Technical Assistance Manager - Africa at CrossBoundary

Position Overview

• The Technical Assistance Manager plays a crucial role in our program, collaborating closely with the Country Managers to identify, scope, structure, and manage technical assistance activities for target investment companies. Support to these companies may involve a range of services to complete financial models, investment memoranda, ESG strategy development, sourcing strategies, market analysis, value chain diagnostics, etc. This multifaceted role involves defining technical assistance needs of companies with support of country managers, drafting ToR for the procurement of services, and identifying and managing external providers. The Technical Assistance Manager will also manage grants as an alternative implementing tool, allowing companies to directly procure technical assistance providers. Additionally, the manager is responsible for overseeing grantees and contractors hired to execute these TA activities, ensuring that all interventions are aligned with the strategic objectives of the program and delivered efficiently to enhance company performance and investment readiness.

Key Responsibilities

• TA Program Management: Develop and implement strategic plans for delivering technical assistance, aligning activities with program goals.
• Pipeline Development: Collaborate with country manager to identify and assess companies needing TA support, prioritizing based on potential impact and strategic alignment.
• Contractor Management: Recruit and manage contractors to ensure high-quality delivery of TA services within budget and on schedule.
• Grant Management: Oversee the grant awarding process, develop eligibility criteria, review applications, and manage fund disbursement.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of TA activities and use feedback to enhance service delivery.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Maintain relationships with key stakeholders and represent the program at relevant forums and meetings.
• Reporting: Regularly report on TA activities, outcomes, and impacts to stakeholders.
• Learning Extraction: Draw insights from implemented TA supports to enhance future implementations and identify potential cross-market alignment areas.
• Documentation. Update standard operating procedures, as needed.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Economics, International Development, or related fields. A Master’s degree or relevant professional qualifications are preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years managing technical assistance programs for SMEs, preferably in frontier or emerging markets. Experience with grant management is highly desirable.

Skills:

• Project Management and Analytical Skills: Exceptional project management abilities coupled with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Robust interpersonal and communication skills, effective in diverse cultural settings.
• Independence and Teamwork: Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Language Proficiency: Fluent in English with business-level fluency.
• Leadership: Demonstrated leadership skills, preferably in fast-moving and complex environments.
• Relationship Building: Proven ability to build strong relationships with clients and colleagues, even in stressful environments.
• Presentation Skills: Excellent presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Adaptability: Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to operate effectively in a changing context.
• Market Knowledge: Familiarity with frontier markets in Africa and local company needs
• Stakeholder Engagement: Experience working with a range of stakeholders, including Development Finance Institutions, development agencies, foreign and local investors, and private equity firms to support investments in high-impact sectors