KickStart International Country Director (Zambia Program) Job in Lusaka, Zambia

KickStart is an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise that develops and mass-markets low-cost irrigation solutions that are bought by thousands of small-holder farmers in developing countries and used to increase their income by up to a factor of ten, enabling them to lift themselves sustainably out of poverty. 

Using an entrepreneurial business model, KickStart has proven its cost- effective solution to poverty in Kenya, Tanzania, Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as in a dozen of other African countries where, over recent years, it has developed strategic partnerships through its Global Institutional Partnership Division (GIP).

KickStart and IKEA Foundation have partnered to expand KickStart’s presence in Zambia and the surrounding countries.

The project will develop and implement the latest innovations in KickStart’s model of selling equipment at the Base of the African Rural Pyramid to Small-Holder-Farmers across the region

Job Title: Country Director - Zambia Program
 

Function: Programs & Partnerships

Location: Lusaka, Zambia
 

Grade: 1

Type of Contract: Open Ended 
 

Role Purpose: The Country Director for KickStart International Zambia Program will be responsible for the success of this ambitious program, which will take and innovate on- the best of the KickStart model from Kenya and Tanzania and adapt it to the local context and level of ambition of the program.

She/he will be responsible for scaling the KickStart operations in Zambia, refining the program, managing delivery, and reporting on progress in Zambia. The Country Director will also support fundraising and donor reporting requirements as necessary. 

All activities support the primary KickStart mission of getting people out of poverty, by promoting the sales and usage of KickStart’s award winning Moneymaker branded irrigation pumps.

Scope of Role: 

Reports to: Director of Programs & Partnership based at KickStart’s Africa Office in Nairobi, Kenya

Staff directly reporting to this post: Regional Managers/Marketing officer/Finance Manager/HR & Admin Officer

Works with: Functional Heads based in Nairobi

Key Areas of Accountability:

Establish, strengthen and manage the KickStart-Zambia program by implementing and expanding the KickStart program in the region fulfilling the following 10 strategic functions:

• Review business model for success in Zambia and develop a 3 year Strategic Plan
• Ensure that all activities/programs undertaken are consistent with the mission, the basic policies and strategic approaches, as well as values & principles of KickStart.
• Assist and manage the relevant distribution model leveraging the existing private sector supply chain network for pumps.
• Design and manage the marketing/promotion program to build and accelerate awareness, interest and demand for KickStart’s irrigation solutions in Zambia and achieve the stipulated sales and impacts targets.
• Leverage Governmental and Non-Governmental, private sector policies, programs and institutions to accelerate Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) behavioral change and irrigation adoption. 
• Set-up and manage an Impact Monitoring Program which will track, measure socio-economic impacts and key performance metrics using KickStart’s impact monitoring protocol and IT systems.
• Recruit, manage, and increase capacity / capabilities of KickStart-Zambia team members.  
• Ensure the timely and effective implementation of KickStart performance management program – with the goal of building a motivated, high performing team.
• Work collaboratively with KickStart’s Africa HQ specialist functions, product and sales & marketing personnel to achieve strategic objectives
• Coordinate with and report to KickStart International’s Nairobi and San Francisco offices as well as IKEA Foundation on all aspects of the operation, including finance and impact.
• Liaise/collaborate and build relationships with all KickStart’s development partners in Zambia and the Region– implementers/service providers and donors - and relevant government agencies. This includes all relevant manufacturers, distributors and retailers, suppliers or contractors as well as existing or potential donors or partners like, Governmental Agencies or Ministries, as well as the national media.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Development, Agronomy, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences or Social Sciences or related fields.
• 7 plus years of progressive responsible experience in Private sector, International Development, social enterprise or in providing management advisory services with bias on sales and marketing.
• Prior experience in Africa and agriculture sector. 
• Prior experience in Zambia a plus

Skills and Behaviours

• Strong strategic as well as implementation skills
• Results/performance orientation; proven “self-starter”
• Business and Strategic planning skills as we as knowledge of finance budget management
• Sales and Marketing experience. Competency in consultative and solution selling. Commercially-minded and highly collaborative with proven sales experience and  record of results and clear “wins”
• Excellent customer focus and relations putting the customer at the forefront of the decision making process.
• Track record in people management and in setting of a high performing team
• Excellent personal communication & negotiation skills
• Strong analytical abilities and detail orientation
• Fluency in English.
• Commitment to KickStart’s core values

If you possess the above skills and believe you are the right candidate for this position, e-mail your application and CV with the position title on the subject line to: hr@kickstart.org no later than COB Tuesday, 22nd April 2014

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For more information about KickStart visit our website:www.kickstart.org