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.

Job Summary:

TechnoServe seeks a Program Director to lead the implementation of the APY program in Ghana, which will focus mainly on poultry, soybean, tomato, and rice value chains.

Program Overview:

Agriculture Productivity and Youth Program (APY) is a donor-funded program to improve the well-being and resilience of young women and men as a result of strengthened producers, processors, and agribusinesses in Agriculture & Adjacent Sectors. The program will implement a market systems facilitation approach that will leverage private sector actors to achieve more sustainable impacts. Program outcomes include a) Increased productivity of value chain actors in agriculture and adjacent sectors; b) Improved policy implementation to support growth in the relevant sectors; and c) Shift in mindset and fulfillment of youth towards employment and entrepreneurship in the sectors and rural futures.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Leading overall implementation and management of the anticipated program, from inception to close-out
• Providing strategic guidance, leadership, management, and general technical oversight of the program, with an unwavering commitment to delivering results through partnership
• Serving as a liaison and driving shared vision and strategy among consortium members, donors, Ghanaian government agencies and private sector actors
• Recruiting, leading, managing, and supervising a complex consortium of implementing partners, technical organizations, and service providers
• Fostering collaboration, learning, and adaptive management to inform decision-making, communicate with stakeholders, and drive impact
• Ensuring coordination with a range of donor-funded programs in Ghana
• Ensuring that program outcomes and deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with donor and TechnoServe requirements

Basic Qualifications:

• A Masters degree or equivalent in business, international development, economics, public policy, education, agricultural economics, or relevant field with eight years of experience as COP or an equivalent position managing large, complex agribusiness or agricultural development programs with a value chain focus (or a bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of experience)
• Experience in establishing systems and overseeing program start-up under limited time constraints as well as program close-out
• Experience working in complex and challenging environments
• Experience overseeing technical program areas as well as operational/financial areas, including hiring, training and supervision of local personnel and financial management including budgeting and procurement

Preferred Qualifications:

Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more desirable. We seek candidates who bring experience with:

• Leading complex, agricultural market systems in West Africa (and specifically Ghana) strongly preferred
• Ensuring the consultation and meaningful inclusion of marginalized groups, including women, youth, and indigenous people
• Demonstrated ability to work with West African agribusiness firms and financial institutions
• Ghanaian nationals encouraged to apply.

Required Languages: Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, including fluency in English (equivalent to R4/S4)

Travel: Up to 20% of travel to field offices and project sites

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated effectiveness in strategic thinking and policy analysis and able to dialogue with host country government
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills with evidence of ability to lead diverse teams and achieve results
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and engage with a wide range of organizations (government, private sector, NGOs, civil society, research institutions
• Knowledge of agricultural market systems and facilitation approaches
• Significant knowledge of relevant value chains (poultry, rice, tomato, soybean), and youth and gender inclusion practices
• 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
• 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.
• Ability to use adaptive management principles to make strategic, data-driven decisions in the face of uncertainty and complexity

Supervisory Responsibilities – Typically, 4 to 6 senior level staff including tech specialists, financial directors and M&E staff. Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams is desired.

This position is contingent upon donor funding and approval.

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 [email protected] or call +1 202 785 4515.