Assoc Business Advisor

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. 

Title: Associate Business Advisor

Program: Growth and Investment

Reports to: Senior Business Advisor

Location: Uganda

Grade: 5

Job Summary;

The Associate Business Advisor will report to the Senior Business Advisor and work closely with the regional project team, as well as team members from the Global Entrepreneurship team. The primary role of the ABA will be to provide business advisory services, training, coaching and technical assistance to AgriSMEs in Uganda primarily through TechnoServe’s digital, web-based training platform. Through this training and coaching, Agri-SMEs sufficiently improve their value proposition to attract commercial funding.

Program Overview;

TechnoServe is implementing the Growth and Investment Program that delivers a fully virtual training curriculum tailored to the needs of Agri-SMEs domiciled in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. Our focus is on Tier 2: Agri-SMEs with an annual turnover of $150,000 – $500,000, SMEs with an existing growth strategy, and/or those with 7 – 25 employees. Sub-objectives include developing training content specific to the needs of Agri-SMEs domiciled in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Program Implementation:

• Support the identification, profiling and recruitment of Agri-SMEs in Uganda
• Support the onboarding process of the Agri-SMEs into the Growth and Investment program,
• Create and manage synergies across TechnoServe’s portfolio of programs to create holistic TA support for the SMEs
• Provide personalised support/advisory to the Agri-SMEs during the program implementation and ensure they complete program based activities on time.
• Support planning and organising the Growth and Investment Pitching sessions which includes identification and recruitment of investors and supporting the Agri-SMEs to develop their pitching decks.
• Continuously monitor and engage strategic partners for TA, business development, and collaborations

Capacity Development:

• During Cohort four, the ABA will support the Technical Assistance through training, group and individual coaching and mentorship of the recruited Agri-SMEs on areas relevant to a growing business. Focus will be on typical business challenges and company priorities around generating top-line growth, addressing operations/management inefficiencies, accessing finance, market development/ customer acquisition & retention.
• Support management of the whatsapp group to provide support, answer questions and share information of interest and promote networking

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):

• Track and monitor the real-time analytics of Agri-SMEs progress on the various program based activities in order to ensure timely implementation of the program as per the work plan.
• The ABA will work on integrating follow-up surveys after delivery of content to assess adoption and uptake and collect information from Agri-SMEs related to training outcomes.
• The ABA will support the program quality surveys by contacting the registration(baseline), module satisfaction and end line surveys.
• The ABA will periodically develop updates and reports to the supervisor and the donor. The collected data will be used as input for a joint workshop that will look at how to incorporate our lessons learned to further optimize our approach for scale-up. The ABA, in collaboration with the donor and other stakeholders, will co-author a report for publication.
• Any other duties assigned by your supervisor.

Basic Qualifications;

• A Bachelor’s Degree in economics, business or a related field is an advantage 
• At least 3 years of relevant work experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong background advising and coaching agri- SME’s in East Africa is highly desirable
• Proven analytical and modelling skills
• Demonstrated ability to gather data (through desk research and interviews) and synthesize large amounts of information to provide a cohesive assessment of opportunities and constraints within a market
• Demonstrated leadership skills, teamwork and relationship building
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Strong computer skills, including advanced skills in MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Able to work independently, flexibly and responsively to deliver high-quality deliverables
• Able to adapt to changing working conditions
• Able to prioritize and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated background in agriculture, economics, business and strategy development.

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:

• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.
• Computer Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.
• Compliance & Governance: Compliance with and knowledge of company policies, applicable legislation, grant requirements, donor contracts, the local labor code and tax laws.
• Internal Client Focus: Client Focus is based on the ability to understand the client’s needs and concerns in the short to long-term and to provide sound recommendations and/or solutions.

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 [email protected] or call +1 202 785 4515.

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