Job Vacancies at TechnoServe

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, 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.

We are recruiting to fill the following positions below:

1.) Senior (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) MEL Specialist - Prosper Cashew

Requisition Number: SENIO004794
Job Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full Time

Job Description

• Under the overall guidance of the MEL Manager, the Senior MEL Specialist will perform the technical activities related to monitoring & evaluation for the project.
• She/He will serve as the primary point of contact for data collection and aggregation that supports project reporting and will provide inputs to inform project decision-making.

Program/Practice/Department Overview:

• Prosper Cashew is a five-year, $30 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Food for Progress Program that aims to catalyze investment for the West African cashew processing sector by strengthening cashew processing facilities across Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. Over five years, Prosper Cashew will bring about transformational changes in West African sector by improving processing capacity, bringing in investments enabling access to finance for processors and building marketing platforms to get global customers. The project expects to create more than 26,000 new jobs (at least 50% for women) and indirectly benefit more than 133,000 women, men, and children in West Africa, while increasing the share of raw cashew nut that is processed in the region from less than 10% to 50%. We are currently in our third year of implementation.

Responsibilities
The Senior MEL specialist will support MEL implementation for the project, including:

• Execute a work plan for data capture and reporting against project performance indicators and emergent project information needs.
• Implement qualitative and quantitative methods to inform knowledge gaps.
• Participate in the data collection and management process from primary data source to final reporting, ensuring quality throughout.
• Contribute to the design of forms, surveys, and indices as well as the data management system.
• Ensure databases are updated regularly, ensuring coherence and alignment with TechnoServe data quality standards.
• Able to merge/munge data from a variety of sources, verifying its validity, to produce cohesive analysis.
• Perform regular data quality assessments, data cleaning and preliminary data analysis.
• Share and discuss findings to M&E team in order to help identify insights to inform project implementation strategy.
• Conduct field visits to understand the context and identify new areas of investigation.
• Provide technical assistance and training to field staff on their role in performing data collection, analysis, review, and use.

Provide inputs to data-driven decision-making:

• Actively participate in a culture of reflection and data use.
• Support the documentation of best practices.
• Produce information to share lessons learned and for advocacy purposes.
• Provide primary inputs (qualitative and quantitative) for periodic reviews of the project’s logical framework.
• Support information flows across the implementation team and the sharing and analysis of new information.
• Actively engage with field staff on areas for course correction, serving as a collaborative and reflective source of information to inform project progress.
• Contribute to the internal reports by drafting it with M&E findings.

Participate in the broader MEL ecosystem at TechnoServe:

• Attend capacity building meetings and other relevant events related to MEL.
• Support access and insight into the project’s M&E approach to facilitate the Impact Team’s assessment of the project against organizational standards and annual impact reporting.
• Provide inputs to lessons learned that are shared across the project and the broader TechnoServe community.

Qualifications
These are the requirements that any qualified candidate must meet. Typically includes

• A bachelor’s degree with minimum of 5 years MEL experience or a Master’s degree with minimum of 3 years MEL experience in a relevant field, such as economics or other social science, business administration, agronomy or relevant field and minimum of 3 years of experience in program management or implementing results-based M&E systems.

Preferred Qualifications: Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more desirable.

• Experience working on USDA-funded projects in Nigeria.
• Experience working with an INGO.
• Experience working on an agronomy donor-funded project.
• Required Languages Excellent written and spoken English.
• Travel Willingness to travel to field locations.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

This section should highlight the competencies that would make a candidate successful in the role such as:

• Strong interpersonal skill.
• Knowledge of donor (USDA) MEL requirements a plus (standard indicators, expectations for evaluations and reporting, etc.)
• Experience participating in the implementation of M&E methods and methodologies (such as qualitative, quantitative, and participatory methods.
• Knowledge of and capacity to learn data collection and analytical software (e.g. Commcare, Power BI, Excel, Looker Studio, Big Query, or others).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a capability to produce clear and concise reports.
• Strong skills in data management, cleaning, analysis, and interpretation; ability to present data in simple and straightforward graphs and tables.
• Take an inquisitive and creative approach to problem-solving.
• Time management skills.
• Inherent value and respect for voices of staff at all organizational levels, external stakeholders, and the women and men we work with.
• Ability to work well independently, and function effectively as a member of a geographically dispersed team.

Click here to apply online

2.) Operations Specialist (State Offices)

Requisition Number: OPERA004754
Job Locations: Kano & Lagos
Job Type: Full-Time
Reports Directly to: Operations Manager
Travel: Occasionally
Supervisory Responsibilities: Direct Supervision to daily office operations team (Drivers, Cleaner, Operations Intern)

Job Summary

• We seek a highly organized, detail-oriented professional to assist TechnoServe Nigeria’s country office with Procurement administrative functions which includes sourcing key suppliers and negotiating contracts with vendors within the confines of organizational policy.
• The position under the supervision of the Operations Manager is a critical function of locating key suppliers, negotiating the company’s purchasing agreements and making sure their materials and products meet the company’s specifications.
• Additionally, this role being a member of the Operations department, will support office maintenance responsibilities while ensuring smooth office operations across TNS Nigeria.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities
Procurement:

• Facilitates procurement processes for projects as assigned and following set procurement policy and procedures. Initiates and facilitates shared office and programme procurements.
• Coordinate vendor acquisition, vendor database management and the creation of vendor card in line with the policy.
• Prepare requests for quotes/proposals and negotiate purchase terms and conditions.
• Prepare and issue purchase orders and agreements.
• Monitor supplier performance and resolve issues and concerns.
• Support the Operations Manager to work with and guide project staff on procurement processes and purchases.
• Work with the Operations Manager to Inspect and evaluate the quality of purchased items and resolve shortcomings.
• With the Operations Manager, analyze industry and demand trends while supporting senior management with the development and implementation of sourcing strategies.
• Work with the operations manager to stir managers of the organization towards adherence to policies and procedures so as to achieve supply goals in a timely manner.
• Support the Operations Manager in providing innovative approaches for conducting frequent procurement policy and procedure training and updates to the country staff as required.
• Work closely with the other Operations Specialists and align with policies and procedures.

Asset and Inventory Management:

• Ensure management of asset register of the office, and regular update of the asset register to ensure compliance with donor rules and insurance coverage.
• Supervise the Management of office supplies and inventory ensuring regular update and physical count.
• Track and ensure the renewal of project vehicles documents including annual comprehensive insurance.

Security and Safety:

• Assist the Operations Manager with Country Safety and Security Focal points in coordinating the country safety and security tasks.
• Support the preparation and drafting of any operations-related official correspondence.

Travel:

• Facilitating an agreed set of international and domestic travel requests for employees.
• Monitor and report through the Operations Manager vehicle routes and speed limit application.

General Operations-Second Level Supervision:

• Provide supervision to junior-level operations team support staff such as drivers, cleaner, and operations assistant to inform management decisions through the operations lead. Guide them to regularly comply with operational standards.
• Guide the project Administrator to coordinate meetings, prepare and disseminate meeting agendas and briefing notes.
• Supervise document filing and develop improved office administrative procedures.
• Draft correspondence including reports, processes and other administrative documents.
• Oversee the daily purchases and supervise the management of office petty cash.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business administration, Supply chain and Logistics management or other relevant social sciences-related fields.
• Possession of a procurement certification is an added advantage.
• At least 3 years of work experience in office administration, logistics and procurement, organizing travels and other operational support responsibilities preferably with an international NGO. Alternatively, a Master’s degree with at least 1 years’ of experience.

Preferred  Qualification:

• Experience with a non-profit INGO organization is an added advantage in handling procurement responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• High professional work ethic and integrity.
• Ability to reason objectively, clear strong and strategic communication skills.
• Good interpersonal and public relations skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills, and ability to work independently on multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.
• Strong operational, analytical and supervision skills.
• Ability to meet demands of competing priorities with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work both as a team lead and a team member.
• Experience with relevant software packages, including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace. 

Required Languages:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Click here to apply online

3.) Enterprise Development Advisor

Requisition Number: BUSIN004528
Job Locations: Kano & Lagos
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Category: Programs
Project: Skilling Adolescents and Young Women for Entrepreneurship and Employability (SAY-WEE)
Reports to: Senior Enterprise Development Specialist
Slot: 8 Openings

Job Summary

• The Enterprise Development Advisor will work with the Senior Enterprise Development Specialist to provide capacity building and aftercare coaching support to the project participants. 
• S/he will facilitate business linkages, gather market intelligence and monitor performance. 
• It should be understood that the tasks outlined below are the key responsibilities, but the employee will be expected to perform any tasks that are necessary within the context of the evolving needs of the project.

Program / Practice / Department Overview

• The project seeks to address unemployment in Nigeria through four pathways namely: self-employment, micro and small-growing business acceleration, job readiness and ecosystem development. 
• With a strong learning agenda, the project will pilot methodologies that drive behaviour change and successfully link women and youth to relevant and lasting jobs. 
• To achieve its objectives, the project will leverage existing infrastructure, institutions, and organizations where possible. 
• It will also apply lessons learned from other initiatives in the entrepreneurial ecosystem support space by adopting multiple proven approaches. 
• The design will follow a common set of principles, such as being market-driven to help entrepreneurs tap into high-growth sectors, build youth skills, and facilitate linkages to drive job placement for targeted youth.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

• Area mapping, mobilization and recruitment of program beneficiaries at inception and in between cohorts using set criteria.
• Support the Senior Enterprise Development Specialist and Program Manager in developing the project work plan.
• Implement the digital strategy of the project and ensure adoption by the beneficiaries.
• Conduct training of trainers (ToT) of instructors and monitor training delivery of the trained instructors.
• Work with identified partners and participants during the aftercare phase.
• Identify with stakeholders and perform a thorough assessment (initial and subsequent) of existing and envisaged problematic situations and offer solutions.
• Support in all types of monitoring and evaluation activities, surveys and in reporting, weekly, monthly and in developing program success stories and lessons learnt.
• Engage the beneficiaries consistently on the selected social media platform.
• Support beneficiaries' training sessions on the selected and agreed platforms as well as monitor attendance according to the program guidelines.
• Provide linkages support to the micro retailers including connection to financial institutions, suppliers and other ecosystem players according to the program guidelines.
• Follow and maintain the program work plan.
• Work closely with the Senior Enterprise Development specialist to ensure program deliverables are met through a critical review of project activities in the field and eliminate any risks that may hinder the effective implementation of the Project.
• Understand, respect, and promote TechnoServe’s values, vision, and strategy in the implementation of assigned duties.
• Perform other duties in line with the evolving needs of the program.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Business Management, Marketing, Business Enterprise, or relevant Social Sciences/ Humanities related discipline with a minimum of 3 years of experience working with rural communities and supporting micro, small-growing businesses in Nigeria.
• Alternatively, 1 year of experience with a Master’s degree.

Required Languages: 

• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English with Proficiency in hausa or Yoruba

Travel: 

• Long-distance travel is not anticipated. Subject to program demands.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Experienced in writing excellent reports.
• Must have strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven skills with Microsoft Office software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Knowledge of the use of Comcare, and KoBoCollect will be an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English.
• Ability to engage and advise a broad range of stakeholders, including senior management of private sector companies, community leaders, and others;
• Demonstrated understanding of the micro, small and growing business environment in Nigeria.
• Demonstrated experience in data collection and analyses.
• Demonstrated experience with digital training and delivery mechanisms.
• Demonstrated experience in report writing.

Click here to apply online