Horticulture Portfolio Director

Job Description

Job Summary:

Leading the Horticulture team, programs, intellectual capital development, and managing relations with the donors and other stakeholders invested in our Horticultural programs.

Position description

The Horticulture Portfolio Director (HPD) is member of TechnoServe Ethiopia’s senior management team and can act as deputy for the Country Director. S/he directly manages around 5 full time staff. Working closely with the Ethiopia Country Director, the HPD primary responsibility is to oversee the rigorous implementation, monitoring and evaluation of horticulture projects, secure new funding, and develop/maintain relationships with key partners. S/he will be responsible for the following:

Primary Responsibilities:

• Oversee programs with the TechnoServe’s Ethiopia horticulture portfolio: Working with separate Project Managers for each project, the HPD will cultivate and manage senior donor relationships, as well as ensure the rigorous technical and financial implementation and reporting for each project.
  1. Develop and support project strategy and senior level relationships:
     1. Design and update comprehensive and impactful strategies for projects, leveraging TechnoServe’s experience and expertise in Ethiopia and globally, including market systems facilitation, advancing gender equity, green growth and sustainable development
     2. Ensure teams, led by Project Managers, understand overall project goals, theory of change and project design and translate those into work plans and milestones that guide day-to-day work;

• Ensure commercial and technical rigor in horticultural program design, including how those programs fit with programs outside horticulture and the country platform

1. Ensure that teams and individuals within them understand their contribution to the achievement of the overall goal and expectations for their performance and are motivated
2. Develop project- related presentation materials and decks beyond the scope of contractual requirements, when applicable.
3. Manage senior- level relationship with donors and partners

1. Develop and manage strong, gender-balanced teams:
   1. Lead recruitment of Project Managers and teams that balance gender, skills, experience;
   2. Manage Project Managers and help them develop into leaders who help their teams to grow professionally; manage performance by articulating clear expectations (annual goals) tied to TNS strategy and clearly delineated vs other functions and programs

• Facilitate capacity development for project teams to ensure achieving TechnoServe Global program quality management standards

1. Develop international Consultants’ and Fellows’ Scopes of Work and their recruitment
2. Directly manage engagements with short-term international staff, ensuring and overseeing the quality of their work
3. Manage project managers and support their professional development

1. Oversee implementation, financial management and reporting
   1. Lead mobilization of new projects; troubleshoot and course correct implementation, including challenges in HR, partnerships. etc.
   2. Serve as key contact person for horticulture and non-coffee agricultural programs

• Ensure quality technical and financial reports are developed and submitted on time

1. Liaise with the Regional Financial Analyst and Ethiopia Financial Controllers to ensure financial systems are created and comply with donor and management reporting.
2. Develop budget models and scenarios to inform project design and feasibility of activity modification and/or expansion.
3. Lead the management of the Horticultural P&L, planning the use and potential pooling of assets and individuals across projects, working with the CD and Finance Director to optimize assets and expenses and find new ways to increase impact

• Ensure consistency in program quality management across projects
• Ensure that project documents are intact as per TNS requirements
• Lead program development and development/manage relationships with key external partners —The Deputy Country Director will cultivate and manage relationships with prioritized donors, partners and stakeholders
  1. Lead regular review and updating of TechnoServe Ethiopia’s Horticultural fundraising
  2. Develop and maintain external network with potential horticultural donors, partner organizations/companies, including GOE offices
  3. Develop and maintain knowledge of horticultural strategies and priorities for the GOE as well as the funding strategies and priorities for current and prospective donors
  4. Lead the development of white papers and proposals, working with the East Africa program development team and broader TNS program development team;
  5. Develop budgets and lead the technical design of new projects; review drafts of proposals and concept notes; lead writing of technical proposals
  6. Regularly and proactively communicate with East Africa program development team.

• Develop and execute Country Strategy and Solve Problems—Working with the Country Director and other members of TechnoServe Ethiopia’s senior management team, the HPD will:

1. Work together with CD to regularly review and update TechnoServe Ethiopia’s Country strategy, which includes identifying strategies and tactics to achieve targets.
2. Lead strategic organizational development or technical initiatives, such as the Gender, Green Growth, or new industries and businesses TNS can support
3. Lead internal communications and capacity building initiatives within the horticultural practice and teams. Build relationships with horticultural experts in other TNS countries to systematically share and take advantage of expertise
4. As a member of the SMT, share responsibility for identifying and solving management and organizational challenges beyond the horticultural function. Collaborate with other Program Directors and functional leads in setting the vision and motivating the team
5. Other initiatives and priorities, as assigned by the CD- The HPD will work closely with the Country Director to troubleshoot a wide range of HR, programmatic and stakeholder management challenges, as they emerge

 Education and Experience Requirements:

• A Master’s degree in international development, agricultural, business administration or other relevant discipline plus 10 years relevant professional or a Bachelors with minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience. In either cases, five years of which has to be management experience (management, planning, staff development and training skills) in development programs
• Strong financial analysis and ability to lead programs based on rigorous data analysis
• Strong leadership experience, sourcing attracting, managing, motivating, retaining their team and developing their own managers
• Technical skills and experience in the private sector, markets, and quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation
• Passion for development, the environment, advancing gender equity,
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills; a self-starter,
• Excellent oral and written communication skills a must, including high quality proposal writing, report writing and presentations, as well as strong program budget development experience and capabilities
• Experience working in Ethiopia and knowledge of the country
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically

Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English; fluency in Amharic, a plus but not required Experience working in Africa

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Analytical and empathetic manager and leader who strives for sustainable impact, by building and working through impactful, high-performing teams;
• Flexible, creative, proactive and resilient problem solver who doesn’t get easily discouraged
• Effectively cultivates and engages external networks; Inspires donors, partners, smallholder farmers and other counterparts and stakeholders to take action toward bold and large-scale transformation that benefits the poor, especially women
• Embraces and exemplifies a learning mindset