Business Advisor – Nespresso Project

Job Description

1. TechnoServe Background

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, business and industries. We are a non-profit 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 more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives. For more information, visit www.technoserve.org

1. Position Description

A field based position responsible for day-to-day support of wet mill clients (Private and Cooperatives) to develop and implement the Techno Serve sustainability standards, quality standards, and bookkeeping training. The standards aim to improve business practices under the following criteria; social responsibility, OHS, environmental responsibility (wet mill and farm), economic transparency Farm coffee traceability

• DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Deliver sustainability training (such as Social Responsibility and Ethics, OHS, Environmental Responsibility, etc,) to clients, 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 progresses and incremental improvements of 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 produce an 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.
• Follow-up excavation, leveling, trench preparation and supervise planting of vetiver grass on the wetland, soil bund and lower side of compost bed; planting grass strips on the wetland.
• Follow-up material delivery and construction of pulp-hopper on time.
• Provide technical support to separate the pulp from waste water and compost properly to use as organic fertilizer.
• Follow-up proper application of vetiver wetland and pulp hopper to manage properly the waste water and pulp in wet mill sites.
• Follow-up timely connection of waste water channel in the site.
• 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.
• 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.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Project manager.

1. Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental protection and management or related fields, Agricultural Science, 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.

1. Preferred Skills:

• Experience of working on coffee processing wet mills and
• Motor bicycle riding license

VII. 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.