Business Advisor 1

Job Description

TechnoServe Background

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.

Position Description

A field based position responsible for day-to-day support of wet mill clients (Private and Cooperatives) to develop and implement the TechnoServe TASQ and sustainability standards, quality standards, and economic transparency through bookkeeping training. The application of these standards by the businesses will in turn to improve business practices and place the wet mills at a good position for achievement of Nespresso’s AAA TASQ requirements on gender practices, inclusive (Social responsibility), regenerative agriculture, traceability, quality, cooperative governance amongst other key topics.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Deliver sustainability training (such as TASQ overview, Regenerative, Inclusiveness, Gender equality, Farm traceability, Cooperative governance and management, Coffee quality control and processing overview and Bookkeeping and other trainings as necessary.
• Assist in development of site specific environmental plans for existing and new wet mills and construction of Wet lands for waste water management and control systems around coffee wet mills
• Follow up the progress and incremental improvements of wet mills and dry mills client compliance against sustainability standards and prepare reports
• Assist in meeting multiple external certification schemes
• Perform sustainability standards audits at each wet mill during the season with the client staff. Assist client to develop action plan based on the audit.
• Participate actively with project staff and hired expert in assessment of wet mills to determine their suitability for the establishment of wetland.
• Follow-up and support the site survey, timely preparation of site sketch and calculation of bill of quantity for the establishment of wetland and construction of pulp hopper.
• Ensure all the wetland construction related activities including excavation, levelling and all the way to vetiver planting and maintenance are well done This is also applicable for pulp hoper design and construction related activities
• Provide technical support to separate the pulp from waste water and compost properly to use as organic fertilizer.
• Follow-up the purchase, installation of water meter; and provide training to wet mill manager on tracking of water; keep the water consumption record properly.
• Gathering pictures and related information for beneficiary profile.
• Submit weekly scorecards/status report and set weekly objective every Friday.
• Create strong relationship with woreda government offices and other stakeholders to effectively implement planned activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Project manager.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental protection and management or related fields, Agricultural Science, Business management, Plant science, and Horticulture etc/ Masters preferred.
• At least four years’ professional experience – ideally private sector/government – in one or more of the following areas: environmental protection, coffee processing or agriculture, SME development, and other related experience in environmental protection and management.
• Strong planning skills and experience working to strict time-guidelines.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Willingness to spend significant time in rural areas
• Excellent English oral & written presentation skills
• Computer literacy, Business Acumen.
• Motorcycle riding ability/skills and driving license

Preferred Skills:

• Experience of working on coffee processing wet mills at private and cooperative levels and having knowledge of wet mill supply chain has a plus advantage
• Experience in construction of wet land at wet mill sites

Success Factors:

Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships:  Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal.  Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude:  Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness:  Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication:  Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving:  Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution.  Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables:  Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management:  Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen:  The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Financial & Resource Management: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Managing Resources is about understanding human, financial, and operational resource issues to make decisions aimed at building and planning efficient project workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

Career Pathways

The positions that may be a next career opportunity for employees in this job title include Senior Business Advisor.

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.

TechnoServe has the right to cancel this advertisement. Women are highly encouraged to apply.