• Job Description

  Req#: MICRO004172

  Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

  The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing...when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

  Title: Microenterprise Specialist

  Program: VINES (CRS002N-01)

  Reports to: Business Sustainability and Upgrading Manager

  Location : Kasese

  Travel: Remote rural locations

  Grade: 7

  Position Description

  The Microenterprise Specialist (MES) will lead a team of 3 Microenterprise counselors to drive youth entrepreneurship in the vanilla sector, particularly through input service providers and commercial farmers. In order to reach the targeted 720 entrepreneurs, the incumbent will deploy both direct and facilitated training through market actors, selecting the most appropriate content from TechnoServe’s range of successful entrepreneur training content.

  Program Overview

  TechnoServe, CRS and Frontier Co-op are implementing VINES, a five year, $13 million, USDA Food for Progress program that will make Uganda the world’s next leading supplier of high-quality vanilla. Led by CRS, VINES will leverage the expertise of CRS and its world class consortium of partners (including TechnoServe), associated experts and leading international buyers to provide technical assistance to enhance the production of safe, clean, pure vanilla, develop market links with US trade networks, and strengthen an enabling public policy network to reduce vanilla theft to transform the lives of 16,200 farmers, 356 self-employed service and input providers, 480 processors' employees; and generating 15,820 new on-farm seasonal and permanent processing jobs to reach 32,856 vanilla stakeholders.

  In turn, this will provide international buyers with a new origin that will stabilize the extreme price volatility for this unique spice.

  Within the consortium, TechnoServe will lead in market analysis, business planning, farmer business capacity building, agripreneur and youth training, input supply and business relationship management.

  Primary Functions & Responsibilities

  Micro Youth Entrepreneurs 388

  • Adapt appropriate curriculum to targeted groups
  • Lead team to deliver training to including input suppliers, soil testing services, nurseries, and other youth employment opportunity activities
  • Adapt approach as needed to ensure youth entrepreneurs increase sales according to similar program benchmarks

  Processor fee-for-service extension agents (75)

  • Adapt appropriate TechnoServe training for delivery to commercial farmer-suppliers of Vanilla processors
  • Develop and execute Training of Trainers for processor-supervised extension agents and support the establishment of a viable fee-for-service business model
  • Coach and support extension agents to train commercial farmers

  Commercial Farmers (400)

  • In coordination with Business Sustainability and Upgrading Specialists, lead:
  • managerial capacity building of producer organizations, including five-year business plans
  • Improved member relations and services of producer organizations
  • managerial capacity building of processors
  • improve processor capacity in curing and storing

  Vanilla Farmer Member Based Organizations

  • Organize Training of Trainer activities to develop cooperative’s capacity to deliver Farming as a Business (FAAB) and related training to farmer-members in collaboration with Business Sustainability Upgrading Specialists

  Program Coordination and Implementation:

  • Contribute to project activity reports and TechnoServe internal monitoring, evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
  • Collect and report data and support Micro Enterprise Counselors to collect accurate data from beneficiaries based on the project MEL plan.

  Required Qualifications, skills and Experience

  • Degree qualifications in business-related studies required
  • Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships
  • Strong project management and some financial analysis skills
  • Minimum of Three (3) years’ field and technical experience with agribusiness development, agribusiness experience in Uganda is required
  • Experience working with food aggregation and processing, supply chain development, out-grower networks, and knowledge of Market Systems Development approach preferred
  • Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills is a must
  • Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
  • Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations
  • Proven ability and experience working with teams will be an added advantage
  • Fluency in English required
  • Female and regional candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

  Supervisory Responsibilities

  The Microenterprise Specialist will lead a team of 3 Microenterprise counselors.

  Success Factors:

  Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

  Core Competencies include:

  • 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.
  • Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
  • Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
  • 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.
  • Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
  • Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyse situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
  • 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.
  • Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
  • Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business 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.

  Career Pathways

  The position that may be a next career opportunity for employees in this job title include Business Sustainability & Upgrading Specialist.

  We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

  With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

  We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

  If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.

  Qualifications

  Experience

  Required 3 years

  • Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships • Strong project management and some financial analysis skills • Minimum of Three (3) years’ field and technical experience with agribusiness development, agribusiness experience in Uganda is required

• About the company

  TechnoServe is an international nonprofit that promotes business solutions to poverty in the developing world by linking people to information, capital and markets.

Notice