Inclusive Business Manager

About TechnoServe

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. 

Context for this role:

For the past 13 years, TechnoServe’s inclusive investment department has partnered with some of the largest agriculture investors in emerging markets to enhance both the commercial performance and development impact of their investments, primarily through its UK International Development funded Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) Technical Assistance Facility (FCDO, 2019-2026) and previously through the African Agriculture Fund Technical Assistance Facility (funded by the European Commission between 2011-2018).

TechnoServe is currently implementing CASA Plus – an expansion of the CASA TAF, co-funded by the Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO), British International Investment (BII) and UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). CASA Plus aims to support a climate resilient and inclusive global agriculture sector through technical assistance (TA) and advisory to a variety of stakeholders including local financial institutions, impact investors, agribusinesses and donors. A combination of post-deal, pre-deal and market building TA will help participating agricultural investors to 1) enhance the performance and development impact of existing investments; 2) identify and support new high-growth and impactful investment opportunities and 3) collaborate with other investors, financial institutions, donors and Governments to identify and operationalise creative solutions to increase investment in green and inclusive agribusiness models in low-income and lower middle income countries.

The objective of the market building workstream is to, in collaboration with DFIs, local financial institutions, impact investors and donors, address systemic barriers to agricultural investment and build the pipeline of investment ready businesses; with the aim of ultimately mobilising more investment into the sector, especially for the missing middle segment (i.e., businesses with $0.5-5m investment ticket size requirements). 

Job Summary:

The Inclusive Investment Manager will play a critical role within the CASA Plus program, supporting the scoping and supervising the delivery of technical assistance (TA) and advisory services to early stage impact investor partners and targeted agribusinesses in their portfolios or pipeline. The core objective is to support partners to expand and enhance their investments in green and inclusive agribusinesses in Tanzania, as well as more widely in the region. Depending on the bespoke needs of each investor partner, the Inclusive Investment Manager will facilitate TA across their investment lifecycles, including pipeline building, screening, pre-investment technical assistance, deal execution and post-investment technical assistance.

The role reports to the Senior Program Manager. The successful candidate will benefit from access to knowledgeable and experienced program officers in the TechnoServe country platform as well as the global CASA TAF team which has a wealth of experience working with DFIs and early stage impact investors.

The role requires frequent travel across Tanzania and Kenya and meetings with agribusiness management teams to understand their business operations, challenges and opportunities. The Inclusive Investment Manager will also need to liaise with impact investors and understand their requirements to help identify and structure pre-investment TA opportunities to support agribusinesses to position themselves for financing. Finally, they will need to connect with a wide range of other investor, business, government and NGO stakeholders.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

The Inclusive Investment Manager will lead the workstream focused on supporting several impact investors with focus on Tanzania and Kenya throughout their investment lifecycle. The role will require to nurture the relationships with impact investors, understand their needs and gaps to help unlock more and more effective inclusive agriculture investments, and design and deliver tailored solutions that address those needs. 

Specifically, the Inclusive Investment Manager will be responsible for diagnosing TA needs, scoping and designing initiatives that have potential to enhance agri-investment deal flow and support greater coordination and knowledge exchange amongst investors operating at different stages of agri-SME growth. They will then source and oversee a combination of Technoserve Fellows and 3rd party Consultants who will support day-to-day execution of the support to impact investors and/or targeted agribusinesses. 

Specific illustrative ways in which the Manager will support the overall program are included below:

1. Pipeline Support

1. Sourcing: Identify potential investable businesses by leveraging specific resources and networks.
2. Tailoring: prepare a highly tailored high potential list of businesses that are best suited for each individual investor given their investment mandate and profile, incorporating ongoing learnings from the work.

2. Screening

1. Analysis: prepare the key content required by each investor for those businesses that move from pipeline to screening stage by connecting with the target agribusinesses. Conduct high-level market research on specific sectors and connect with relevant experts as needed.
2. Investor engagement: engage with investors by sharing concept notes and managing follow-ups.

3. Due Diligence Phase

1. Commercial and impact due diligence: analyze the investment opportunity from a commercial and impact perspective by understanding investor concerns, engaging the business and connecting with subject matter experts.
2. Pre-Investment TA to Business: identify and define the critical areas of support needed by the agribusiness to make it investment ready and successfully navigate the due diligence process.

4. Knowledge Products

1. Topic Selection: Based on investor engagements, identify relevant topics for knowledge products, including rationale, utility, and existing efforts.
2. Deliver: develop 1 or 2 knowledge products on priority topics (e.g., how to best address FX risks for impact investments in the region).
3. The Inclusive Investment Manager will conduct primary field research, secondary data review, and conduct commercial and impact analysis using Excel models. They will also contribute towards program Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and package the lessons learned during the program and share this through publications and events.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience or Masters Degree plus 5 years. Relevant work experience includes mid-level management role in a management consulting firm, impact investor, commercial agribusiness or agricultural development program
• Proficiency in data analysis and interpretation, and ability to derive actionable insights from complex data points
• Proven commercial analysis skillset, including basic modelling in Excel and “common sense” approach to commercial management
• Strong computer skills, including MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior strategy consulting experience at a top-tier firm
• Advanced degree in business management or other relevant field
• Experience working with impact investors in East Africa
• Experience implementing field work in Tanzania, Kenya or developing economy

Required Languages 

• Professional level of spoken and written English required, Swahili is a plus

Travel

• This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya or Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, and requires travel across both countries (c.40%)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated leadership skills, teamwork and relationship-building
• Ability to work independently, flexibly, and responsively
• Ability to adapt to changing working conditions
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines
• Has a strong sense of ownership, accountability and can-do attitude

Supervisory Responsibilities

• The role will involve a mix of own delivery of Inclusive Business Plans, as well as managing Technoserve Fellows and third-party consultants to deliver Inclusive Business Plans, with the mix evolving over time towards greater management as the candidate grows in experience and understanding of our approach to technical assistance
• The Inclusive Investment Manager will also oversee delivery of technical support to agribusinesses by specialist consultants
• Some of these reports may be more senior than the Inclusive Investment Manager; the role is intended to provide guidance on context, manage timelines and budgets, and support in translating technical advice into concrete, implementable innovations for the agribusiness partners 

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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