Heifer International Country Program Manager Job in Kenya

Job Vacancy: Country Program Manager

Summary: Our client Heifer International is a global nonprofit humanitarian development organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty and caring for the Earth by empowering small holder farm families around the globe to become self reliant and attain sustainable livelihood through economically viable animal agricultural enterprise.  

Dairy value chain development is one of the key inventions of Heifer International in the East Africa region and Kenya in particular. 

The intervention has been implemented through a major umbrella project, the East African Dairy Development project (EADD) which started in 2008 with the objective of doubling household dairy incomes.  

The five year pilot project which has just ended (EADD-1) was implemented by a consortium of five partners including Heifer International (the lead partner), Technoserve, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and African Breeders Services-Total Cattle Management. 

The project is now embarking on the second phase, EADD-2.

In Kenya, the second phase of the project will adopt a more private sector led strategy with the overall objective of building significant partnerships with public and private organizations for co-funding, innovative design and overall project expansion. 

In addition to focusing on institutional capacity building to potential partner institutions, the project will also pilot innovative techniques and approaches in the industry to provide important lessons on improving dairy cattle feeding, breeding and animal health practices.

Function: The East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) Country Program Manager, under the overall guidance of the EADD Regional Director and dotted line to Heifer International Kenya Country Director, will provide overall leadership to staff and other EADD partners in the implementation of all components of EADD 2 project in Kenya.  

The position will assume the overall responsibility of assuring quality in service delivery of field operations including compliance with the institutional mission and objectives.  

This position will also be responsible for preparing and maintaining long-range annual plans and budgets as well as developing appropriate monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that all outcomes are achieved.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute all EADD country annual plans and budgets (eg: work plans and strategic plans) and ensure proper maintenance and use of all assets.
• Facilitate the transformation of producer organizations (POs) into formal collective enterprises that stimulate rural dairy business hubs and mobilize POs to improve value proposition for members.
• Identify critical investment needs among key producer organizations as well as  MFIs/Banks ready to engage with POs and agro entrepreneurs and assist in developing proposals for funding;
• Identify and develop investment and financing options in dairy value chains with the view to increase net returns to actors;
• Design and roll out appropriate support intervention to improve milk quality and value addition capacity as well as design catalytic activities within the value chain(eg concept of quality based pricing)
• Facilitate development of business planning guidelines and conduct strategic business planning sessions for member organizations;
• Provide ongoing support to member organization with the view to increase production and business capacity as well as develop the capacity of input service providers and their linkages with POs.
• Participate in designing EADD staff training programs, inter organization training programs and shared learning events in collaboration with Kenya country office.
• In cooperation with the Country Director, manage stakeholder relationship and represent EADD in various stakeholder meetings, workshops and conferences.
• Ensure timely generation and dissemination of all relevant reports and quality service delivery in operations including compliance with project goals and objectives.
• Network with partners and stakeholders in improving sharing of experience across Kenya and forge new working relationship with interested external stakeholders.
• Provide overall technical guidance and forward progress on emerging programmatic issues.
• May perform other related duties.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent in the fields of Agriculture, Economics, Business Administration, Rural Development, Enterprise Development or other related field.
• At least 10 years’ experience in a mix of economic growth/trade, value chain competitiveness, investment promotion or agriculture development.
• At least 5 years, in management-level work experience and knowledge of the context to which non-profit organizations operate.
• Exemplary team leadership skills, a strategic thinker, innovative and with significant experience in building public-private partnerships (PPP).

Most Critical Proficiencies

• Knowledge of income and expense budget preparation and monitoring.
• A good understanding and sensitivity to issues associated with poverty, hunger and environment and knowledge of enterprise development and poverty alleviation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in value chain development that reaches women, youth, the poor and the very poor;
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement strategies aimed at providing institutional capacity building’ to key partner institutions with a view to build a more efficient, competitive, and sustainable dairy industry. 
• Proven experience in building the capacity of partner institutions  to document and disseminate industry information, manage knowledge, measure progress and plan and advocate within the industry;
• Ability to integrate financial services within a value chain and implement supply promotion/stimulation strategies in the context of dairy sub-sector
• Experience in setting up cottage industries for processing locally branded dairy products (e.g. cheese, butter, fortified milk and yoghurt among others) for onward supply to niche and markets;
• Experience in facilitating establishment of strategic alliances/joint ventures with local and foreign processors as well as developing private public partnerships
• Experience on equity financing (e.g. venture capital and/or private equity investing)
• Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft officer preferred) and internet.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate in English and Swahili.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:

• Preparing and presenting documents in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to details.
• Excellent interpersonal, organization and communication skills with ability to work cooperatively, tactfully and diplomatically with culturally diverse groups of people.
• Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of direct reports, staff performance and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
• Proven team leadership and supervisory skills with ability to train and work cooperatively with diverse staff.
• Constant face to face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues and general public
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout Kenya and other EADD project sites.
• May require constant sitting; working at a computer and focusing for extended periods of time and performing office environment activities while on the road and/or in remote conditions
• Working with sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality
• Ability to manage and execute multiple tasks with little supervision while meeting sometimes inflexible deadlines.

How to Apply: 
 

You should only apply for only one position and your application should include a cover letter that demonstrates why you are the best suited candidate for it; a detailed CV highlighting relevant experience; details of current and expected remuneration; a daytime phone contact, email address, and the names of three professional referees. 

All applications and enquiries should be sent to 

Adept Systems
Management Consultants
P O Box 6416, 

Nairobi, GPO 00100

Email: recruit@adeptsystems.co.ke

Closing date: Thursday 6th February 2014

Only short listed candidates will be contacted. 

Please note that we do not charge fees for receiving or processing job applications.