Market Systems Manager at TechnoServe: (Deadline 29 February 2024)

Market Systems Manager at TechnoServe: (Deadline 29 February 2024)

Market Systems Manager

Job Category: Programs

Requisition Number: MARKE003997

Posting Details

• Full-Time

• Locations

  Rwanda Main Office
  Kigali, P.Obox7108, RWA

Job Details

Description

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.

Program Overview:

TechnoServe Rwanda is working with Sida to design and implement a five-year, ReGenerate Rwanda  program (2022-2027). ReGenerate Rwanda has an ambitious goal of empowering women  and youth across Rwanda by making sustainable improvements to their participation in the market place.  ReGenerate Rwanda Program aims to sustainably increase incomes for 30.000 women, youth and men living in poverty in Western and Southern Rwanda.

ReGenerate Rwanda uses a market systems approach (“M4P”) and will work with partners across the public and private sector to invest in changes that benefit women and youth. For example, increasing the involvement and power of women and youth to buy and sell in the market, improving the quality of goods and services to women and youth, and advocating to change the rules and norms that determine how women and youth are engage in the different growing sector. ReGenerate Rwanda’s activities focus on sectors with high-growth potential for women and youth, such as distribution systems, financial services, or agriculture.

Job Summary:

TechnoServe is seeking highly qualified candidates for the position of Market Systems Manager. In this role, he/she will be responsible for leading interventions and building partnerships within a specific market sector or cross-cutting function, which is a priority focus area for the ReGenerate Rwanda Program. These sectors may include cross-border trade, small livestock, horticulture, financial services, and more.

As a Market Systems Manager, his/her primary responsibilities will involve developing and executing strategies for one or more market systems. These strategies typically encompass a series of interventions aimed at driving change. he/she will collaborate with a select group of private and public sector stakeholders within the market system, with the goal of establishing a compelling case for adopting more gender-inclusive and environmentally sustainable or regenerative business solutions and models. Subsequently, you will lead initiatives to encourage other actors to replicate these positive changes. To succeed in this role, he/she will closely collaborate with and provide supervision to Partnership Officers based in the Rusizi field office.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Establish and effectively manage strong relationships with market system actors (e.g. private companies operating in the relevant value chains, representatives of the target group, local government offices, etc.) with whom ReGenerate Rwanda will partner and collaborate within a to-be-determined priority sector.
• Develop and oversee the portfolio of market system development (MSD) interventions and partnerships within the prioritized sector; work closely with Program Director and Financial Controller to ensure compliance with company and donor regulations and policies.
• Work closely with Gender and Youth Lead as well as Regenerative Business/Resilience Lead to ensure that gender, youth and environment  inclusion is consistently and thoughtfully mainstreamed within ReGenerate Rwanda’s portfolio of MSD interventions and activities within the prioritized sector; follow Do No Harm principles.
• Lead and/or support relevant enabling environment interventions and development of partnerships to address social norms which exclude women and youth and the poor from accessing markets.
• Lead and/or support ongoing MSD and gender and youth inclusion assessments, research studies and stakeholder consultations, as appropriate, to inform program strategies and approaches; Learning Agenda; and adaptive management.
• Build capacity of private sector actors to understand the business case for gender equality and unconscious bias; provide technical assistance (TA) to support partners to develop gender equality policies and help them establish equitable hiring and recruitment processes.
• Support private sector capacity building efforts, including TA to partners to build their understanding of the business case for regenerative and environmentally sustainable solutions, in collaboration with the Regenerative Business/Resilience Lead and Partnership Officers.
• Provide relevant technical input for program work plans, budgets, and MEL Plan, including Learning Agenda, as appropriate.
• Actively participate in program monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities, including results reviews and other learning exchanges.
• Provide key support for data collection and analyses in collaboration with the MEL team to ensure interventions are impact-oriented and adjusted.
• Represent the program at networking and relationship meetings with private and public actors, as appropriate.
• Contribute relevant technical input for donor reporting and external program communications, such as technical reports, case studies/business cases, video/radio content, social media blogs/posts, etc.
• Manage, supervise, mentor and coach Partnership Officers based in Rusizi field office.

Basic Qualifications and Competencies:

• Bachelor’s Degree + 7 years’ experience, Master’s Degree + 5 years’ experience in Economics, Statistics, Agribusiness, Business Management, Marketing, Finance and Accounting or related fields.
• At least 5 years’ experience working in the private sector in management consulting, market research, banking or related fields, or in an NGO/government role with orientation towards private sector development in Rwanda; experience in implementing private sector or micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) development assistance programs considered an asset, but not required.
• Demonstrated understanding of – and commitment to challenging – barriers that disadvantage the vulnerable, women and youth and exclude them from economic opportunities.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing gender equality
• Track record of building and managing strong client and stakeholder relationships
• Proven ability to develop strategies and conduct analysis on complex commercial questions
• Experience in authoring concise and well-written reports and presentations
• Knowledge and experience in Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) is an advantage
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills in a multicultural environment, including experience building relationships and managing conflict with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to work with tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience of working on a donor funded Market Systems Development (MSD) program preferred.
• Experience supervising and managing staff is preferred.
• Fluency in Kinyarwanda or French preferred

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English with excellent oral and written communication skills required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Extremely curious, hard-working and driven
• Confident, diplomatic and quick-thinking in the company of senior executives
• Able to engage with low-income populations with high degree of humility
• Knowledgeable of the drivers of social or economic exclusion e.g. due to gender or age and committed to the reduction of social and economic inequalities
• Pushes innovative and creative ways of thinking and working
• Effective manager and motivator of others
• Maintains integrity and personal reputation
• Is a self-starter, energetic and friendly

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

• Supervise one or more Partnership Officers. Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams desired.

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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