Job Summary:
We are seeking to hire a dynamic and motivated Chief of Party to lead an anticipated five-year cashew project in West Africa (WA). The COP will be responsible for leading the regional program, including overseeing efforts to improve productivity, add value, and expand trade for the cashew sector in West Africa.
Responsibilities include:
● Provide strategic guidance, leadership, management, and general technical oversight of the program.
● Lead overall implementation and management of the program, from inception to close-out, ensuring that the program achieves established goals and impact targets.
● Continuously develop operational efficiencies and drive innovations in delivery.
● Oversee the 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 to the donor, the Government entities, and all counterparts, implementing partners, and stakeholders involved with the program.
● Act as a spokesperson for the program and present its work regionally/globally.
Qualifications:
● A master’s degree or equivalent in business, international development, economics, public policy, education, agricultural economics, or other relevant field (or a bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of experience).
● At least eight years of relevant professional experience in international development.
Preferred Qualifications:
● Experience leading and managing large teams with a high level of leadership, interpersonal, technical, and analytical experience, as Team Leader, Chief of Party, or other Program Director level role.
● Prior work experience or collaboration with private sector companies and businesses.
● Experience working in the cashew sector in West Africa, preferably in both francophone and anglophone countries
● Experience leading USG or other bilateral-funded projects is highly desirable.
● Building win-win partnerships between multiple agriculture sector stakeholders, including agribusinesses, public sector, financial institutions, technology providers, and others
● Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate a high-level strategy to internal and external stakeholders, while driving execution of a workplan 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
Required Languages:
● Fluency in spoken and written English is required; fluency in spoken and written French is highly desirable
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
● Strong private sector market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker
● Strong leadership skills and demonstrated experience in managing complex, multi-disciplinary, and challenging field operations in developing countries, West Africa preferred
● Demonstrated skills in problem solving, consensus building, and coordination of diverse stakeholders
● Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to effectively motivate and manage teams in a multi-cultural environment
● Ability to work under tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and activities
● Ability to develop well written, cohesive analyses and reports
Supervisory Responsibilities:
● Typically, 4 to 5 senior level staff including tech specialists, financial directors, and M&E staff. Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams is desired.
This position is contingent upon the activity award and approval by the donor.
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.
About TechnoServe:
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.
