Description
EADD II Regional Business Development Manager
Tracking Code 291-752
Job Description

NOTE: This position could be located in Tanzania or Kenya.

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

EADD- II is an ambitious five-year program designed to transform the lives of 136,000 dairy farming families through a competitive and inclusive dairy value chain in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

FUNCTION
The Regional Business Development Manager (RBDM) will provide the strategic and operational business leadership in designing and implementing sustainable, profitable, growth-oriented dairy industry, through the EADD Hub model, in each of the three project sites/countries across the region, with particular focus on Tanzania and Uganda. The RBDM needs to be able to identify key drivers of change, and orchestrate resources and focus to implement them in achieving desired results.

The RBDM working with the Country Project Manager (CPM) and country business teams, will implement appropriate business interventions within the project, for complete value chain, from farm level, Dairy Interest Groups (DIG), Producer organizations to processor, which will give a fair return to the dairy farmer. The RBDM will maintain strong working relationships with key actors of the value chain viz. processors, dairy boards, and financial institutions. S/he will lead day-to-day regional business development project activities, including budget management and work plan monitoring; coordinate EADD II business related project activities across the region; analyze regional market information and disseminate key findings; monitor internal project metrics and share lessons – learned.


ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS:
For successful execution of the job duties, the RBDM should be proactive, articulate, a team player, open-minded and innovative

RESPONSIBILITIES and DELIVERABLES
(including approximate percentage effort)

A. Provide the strategic and operational business leadership in designing and implementing sustainable profitable growth oriented dairy industry
10%

i. Development of a strategic and annual business plan that will holistically address the dairy value chain from farm to processor, developing demand generator models which drive growth and income of the dairy farmers
ii. Establish business development needs for existing and new client businesses, identify priority areas of involvement that informs development of plans.
B. Provide technical lead to the Business development team in the countries and develop markets for milk produced by EADD supported dairy farmers through medium to long term contracts 5%

i. Country business plans in line to deliver project objectives
ii. Contract with key processors or establishment of value addition processing

C. Develop, establish and maintain strong working relationships with key industry actors in each of the project countries and across the region. 10%

i. Strong working relationships with business owners, donors, policy makers and other stakeholders
ii. Memoranda of Understanding established with selected processors and financial institutions in support of farmer groups’ business development.


D. To establish viable sustainable Producer organizations (POs), and national Apex bodies to manage, lead and market the product of POs, while providing services to members 5%

Establishment of viable business focused POs and Apex bodies especially in Uganda and Tanzania, which have strong leadership, management, and succession systems, in an environment of transparency and ownership.

E. Build business acumen among the Dairy Interest Groups (DIGs), and develop modules of training courses to help dairy farmers to work as entrepreneurs, helping them adapt new productivity enhancing technologies. 5%

i. Module of Business and Saving & Credit training for DIGs and dairy farmers, to be rolled out by POs and Community Agrovets Entrepreneurs.
ii. Deliver technical advice through design and delivery of business related training programs to project client base


F. Review framework for Business Development Service (BDS) market diagnostic and (BDS tracking against Baseline) evaluating the need for services and level of services currently available (one per country). 10%

Framework for BDS market diagnostic reviewed together with the countries

G. Manage regional business budget and monitor country budgets to ensure adherence to budget limitations. 5%

Annual business budgets developed with the CPMs and business teams.


H. Produce consolidated regional business progress reports on the status for business activities in the project for internal and external reporting. 5%

Annual, quarterly and monthly reporting


I. Develop Financial and investment plans and models for processing and chilling plants, as need is identified. 10%

In close collaboration with countries, and external resources, a basic training manual for processing and chilling plant management and key staff developed and shared with countries.

J. Create, disseminate and support country-level adaptation and use of standard templates and tools for key project deliverables including but not limited to; chilling plant business plans, PO feasibility studies and market assessments; country-level work plans and other management and quality assurance challenges 10%

Standardize template for POs, business plans developed, simplified monthly reporting, shared with countries and utilized consistently.

K. Create vision for effective market information systems that provide price, quality, quantity and timely information. 10% Market information system that provides price, quality, quantity and timely information to farmers and other key stakeholders developed.
L. Assemble and update regional market information on a regular basis, analyze, synthesize and disseminate. 10%

i. Partners and implementers are abreast with current conditions and new developments in the market
ii. Toolkits, best practices information and market resources that support organization of smallholder dairy farmers, strong supply of goods and services and expanded dairy markets are assembled and readily available to all partners and key stakeholders.


M. Conduct Bench marking and ensure that best practices gathered are shared into the project across the East African Region. Develop case studies of successes and/or failures and lessons learned, and partner with evaluators and others to develop review studies for external dissemination. 5%

Learning forums created, and best practiced shared


Most Critical Proficiencies:
Clear understanding of the dairy value chain.
Innovative, analytical, and solutions oriented.
Knowledge of enterprise development and linkages to poverty alleviation.
Strong interpersonal/people management skills and excellent oral and written communication skills a must;
Excellent organizational skills.
Proficient knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, electronic mail (Microsoft Office preferred) and Internet.
Demonstrated proficiency in English and other local languages, both oral and written.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands:
Preparing and presenting documents in a well-designed and attractive format with superior attention to detail.
Ability to understand, appreciate and implement Heifer’s Value Based Holistic Community Development.
Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
Quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluation and ability to communicate MLE concepts clearly with leadership, partners, and staff at all levels.
Willingness and ability to assign and review the work of direct reports and to use participatory management skills with junior and senior staff.
Willingness and ability to travel extensively throughout East Africa, especially EADD project countries/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.


Required Experience

Minimum Requirements:
Masters’ in Business Administration or equivalent.
Experience in commercial dairy industry (with sensitivity to small holder dairy farmers), economic development in Africa, or related field preferred.
Strong leadership skills, with a minimum of five years’ in managing commercial agribusiness or agribusiness development.
Significant experience in building public/private partnerships, preferably in the dairy sector.

Preferred Requirements:
Strong preference for experience in the commercial sector, running a profit center.
Strong, consumer marketing, financial analysis, investment and management skills.
Demonstrated experience in conducting capital budgeting
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
Excellent command of Report writing, analysis and presentation skills using Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships;
Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations;
Regional East Africa experience
Valid and clean driving license (with ability to drive manual-gear vehicles).

Job Location
Mbeya, , Tanzania

Application Instructions

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