Engagement Manager

Description

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.

Project Description:

TheFeed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activityis led by the international development company, DAI. As a core partner, TechnoServe will work closely with DAI to help USAID and its implementing partners to advance private sector engagement (PSE) and market systems development (MSD) in activities that will lead to agriculture-driven economic growth, improved food security and/or increased incomes for the global poor.

A flexible, demand-driven mechanism, MSP supports USAID in bringing about a major cultural transformation by integrating PSE across all activities, while at the same time deepening MSD and facilitative approaches across the program cycle to lead to inclusive and resilient economic growth, improved food security and nutrition, and increased incomes for the poor.

MSP will achieve this goal by facilitating transformational private sector partnerships; providing analytical and other on-demand services for design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) of MSD and PSE activities; building capacity of USAID and implementers in these areas; and generating knowledge and learning on PSE and MSD.

Job Summary:

The Engagement Manager will report to the Senior PSE Advisor and is responsible for managing the successful implementation of designated MSP engagements. She or he will provide the oversight needed to ensure technical excellence and operational efficiency on MSP PSE and MSD engagements, under the technical guidance of one of MSP's senior managers. Engagement Managers will often play both the operational manager and technical support role on a buy-in activity.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Serve as designated manager for assigned engagements, managing implementation including developing and managing timelines, managing the performance of and supporting consultants, subcontractors and sub-awardees, and updating and raising awareness of issues that need additional support from others in the MSP team.
• Work closely with the operations team to develop and manage engagement budgets, monitoring funding levels for assigned buy-in activities; maintain updated partner/collaborator profiles to feed into the MSP CRM system or for other reporting purposes as required.
• With technical guidance from a senior manager, provide coordination and quality assurance of all technical deliverables of the assigned engagements by editing, reviewing, and checking compliance of reports and other deliverables submitted by subcontractors and consultants. Manage the process flow of internal and external reviews of activity deliverables, operational documentation, and learning products.
• Serve as the key point of contact for MSP with the USAID Activity Manager, maintaining regular communication providing routine updates on technical progress and funding levels of the assigned engagements; alerting supervisor to any risks and/or feedback from the client in real-time.
• Serve as the technical lead for consultant recruitment, procurement, and grants; responsible for developing SOWs, leading candidate/partner sourcing, and providing input into candidate/partner selection with guidance from the Senior Manager assigned to the engagement.
• Undertake field visits and other travel1 as needed to provide technical and managerial oversight during implementation, working directly with the USAID Activity Manager and buy-in consultants and subcontractors.
• In collaboration with the senior manager assigned to the engagement, identify learning opportunities in assigned engagements aligned with the MSP Learning Agenda and incorporate them into the SOWs; ensure learning capture in each engagement; contribute to regular client reporting. Participate in pause-and-reflect sessions to improve and adapt project processes, workflows, and/or approaches in coordination with other MSP team members.
• Collaborate with Senior Learning Advisor, Communications Specialist, subcontractors, and others to develop learning products and identify and implement opportunities to promote uptake of learning.
• Participate in consultations for potential new engagements including managing the process to support their advancement and drafting buy-in scopes of work (SOWs), arranging, and participating in technical and management discussions with the client.
• In collaboration with the MSP grants team, develop program statements for technical partnership solicitations under MSP's Partnership Facility, participate in the selection committees for partnerships, lead co-development and technical negotiation, provide oversight of partnership implementation after award including managing relationships with firm partner and verifying completion of milestones.
• In accordance with the MSP MEL plan, ensure that required indicator data for each assigned engagement is collected and reported to the MSP MEL team; support MEL quality assurance and reporting. Liaise with the MEL team to elevate issues related to data collection, data quality, and reporting in order to troubleshoot and identify solutions.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and at least 8 years' relevant experience in relevant field;
• OR Master's degree and 5 years' relevant experience.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, such as host country governments, national level ministries, business associations, civil society organizations, and NGOs.
• Exceptional client management, project management, and budget skills with an ability to multi-task to meet established deadlines and within accepted quality standards.
• Demonstrated experience designing, managing, and implementing shared value partnerships (or broad-based alliances or coalitions) with the private sector and/or market systems development programs, adopting a systemic approach to resolving underlying issues, ideally in the agriculture sector.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience overseeing and/or providing technical contributions to research studies and evaluations.
• Prior experience designing and/or implementing gender and social inclusion strategies

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated experience originating documents, editing varying quality of inputs from internal and external stakeholders, and packaging final deliverables ready for client and stakeholder review. Ability to present to clients and stakeholders in a number of settings including formal client meetings and public events.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work collaboratively with members of a complex team, pulling in resources and expertise as needed to address challenges and identify solutions as a team when needed.
• Ability to prioritize effectively in an environment where prudent judgement is essential.

Place of Performance:

The MSP Team is currently working remotely. Once it is deemed appropriate and safe, the MSP Team will work at least part-time from an office location based in Washington, DC.

International Travel:

Approved international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic will only be approved for mission-essential activities. Once the pandemic has abated, the Engagement Manager can expect to travel up to 30% of time.

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 recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)