Application Deadline: April 30, 2022

I. About TechnoServe:

TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty. A nonprofit organization operating in 29 countries, we work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. By linking people to information, capital and markets, we have helped millions to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities. Founded over 50 years ago, TechnoServe has been named the #1 nonprofit for fighting poverty by the Impact Matters charity ratings agency.

It has equipped over 400,000 smallholder coffee households across Africa and Latin America to improve their incomes by boosting production, improving quality, promoting social and environmental stewardship, and facilitating linkages to premium markets. TechnoServe develops innovative approaches and builds relationships with both corporate and public partners to enable more smallholder coffee households to achieve livelihood security.

II. About the project:

In Ethiopia, TechnoServe is leading a five-year program to support Nespresso in fulfilling the company’s 2020-2030 strategy and deepen the company’s existing partnerships with exporters and wet mills, expand Nespresso’s supply of high quality coffee, and align the incentives of important partners throughout the value chain. Under this “Phase 3” of the AAA Program, TechnoServe will build on the success and learnings of the previous eight years while adding new innovations.

The program will, for the next five years support coffee processing units and coffee farming households to improve on coffee quality and increase farm productivity. At the mills, the program will support over 260 coffee processing stations and over 10 coffee exporters by providing quality advisory support through training on social, environmental, economic, traceability and quality best practices.

At the farm level, the program will support over 8000 households to improve on coffee farm practices through stumping and composting. Additionally, the program will train households on household nutrition, financial planning, and alternative income generating activities. 

All this will be achieved in alignment with TechnoServe’s Gender Policy and Nespresso’s Gender Strategy that seeks to ensure women and men financially benefit from the investments in the sector.

III. About the role:

TechnoServe seeks a results-oriented professional to lead the sustainability and business advisory unit of the program currently operating in Oromia, Sidama and SNNP regions in several Woredas.

Reporting to the Nespresso Project Manager, the Senior Business Advisor’s principal objective is to advise processing stations and exporters on coffee processing and quality and ensure all mills comply with the Nespresso’s AAA TASQ criteria. Part of the job will be introducing farm level traceability systems to the processing units and to the coffee traders. Responsibilities under this role include:

Client Relationship Management

• Co-ordinate the implementation of TechnoServe’s Nespresso Project wet mill activities with cooperative, private wet mills, and stakeholders in Nespresso’s areas of operation
• Clearly identify and document their aspirations and challenges; plot a mutually agreed intended impact and route to reach it
• Plan activities to ensure that the shared objectives are met within the set times and resources and that impact is maximized
• Effectively manage, maintain and nurture the relationship with these clients and their respective exporters
• Ensure regular and responsive communication to monitor progress, identify problems at an early stage and respond to them
• Ensure all Nespresso mills program deliverables are reached within budget and on time, and that all regular progress reports are submitted to the manager on timely basis.

Provide Technical Assistance through training and coaching of wet mill owners and wet mill staff

• Develop a performance management and quality assurance system together with the client and tailored to their business needs
• Support clients to implement actions and measures to achieve compliance with sustainability standards and good processing practices
• Provide feedback on operational costs and provide cost performance benchmarking
• Encourage good management and good governance practices
• Support the implementation of farm level traceability systems
• Deliver a TechnoServe developed set of quality processing techniques, sustainability and bookkeeping trainings to wet mill staff and owners- in compliance with AAA TASQ criteria and requirements
• Conduct on site performance audits for sharing with owners. Support external auditors during annual and baseline audits
• Support monitoring and evaluation activities such as collecting of various data streams such as cherry harvest progression, wet mill revenues and expenses; market and price information
• Support and coordinate training and feedback sessions with wet mills and business owners. This includes but not limited to SWOT analysis, audit results feedback amongst others
• Support and coach Business Advisors and other mills staff to ensure continuous improvement and motivation.

Stakeholder Management and program representation

• Create a good working relationship with stakeholders and hold meeting with the Coffee and Tea Authority, the Agricultural Office, environmental protection office and the Trade Office at zonal and woreda levels
• Support the expansion of the Nespresso program into different regions and woredas
• Support efforts in making the wet mill program more gender inclusive and conflict sensitive using local customs etc
• Be a program ambassador in the operational areas. The SBA will actively engage in industry initiatives and partnerships with key stakeholders, NGOs and development agencies on issues that promote the vision and mission of TechnoServe Ethiopia program
• Provide support to the project operations as required
• Coordinate and coordinate with other internal coffee departments including the Agronomy and administration departments.

Job Requirements

IV. Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with 5-7 years; Master’s Degree with 3-5 years (Master’s degree preferred) in business and administration, economics, rural development, engineering, plant science or horticulture, Cooperative management or other related discipline.
• Knowledge in one of the following areas: coffee processing, SME development, exporting, project or business management, finance, or engineering.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral, in both English and Amharic (knowledge of Afan Oromo, Sidamigna or Gedigna is an added advantage).
• Good report writing, presentation and numerical analysis skills. Strong computer skills and proficiency in excel, word, power point and other important software.
• Customer/client orientation and problem-solving skills
• Strong planning skills and ability to work independently within agreed work plans and timelines
• Willingness to be located in the field spend time travelling to project sites located rural areas.
• Is passionate about creating a positive impact and believes in the power of the private sector; experience working in the private sector highly preferable
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills in Understanding of relevant legislation, policies and procedures

V. Success factors:

Core Competencies

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.

·        Emotional Intelligence: Empathetic, understands attitudes, interests, needs of others; predict others behavior. Self-aware and keeps own emotions from interfering with work. Understanding both the strengths and limitations of others.

• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.

·        Coaching/Feedback: Recognizes and acknowledges strengths in others. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others develop knowledge and skill areas to accomplish tasks or solve problems.

·        Planning & Resource Planning: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals aimed at improving overall organizational performance

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Financial & Resource Management: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Managing Resources is about understanding human, financial, and operational resource issues to make decisions aimed at building and planning efficient project workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity

How to Apply

Qualified and interested applicants can apply using THIS LINK

NB: Women are highly encouraged to apply. TechnoServe has the right to cancel this advertisement