Program Manager | Addis Ababa

Title: Program Manager
Program: Ethiopia- Smart Souks
Reports to: Country Director
Travel: to location of Program Activities
Grade: 9

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.

Job Summary

The project manager will support and oversee the replication of Kenya’s Smart Duka work and understand the micro-retail ecosystem, build relationships with key actors, and ensure effective localization of the model. The PM will collaborate with the project’s team members, to implement program activities, supporting monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), compiling lessons learned and producing knowledge products that will be used to inform future programming.

Program and Smart Duka Background

The Ethiopia Smart Souks Initiative represents a significant evolution in the partnership between TechnoServe and the elea Foundation to strengthen the micro-retail sector in East Africa.

Smart Souks will build on the successes of the previous four phases of the Smart Duka program in Kenya, which have directly impacted over 57,000 micro-retailers (dukas); mobilized over $5 million in capital; fostered partnerships with more than 10 financial institutions and over 50 manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors; and established 58 business groups and 10 regional associations that forms the NDO membership. Through business groups, the micro-retailers have been able to aggregate fast-moving consumer goods products worth over $1M attracting an average of 2–5% quantity discounts.

Smart Souks’ vision for micro-retail is rooted in a long-term process of sector transformation strengthening systems through interventions that support commercialization, maturity, and sustainability. In Ethiopia, we aim to enter the market further along this pathway than we did in Kenya. Rather than starting with training individual micro-retailers, we propose a more advanced, collective approach—organizing micro-retailers into scalable clusters, serving selected high-density condominium communities in Addis Ababa, working through locally embedded Business Development Services (BDS) providers. This model is particularly promising in essential goods sectors like cooking oil, where early signals from government actors suggest strong alignment and interest.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

Project Technical Support

• Ensure the program is implemented with sound managerial, technical, financial, human resources and overall programmatic practices and that the processes and activities adhere to corporate policy, and corporate and donor standard
• Provide coaching, direction and leadership to team members in order to achieve results
• Manage and monitor project budgets to ensure responsible stewardship of donor funds and effective and efficient implementation
• Produce consolidated financial and narrative reports for TechnoServe management and donors, as required
• Report internally and externally on progress and status of project activities
• Ensure project targets are achieved, in relation to the projects work plans
• Hold regular team meetings to track implementation progress and share relevant project and administrative data
• Lead a team of highly motivated team of BAs in ensuring quality implementation, including regular travel to program sites to oversee the delivery of activities
• Collaborate with the monitoring and evaluation (MEL) team to ensure rigorous data collection and analysis
• Ensure high-quality programme delivery by collaborating with all key program arms such as finance, communication, HR, MEL and Digital teams
• Ensure timely production and sharing of project performance reports, including program review, PQS, burn rate and Corporate Measurement data

Representation

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with the donor government, private sector, business associations, academic institutions, financial institutions and sector development agencies involved in the project
• Ensure that teams and stakeholders are abreast of project and sector developments in the region, are aware of their own performance against project milestones, sharing lessons-learned and benefiting from each other’s work
• Establish TechnoServe as a leader in the micro retail sector in line with the new organization strategy for innovative corporate partnerships that deliver impact
• Represent the project and organization, at internal and external functions, as assigned
• Analytical; able to assess and diagnose problems, and evaluate alternative courses of action to produce practical and effective solutions. Works persistently to overcome obstacles
• Understand, respect and promote TechnoServe’s values, vision and strategy in implementation of assigned duties

Leadership

• Works cooperatively and flexibly with team members to achieve common goals
• Provides leadership and mentorship to staff and clients to build capacity
• Takes ownership of decisions, and uses sound judgment to escalate issues when necessary

Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Builds strategic relationships to achieve program goals
• Analytical; able to assess and diagnose problems, and evaluate alternative courses of action to produce practical and effective solutions. Works persistently to overcome obstacles

Program Management

• Effectively manages resources (people, material, information, budget, time)
• Sound understanding of micro retail sectors and trends in the ecosystem
• Strong client focus. Understands client concerns and priorities, to guide technical assistance

Program Monitoring & Evaluation

• Ensures timely collection of high-quality program data
• Critically analyzes program data to identify what’s working well and what’s not. Collaborates with team to address program challenges and to replicate/expand what’s working well
• Ensure timely preparations and sharing of project performance metrics, including quarterly Program reviews and Corporate Measurement data

Effective Communication

• Able to tailor communication to different audiences and work at multiple levels
• Strong business writing skills; able to express self clearly and effectively through writing
• Effective presenter and public speaker

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This position will directly manage two full-time staff (1 MEL specialist and 1 ABAs).

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor degree in Social Sciences, Finance, Business Administration or related field
• 7 years of experience working with MSMEs especially micro retailers; experience working with marginalized communities
• Managing multiple, complex stakeholder relationships & Strategic planning
• Knowledge and understanding of the micro retail sector and technical challenges facing the sector
• Extensive experience in donor relationship management
• Experience managing program budgets
• Strong business analytical skills
• Experience leading and managing program teams
• Experience managing public and private sector stakeholder
• Experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary, and challenging field operations
• Demonstrated skills in problem solving and consensus building
• Ability to develop well written reports