Jobs at TechnoServe

Job Summary

The Gender and Youth Manager will work closely with the entire program team in Nigeria and in coordination with the Global Gender and Youth Practice team to support the delivery of gender and youth integration and empowerment activities of multiple projects in the country office portfolio, including the NPSAP program and the SAY WEE project, and other programs. This will include technical support to program staff and partners, staff capacity development, direct management of gender and youth integration activities, support to monitoring, reporting, and knowledge management activities, participation in the Gender Champions Network, and overall support to advance TechnoServe’s Gender Equality Policy.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

Key responsibilities will include:

• Work with the Project staff, develop activities as part of the annual work planning process under each of the project's program areas that address gender and youth issues while ensuring that all work plan activities are youth-inclusive and gender-sensitive or transformative.
• Develop the overall gender strategy for Nigeria.
• Provide technical oversight and technical assistance to a portfolio of activities across the NPSAP, SAY WEE and other programs.
• Support the development of Gender and Youth Analysis for NPSAP, SAY WEE and other projects that will inform program design and implementation.
• Ensure that all projects in TechnoServe Nigeria country portfolio have gender and youth action plans.
• Identify, develop, and support deployment of gender- and youth-responsive activities to meet the needs of clients. 
• Build local capacity for gender and youth integration, and facilitate gender and youth-related training for TechnoServe Nigeria staff and partners.
• Be the focal lead in developing and adopting gender and youth analysis tools including action plans which assist with the design and implementation of activities and continuously improve technical excellence. 
• Conduct assessments and facilitate meetings, as needed, with key stakeholders and clients to identify measures to improve inclusiveness, especially for women and youth within program interventions.
• Provide strategic guidance and counsel to program leadership and staff on gender and youth integration approaches, priorities and compatibility with program aims and resource constraints. 
• Facilitate monitoring of gender and youth integration in activities and inclusion in program reports while contributing to reporting on gender and youth-related topics.
• Support the development of key knowledge products (e.g., case studies, lessons-learned documents, etc.) that facilitate program development, program implementation, internal knowledge sharing, and support the behavioral change required to achieve the program’s key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Be a major part of staff and consultants’ recruitment and hiring processes on Gender related elements within various programs.
• Work with the Gender and Youth Practice team to ensure that all projects in TechnoServe Nigeria have gender and youth indicators and are meeting their gender and youth targets.
• Participate in regular meetings with program leadership and staff as well as the Global Gender and Youth Practice team. 
• Participate in the Gender Champions Network.
• Participate in Nigeria Gender working group.

Basic Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree with at least 7 years’ experience or a Master’s degree with at least 5 years’ experience in Development economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender or related relevant discipline.
• Demonstrable experience implementing practical approaches to advance gender and youth equality programs; experience working with donor-funded programs in Nigeria highly preferred.
• Experience and an established relevant network in Nigeria will be considered a plus.
• Demonstrated success in leading tasks, activities, or initiatives requiring a combination of strong analytical, writing, social and management skills.
• Experience implementing approaches to mitigate and reduce gender-based violence in economic growth programs will be considered a plus.

Travel: In-country travel up to 30%

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience in adult learning techniques, excellent in-person and virtual facilitation skills.
• Must be able to work across teams to influence behavior and build capacity.
• Ability to work both persuasively and diplomatically in a team-based environment with a high degree of complexity and ambiguity.
• Ability to communicate complex gender and youth issues with clarity and precision.
• A deep, demonstrable commitment to gender and youth equality and economic empowerment.
• High standards of personal integrity; a commitment to achieving sustainable impact, learning, and teamwork; and excellent sense of humor required.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

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Job Summary:

Reporting to the Regional Business and Certifications Manager, the Business Advisor will deliver capacity-building efforts targeted at improving the profitability of cashew processors and other emerging value chain enterprises such as local equipment repair services and manufacturers, supply chain management companies, and by-product processors. S/he will support up to 10 processing units to develop robust supply chains, from sourcing of raw nuts to sale of processed kernels. S/he will implement tailored technical assistance plans that focus on building profitability, supporting processing units to scale up their processed volumes and increase their sales.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Identify new cashew processors to be enrolled in the project programs.
• Advise and encourage the adoption of strategies by processing units on risk management, currency risk mitigation, raw material sourcing strategy, etc.
• Support the implementation of direct supplier programs with interested farmers’ groups/cooperatives/traders and processors.
• Guide processors to procure and implement ICT-enabled systems to help manage these relationships.
• Contribute to the development of a market information system to keep processors updated on market trends and prices.
• Advise processors to develop organic and fair-trade certification programs with interested value chain stakeholders.
• Support processors to promote and market their products at large regional and international food fairs, trade shows, and conferences.
• Ensure aid for processors to access international markets through obtainment of relevant food safety certifications.
• Support/prepare local processors to receive visits from international buyers.
• Assist processors to conduct market analysis and develop new product lines, including cashew byproducts.
• Participate in market analysis and ensure project efforts to develop local markets for domestically processed cashew kernels.
• Identify and support entrepreneurs to launch new processing units and other ecosystem enterprises such as local equipment repair services and manufacturers, supply chain management companies, and by-product processors
• Coach management on best practices to make cashew processing units supportive and empowering places to work for women and youth

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Supply Chain Management, or other related discipline, with 3 years’ experience in food processing, agribusiness, or supply chain management, or Master’s degree with 1 year’ experience.
• Experience providing business model training to people of diverse levels of education.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with the cashew processing industry

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Excellent oral/written communication and presentation skills
• Ability to balance multiple priorities and meet demanding deadlines
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal and team-building skills
• Proficiency in MS Office & presentation skills are required

Travel: As required by program activities.  Willingness to spend up to 40% of time travelling domestically.

Required Languages: 

• Proficiency in spoken and written English is required.
• Proficiency local languages is preferred.
• Knowledge of local languages is a plus.