• Job Description

  Req#: SENIO004990

  Title: Senior Business Advisor-Markets

  Reports to: Horticulture Digital Supply Chain Manager

  Location: Nairobi, Kenya

  Grade: 8

  TechnoServe Background

  At TechnoServe, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. For over 50 years, we have given smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs the skills, connections, and confidence to lift themselves out of poverty. We leverage the power of markets and the private sector to create sustainable economic growth to benefit people and the planet. Our unique mix of business solutions, deep knowledge of local contexts, and data-driven insights is helping to fight poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

  TechnoServe staff are local–95% are from the countries in which they work. We put a high premium on collaboration and entrepreneurship. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. And we focus on delivering lasting impact for our mission.

  Program Description

  Globally, 30–40% of food is wasted, according to FAO estimates. In Kenya, the WHO reports that only 2% of the population meets the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, with average consumption at just 140g per person. At the same time, discarded fruits and vegetables contribute to 6-8% of greenhouse gas emissions from food waste—fuelling climate change and global warming.

  TechnoServe funded by Gates Foundation and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) launched a three-year innovative program – NutriSave - with dual and equal objectives to reduce food loss and waste by redirecting surplus fruits and vegetables to wholesalers and retailers serving low-income communities to increase access and nutrition. After a deep exploratory phase using Human-Centered Design, formative research and market analysis with key ecosystem actors, TechnoServe is now developing and piloting sustainable models with partners committed to scaling and sustaining the initiative long-term.

  Position Description

  We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Senior Business Advisor - Markets to support the Program Director and technical teams in the implementation of all activities related to the project that aim to rescue surplus or imperfect fruits and vegetables gathering insights, develop and test ideas, and deploy the highest potential for the selected 2 pilot solutions.

  Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Support mobilization of actors across value chains and food loss/waste solution providers
  • Submitting weekly field reports to the Horticulture Manager and support impact monitoring and evaluation activities.
  • Responsible for coordinating the rescue of surplus or imperfect fresh fruits and vegetables from upstream and downstream markets and managing logistics to get to pilot partners.
  • Collaborating with buyers (retailers, informal market traders, pilot partners, to streamline sourcing, order fulfilment, quality assurance and delivery performance.
  • Track produce movement, quality, and inventory in real-time.
  • Develop dashboards and reports for visibility and data-driven decisions.
  • Setting up field visits and engagements with stakeholders
  • Support data gathering, testing, and business cases development for prioritized 2 pilots solutions and help identify areas of improvement
  • Performing other duties as assigned by the Horticulture Digital Supply Chain Manager.

  Qualifications & Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Horticulture, economics, business administration or related qualification.
  • 5+ years’ experience in the area of markets and agricultural value chains.
  • Experience in go to market strategies for general trade.
  • Experience of working with farmer organizations, producer groups and the private sector.
  • Track record of building and managing strong client and stakeholder relationships with farmer groups, private sector and government;
  • Understanding of market systems, postharvest handling, and the challenges of perishable goods logistics.
  • Experience working with farmers, aggregators, or food distribution networks and – understanding of crop cycles, perishability in fruit and vegetables is a plus.
  • Required Languages: Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, including fluency in Kiswahili and English languages.
  • Strong analytical, organizational, and negotiation skills.

  Why Join Us?

  • Be part of an innovative team driving digital transformation in the agriculture and food sector, reducing food loss, improving farmer incomes, and increasing access to fresh produce in low income communities.
  • Opportunity to shape inclusive and tech-forward supply chains that benefit people and the planet.

  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 Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.

• 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.

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