Senior Business Advisor

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. 

Job Summary:

TechnoServe seeks a Senior Business Advisor (2) for the HAPPY Activity in Ghana, which will focus mainly on poultry, soybean, tomato, and rice value chains.

The Senior Business Advisor will oversee the Inclusive Business Plans (IBPs) for all the businesses, as well as Sector Wide Training (SWT) for TechnoServe and consortium partner beneficiaries.

Program Overview: 

Harnessing Agriculture Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) aims to drive shared prosperity in Ghana by creating, sustaining, or improving dignified jobs and increasing agricultural productivity across the poultry, rice, soy, and tomato value chains. HAPPY will bridge the productivity gaps in these four value chains by building resilient youth-led and women-led food systems. The program will harness the power of young women and men to enhance the sourcing and business models of off-takers, pursue innovative entrepreneurial ventures, support the adoption of improved practices and inputs, and influence the enabling environment by making their voices heard. The result will be a more prosperous and inclusive agricultural sector that propels growth across the country.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Lead activities related to the development and implementation of Inclusive Business Plans for processors, aggregators, microenterprises and other agric-SMEs involved in the program. This includes managing delivery of IBPs by Technoserve Fellows (strategic direction, process management, stakeholder management, commercial and technical quality control, and communication of the solution to key stakeholders) as well as managing IBP operations effectively (recruitment, timeline, budget, compliance)
• In partnership with the Value Chain Managers, conduct thorough business assessments to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Design and develop and implement tailored business improvement plans for each agribusiness aimed at increasing productivity, sustainability and profitability of MSMEs and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of business strategies and interventions, using data-driven insights to recommend and implement improvements.
• Provide hands-on support in areas such as financial management, operations, marketing, and sales.
• Facilitate access to finance and investment opportunities for the businesses.
• Lead the development of inclusive business plans that integrate smallholder farmers and other value chain actors.
• Ensure business plans align with the goals of the HAPPY program, focusing on sustainability and inclusivity.
• In collaboration with the Value Chain Managers and Microentrepreneur Business Advisors, develop and facilitate sector-wide training to address common challenges affecting industry actors with the goal of generating inclusive and sustained growth in the sector.
• Provide targeted training and advisory services to processors, aggregators, microenterprises other agri-SMES, offering insights and guidance on best practices for inclusivity and sustainability in business operations.
• Facilitate connections between entrepreneurs and potential buyers, suppliers, investors, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Prepare and submit detailed reports on the progress of entrepreneurs, highlighting success stories and areas needing improvement.
• Ensure that all activities and support mechanisms are gender-sensitive and promote the inclusion of young women in the value chains.
• Facilitate workshops, meetings, and forums to encourage knowledge-sharing and collaborative problem-solving among industry actors.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, private sector entities, and stakeholders to facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Basic Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience or a Master’s degree in agriculture, business, or a related field or another relevant discipline with at least 3 years experience
• Proven experience in value chain development, market strategy, and project management.
• Proven stakeholder management skill set.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to advise and coach senior company representatives on business capacity building needs and advice.
• Demonstrated success in leadership roles developing and managing development organizations, programs or initiatives requiring a combination of strong analytical, writing, social and management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in private sector development in Ghana
• Experience working or collaborating with agriculture private sector companies
• Strong project management skills.

Required Languages: Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, including fluency in English (equivalent to R4/S4)

Travel: Up to 30% travel to field offices and project sites 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to work both persuasively and diplomatically in a team-based environment with a high degree of complexity and ambiguity.
• Must be able to work across teams to influence behavior and build capacity.
• Experience in adult learning techniques, excellent in-person and virtual facilitation skills
• Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical, and quantitative skills
• Ability to anticipate demand, manage multiple tasks/projects, and meet tight deadlines
• Excellent computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other administrative applications
• Strong private sector market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Micro entrepreneur Business Advisor

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.