Job Description
Chief of Party, Market Systems and Resilience
Accra or Tamale, Ghana
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 ImpactMatters charity ratings agency.
Job Summary:
TechnoServe seeks a dynamic and motivated Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated agricultural development program in Ghana. The COP will have the exciting opportunity to help transform the agricultural sector in northern Ghana and facilitate sustainable progress for individuals, communities, and market systems.
Program Overview:
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) anticipates funding the five-year Market Systems and Resilience activity in Ghana. The Market Systems and Resilience activity will facilitate the development of an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable market system to boost agriculture-led economic growth in northern Ghana. The activity will use a market systems approach and will focus on minimizing barriers that disadvantage the vulnerable, women and youth and exclude them from economic opportunities within the agriculture sector. This activity is anticipated to cover a combination of staple and high value crops.
The activity will implement solutions including:
- Enhancing access to finance across sectors for the rural poor and SMEs
- Addressing inefficiencies in the inputs distribution system
- Establishing strong and transparent relationships between actors
- Identifying energy interventions that increase agricultural productivity, competitiveness and incomes
Primary Functions & Responsibilities:
- Lead overall implementation and management of the anticipated program, from inception to close-out, ensuring that the program achieves established goals, objectives and targets.
- Provide strategic guidance, leadership, management and general technical oversight of the program.
- Continuously develop operational efficiencies and drive innovations in delivery.
- Oversee development and submission of project deliverables on time and within budget.
- Recruit, lead, manage, and supervise delivery teams comprising long- and short-term team members and consortium partners.
- Serve as the primary liaison with USAID/Ghana, the Government of Ghana, and all counterparts, implementing partners, and stakeholders involved with the program.
- Act as a spokesperson for the program and present its work regionally/globally.
Basic Qualifications:
- Master’s degree or equivalent in agricultural economics, international development, business, economics, public policy or other relevant area, and at least eight years of experience in relevant private sector or development programs.
- Or bachelor’s degree with at least ten years of relevant experience.
- Prior Chief of Party/Program Lead experience, with a minimum of three years of experience managing large international donor programs.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience living and working in Ghana or West Africa.
- Experience implementing USAID-funded programs and knowledge of USAID regulations and procedures.
- Build win-win partnerships between multiple agriculture sector stakeholders, including agribusinesses, public sector, financial institutions, technology providers, and others.
- Experience successfully implementing gender-integrated programs.
- Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate a high-level strategy to internal and external stakeholders, while driving execution of a work plan and achievement of short-term milestones.
- Demonstrated ability to use adaptive management principles to make strategic, data-driven decisions in the face of uncertainty and complexity.
- Results-oriented, with demonstrated experience achieving project targets.
Required Languages
- Fluency in spoken and written English is required
- Fluency in other local languages in the northern regions a plus
Travel
- Extensive travel across Northern Ghana; at least 50%
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Strong leadership skills and demonstrated experience in managing complex, multi-disciplinary and challenging field operations in developing countries, West Africa preferred.
- Strong interpersonal and communications skills and ability to effectively motivate and manage teams in a multi-cultural environment.
- Strong private sector market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker.
- Demonstrated skills in problem solving, consensus building and coordination of diverse stakeholders.
- Ability to work under tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and activities.
- Ability to develop well written, cohesive analyses and reports.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- An estimated 4-7 senior level staff including Deputy Chief of Party, technical specialists, financial director, and M&E staff. Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams desired.
Please note that this opportunity is contingent upon donor award.
About the Organization
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. 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 five decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.
