SCOPE AND PURPOSE:
The Senior Technical Director for Market Systems is responsible for providing technical leadership and capacity building in market systems for the international programs division, providing expertise and technical oversight to the practice areas and business development unit in market systems including thought leadership and knowledge management. This position will provide technical guidance on NCBA CLUSA’s inclusive market systems approach to private sector and international development projects and initiatives. The approach emphasizes analyzing and designing interventions in the underlying systems that drive market outcomes. Through facilitation-based, stakeholder-led approaches, the development of value chains, market systems and business opportunities will help poor and disadvantaged people to gain access to job opportunities and to earn a higher and more secure income.
As a member of the International Team, this position works collaboratively across all practice areas and with the business development team providing strategic and technical leadership to develop winning proposals.
ESSENTIAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
• Provide strategic and technical market systems development leadership for the international programs’ division, providing expertise and guidance in all practice areas both at the headquarters office and in the field. In addition, lead Chiefs of Party and senior field technical staff in the developing a vision and strategy and ensure the quality of project interventions.
• Lead and/or conduct end market, market systems and value chain analyses, designing project strategies and facilitation activities, providing ongoing mentoring, technical guidance and periodic updates to market systems analyses, business cases and intervention plans in selected sectors to improve impact.
• Lead program and international division-wide initiatives in thought leadership priority topics.
• Lead the development of market assessments, community mapping, training curriculum and business support activities, beneficiary outreach, and create mechanisms to prepare partners and relevant staff to implement activities.
• Provide leadership of implementation of market facilitation activities; e.g. identifying and engaging with private and public-sector partners, application of creative tools for disbursing donor funds to private sector actors, negotiating partnerships, monitoring agreements, and making changes where necessary.
• Provide leadership to the business development and program teams to identify and generate new business opportunities including positioning, capture planning and partnership development. Serve as technical or contributing writer and/or subject matter expert in market systems. Conduct desk and field market systems research and competition analyses. Support proposal management activities.
• Serve as proposal technical lead and/or writer and provide technical input to the project design, integrate technical and financial aspects, incorporate best practices, program solution models, and other resources as appropriate.
ADDITIONAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
• Coordinate research to capture lessons learned and best practices from projects and ensure documentation and dissemination to inform organizational project design, implementation and industry best practices.
• Utilize superior writing skills and technical expertise to author articles and thought pieces, provide review and substantive editing to interim and technical reports, and develop technical proposals.
• Advise NCBA CLUSA leadership on development trends, strategies, and global opportunities especially in area(s) of market systems, value chain analysis, finance, marketing, input supply, extension, supply chain management, etc.
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES
• Master’s degree in Economics, Business, International Development or related field preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant program and technical work experience in business, agriculture, or policy area in the international development sector, including a minimum of 10 years’ experience in market systems and value chain development.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience working on donor-funded international projects with demonstrated experience managing and implementing value chain and market development programs funded by large institutional donors; USAID and USDA projects preferred, as well as a thorough knowledge understanding of compliance with respective donor rules and regulations.
• Demonstrated success in writing winning proposals leading and/or contributing to new business development including bid/no-bid vetting, proposal design, proposal writing, market intelligence and development of external partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience and technical knowledge in market systems development related work, such as leading market systems analyses and studies, facilitating stakeholder consultation sessions, strategy development, and developing/managing private sector partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to productively build and maintain relationships with senior-level colleagues, government agencies, NGOs, private sector groups, and other donor organizations, internationally based consultants and sub-contractors.
• Demonstrated private sector experience and knowledge of the role of private sector actors, the functioning of markets and the opportunities for inclusive economic growth for NCBA CLUSA’s geography of operations.
• Demonstrated familiarity with current trends in systems thinking as applied to market development.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and/or delivery of training and technical assistance such as designing for systemic change, complexity-aware monitoring, analytical tools or consultation processes for getting to root causes.
• Experience with evidence-based learning opportunities and leveraging insights for program and organizational performance improvement. Demonstrated thought leader and innovator in market systems.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully managing and overseeing large donor-funded international projects.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, including a proven ability to mentor staff, and collaborate with partners from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Capacity to design, lead and facilitate participatory workshops, seminars and training session that engage market actors in a meaningful way.
• Proficiency using MS Windows and MS Office products including Excel, Word and PowerPoint, including Web Conferencing Applications.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: Excellent communication skills and fluency in English. Proficiency in Spanish and/or French a plus.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: 25% travel required, including international travel. Ability to work in the field for extended period (up to a month).
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
None required
The National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) is the primary voice for people who use cooperative businesses to build a better world and a more inclusive economy in the United States and an international development organization. NCBA CLUSA provides cross-sector education, technical assistance, and advocacy that helps co-ops thrive. For over 100 years, NCBA CLUSA has sought to advance and protect cooperative enterprises, highlighting the impact that cooperatives have in bettering the lives of individuals and families. In the last 60 years, NCBA CLUSA has worked in over 85 countries in the areas of food security, agricultural development, strengthening of communities and farmer organizations, community-based health, natural resources management, and empowerment of smallholder farmers, women, and youth. We currently work in in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
