Job Title:
Reports To:
Position Location:
Program Manager, West African Cocoa Livelihoods Project
Regional Director, Western and Southern Africa Region
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
General Information:
Technoserve is a non-profit organization, with a mission is to build businesses that create jobs,
income, opportunity, and economic growth in developing countries. Our strategies are based on a
market-driven, business-oriented approach employed and refined over the past 40 years. TechnoServe
has approximately 600 employees actively involved in developing businesses and value chains across
Africa, Asia, and Latin America. (www.technoserve.org ).
Project Overview:
TechnoServe is one of five implementing partners on a five year project led by the World Cocoa
Foundation, (Cocoa Livelihoods Project) and funded primarily by a large foundation along with cocoa
industry members. The project spans the major cocoa producing countries in West Africa; Côte
d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and Liberia. TechnoServe’s role is focused on Côte d’Ivoire and
Ghana and shall be expanded to Nigeria in the third year of the project.
The project will work with 200,000 households with the aim of eventually doubling the income of
one-third of cocoa households in West Africa.
The three objectives of the project are to:
1) Increase marketing efficiencies
2.) Improve production efficiencies and quality at the farm level
3) Improve farmer competitiveness on diversified farms.
We are looking for a proven leader with cutting edge experience in the private sector (e.g.
finance or agric commodities). The successful candidate shall be responsible for the start up and
implementation of the multi country cocoa livelihoods program
Primary purpose of the job
The Cocoa Program Manager will lead the implementation of activities which achieve the program’s
objectives in four ways:
1) Support the improvement and expansion of input supply chains through partnering with the
private sector and using of local promoters.
2) Expand auxiliary services for Farmer Organizations
3) Develop innovative financing and risk management tools and schemes for small holder cocoa
farmers
4) Develop pilot market information systems
Duties and Responsibilities include but not limited to:
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
Develop and manage the program on a day-to-day basis, including developing a client business
portfolio; managing client performance, monitoring and evaluation, quality and costeffectiveness control, and, developing and managing knowledge.

Facilitate the linkages between farmers (both men and women) and the services they need
(including extension services, input supply, planting material access, and credit/financial
services);

Facilitate the development of innovations/technologies with a broader reach including production
technologies and market information systems.

Communicate and coordinate with all stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, including WCF,
industry, project partners (e.g., STCP and Socodevi), implementing partners (input suppliers,
banks, service providers, etc) and government, and also liaise with Steering Committee
members.

Hire, supervise and train business advisors necessary to implement the project work in Ghana
and Côte d’Ivoire.

Develop in collaboration with country teams annual project work plans, and provide periodic
progress reports to ‘country facilitator’.

Recruit and manage short-term consultants and volunteer consultants in Côte d’Ivoire.
Knowledge & Expertise

Masters degree in business, economics, agriculture or related field, excellent academic record
with expertise in cocoa, and a strong financial analysis skill.

At least 10 years of experience in private sector linkages to agricultural value chains, rural
development and/or rural finance, of which at least five should be in a francophone West African
Country

Knowledge of and/ or experience in developing frameworks for rural and or agricultural input
credit and agricultural based market information systems.

Excellent people and robust project management skills with significant interpersonal and
communication skills, especially in multicultural and multi-ethnic context.

Be adept at developing and sustaining high-level relationships Strong analytical skills and
strategic capacities

Strong team player and consensus builder and network and be adept at working with multiple
stakeholders

Fluency in French and English is required
Communications:
 Provide regular Project reports to Supervisor and lead implementing partner World Cocoa
Foundation.
 Represent TechnoServe to a range of industry and development partner agencies, both formally – via
conference and workshop participation, etc. – and informally.
 Work with colleagues to prepare and share Project documents internally and externally Responsible
for oversight of multiple short-term consultants and assigned personnel
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Resource management: Responsible for managing a budget of $3m.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Please submit a resume, cover letter, salary history and three
references to hkrueger@tns.org. Place position title in the subject line. Please include all documents
together. No phone calls please.
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