up to date on all country legal requirements relevant to the standards (e.g. labor law, OHS, pension, environmental law, etc.,).
• Deliver sustainability standard trainings (such as Social Responsibility and Ethics, OHS, Environmental Responsibility, etc.,) to clients, in addition to other trainings as necessary.
• Awareness creation, convincing and mobilization of wet mill clients on construction of wet land to comply environmental responsibility standards and as one of the waste water management strategies- The Business Advisor will work closely with the project manager and wet mill management to ensure mills receive technical support required to manage waste water coffee pulp generated during harvesting period.
• Collect cooperative and wet mill clients data, compile on Excel sheet and pass the data to PM as per requirements and requests- Follow up and track mills data as per the project deliverables and KPIs
• Assist in development of site specific environmental plans for existing and new wet mills.
• Follow up progress and incremental improvements of client compliance in sustainability standards and prepare reports on the same
• Perform sustainability standards audits at each wet mill during the season with the client staff. Assist client to produce an action plan based on the audit.
• Ensure that Client implements the action plan in order to pass all relevant external audits.
• Submit weekly field reports to the HWG-JCP Project Manager and support impact monitoring and evaluation activities
• On regular basis and as advised by the project manager, compile impact stories including quotes and photos that communicate the impact of the project’s interventions.
• Work closely with woreda level government agencies, and participate in industry initiatives and partnerships with key stakeholders on issues that promote the mission of TechnoServe’s coffee program
• Perform other duties as assigned by Nespresso Project Manager.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture and rural development, Cooperative management, natural resource management, environmental management, ecology, agro-economics or economics, business administration or similar field study.
• At least four years’ professional experience in one or more of the following areas: coffee processing or agronomy, agriculture, training or extension, environmental management, social auditing, inspection/auditing for certification scheme [preferably coffee]
• Strong experience in implementation of sustainability standards in an agricultural setting such as in agriculture production, processing, and manufacturing
• Ability to compile, maintain, analyze data and prepare reports on regular basis
• Excellent ability to work in stressful conditions that require excellent problem solving skills
• Communication, liaison and negotiation skills with team and partners-local stakeholders and community
• Good experience in planning and setting different Procedures on how to attain stated goals
• Excellent in basic Microsoft word, Power point and Excel applications and internet utilization
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills
• Willingness to travel extensively domestically and to spend long hours in the field
• Excellent English oral & written presentation skills
• Knowledge of AFFAN OROMO speaking and writing
• Motorcycle riding ability/skills and driving license

Preferred Skills and capabilities

• Strong experience in implementation of TNS sustainability standards
• Strong experience in construction of wet land at wet mill sites
• Knowledge of wet mill coffee processing, management and experience working in the coffee sector in general
• Experience working with farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses
• Entrepreneurial skills

How to Apply

Qualified and interested applicants should Click here to apply for this position and submit a cover letter resume as a single document (either Word or PDF) by December 5, 2021. Applications will be reviewed and considered as received/on a rolling basis. Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be contacted. Please note that we are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated link.

TECHNOSERVE ENCOURAGES DIVERSITY IN ALL LEVELS AND ACROSS ALL FACETS OF OUR ORGANIZATION. WITH THIS COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF GENDER, RACE, COLOR, ETHNICITY, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, AGES, DISABILITY, AND ALL OTHER PROTECTED CLASSES. 

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