Information Technology Lead (m/f)

Description

• TechnoServe is currently implementing an exciting pilot program that aims to demonstrate the ability of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide services that enable African smallholder Cashew farmers to increase their incomes and food security by becoming more productive and capable suppliers of cashew and related crops. TechnoServe, in partnership with INCAJU and funded by the Norwegian Embassy and its partners Norges Vel, Brynild Gruppen AS and IKURU, has led the implementation since late 2016 of the ‘ConnectCaju’ Project. This mobile information platform supports INCAJU’s operations with a database of producers and their plots, tracks seedlings and commercialization, and provides weather-based advice. This initial project provided good basic capabilities. From 2020, we propose to build on that base to improve, integrate and extend the use of information to contribute to the organization and growth of the Subsector
• We are working with 100,000 farmers currently, enabling services that enhance their productivity and linkages to buyers. The next steps are to support farmer organization and more than double the farmer database; enable cooperatives and local entrepreneurial service providers to offer multiple services and inputs, and facilitate deeper market linkages from farm-gate to international retailer. A strong implementation will help strengthen and extend the regulatory and subsector operations of INCAJU, improve the business opportunities of farmers and other commercial actors and enable the development of better trust-based relationships among all actors in this vitally-important value chain
• Reporting to the Program Director, this role will work closely with the Senior Technical Adviser (a part-time external expert) to develop and establish the wider scope and multiple levels of services planned. Working closely with INCAJU and the software/service suppliers principally, you will be responsible for timely and effective implementation of the technical aspects of the program activities to support achievement of the project’s goals. You will be responsible for technical requirements gathering and definition, vendor coordination and communication, technical project planning and overall implementation of the project’s technical capabilities to support the project logframe and agreed-upon milestones
• You will work with the project’s management team to develop and prioritize the requirements to be supplied by the software and services vendor(s). This will involve strategy and operational planning work, business process mapping and specification work, technical negotiation and coordination, quality management, launch planning, user acceptance testing, training preparation and delivery of initial training. Other relationships may include contributing to some emerging R&D relationships (e.g. in the use of drone platforms and machine learning) with international partners and local stakeholders in Mozambique. In collaboration with these partners, you will contribute to refinement of the project and the design of any subsequent phase including development of proposals for their potential funding
• You will recruit and oversee a team of 2 or more people providing business analysis, technical documentation, training, content management creation and services support. In addition you will manage the ‘help desk’ capabilities of the project’s farmer training field force, to ensure that end users (extension agents, their managers, other managers and business partners) have adequate support to use the platform effectively
• You will also liaise closely with TechnoServe Fellows (3-6 month duration volunteer consultants from leading consultancy practices) who will help the project develop specific capabilities such as designing appropriate content management services and supporting the change management processes in INCAJU, the project’s major partner. These Fellows will report to the Project Director but may be supervised on a day-to-day basis by you

Duties

• The major job functions are summarized below

Technical project management

• Ensure the technical aspects of the project are implemented with sound managerial, technical, financial and human resource practices
• Provide coaching, direction and leadership to technical team members in order to achieve results Direct reports will include some combination of the following roles:
• 1-2 ICT / CMS services specialists, with one to be trained as a DBA
• 1-2 business analysts
• Work with the Project Director, the other Managers and the Senior Technical Adviser to develop work plans and related resource plans that reliably provide the technical capabilities needed for the project
• Establish and operate sound processes to manage key issues that include:
• Business requirements gathering, analysis, negotiation
• Design specification and planning
• Vendor change management tracking and escalation
• User acceptance testing and signoff
• Software and service quality control
• User support – training, helpdesk, new requirements
• Vendor invoicing for service volumes and change requests
• Standards compliance
• Periodic database backup
• Service performance management
• Amongst others, to ensure that all aspects of technical solution delivery are well-managed
• Manage technical issue escalations and resolution processes with the vendor(s) effectively and in a timely manner, operating on a “no surprises” basis in close liaison with the Project Director and Senior Technical Adviser
• Establish and manage a set of planning and communication processes so that technical issues are anticipated, mitigation and implementation plans are well executed, the progress and status of project activities are updated in a timely manner, and exceptions/issues/escalations are managed effectively
• Make timely inputs to the project management team and INCAJU that make them aware of new opportunities that the technical platform can provide, supporting them to engage with key partners and project stakeholders in a productive and strategic manner
• Manage the technical team in ways that enable the technical team to (i) be aware of their own performance against project milestones, (ii) leverage the Fellows’ transferable skills, (iii) share lessons-learned and (iv) benefit from each other’s work
• Additional management, budgetary authority and operational responsibilities may be assigned

Representation

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with donor program officers, INCAJU managers, the software and services vendor(s) in particular, to support the technical plans of the project
• Support the Project Director as required in building good relations with cashew subsector business managers, government representatives, and other private sector players in the value chain, as well as local partners/contractors
• Reinforce TechnoServe as a leader in the cashew subsector, in particular in collaborating to build and operate practical ICT services to users
• Represent the project and organization, at internal and external functions, as assigned; for example, in Steering Committee meetings and in external ICT4D forums

Business development

• Support the Project Director and Senior Technical Adviser in discussions with donors and partners around the potential development of fee-based ICT services and the business models (e.g. PPP structures and potential partners) that can help achieve sustainability over time, creatively brainstorming with the team on interventions most likely to increase both impact and sustainability as well as likely sources of funding
• Contribute to program design and proposal in the second year of the planned next phase of ConnectCaju, for example in areas such as mobile payments or electronic vouchering for inputs

Impact

• Achieve impact in ConnectCaju; specifically:
• Ensure that technical project goals are achieved and sound adaptations are made, with clear communication to the key project stakeholders
• Agreed-upon project milestones are achieved in a timely, effective and efficient manner
• Develop processes to gather and use evidence from user feedback and project M&E to adapt the technical project strategy and tactics as needed to provide software applications and services that help the project reach its goals
• Ensure adequate support for the execution of all ICT technical aspects of the project by the technical and provide that team with appropriate learning opportunities for their professional development
• Establish and maintain strong and collaborative working relationships with vendors, business partners and other key stakeholders
• Maintain the high confidence of the donor and TNS management, including by adhering to all audit requirements

Requisites

• At least 5 years’ relevant ICT project experience (in the context of either complex development projects or private sector businesses), including at least 3 years’ where you worked as the lead technical project manager of a substantial ICT project, within project settings that allow you to demonstrate:
• (i) knowledge of Android apps, cloud-based databases and the management of web design units
• (ii) experience implementing agriculture mobile solutions and strategies for their adoption at scale
• (iii) ideally, experience with selecting, implementing and operating content management systems
• (iv) ideally, experience selecting, implementing and operating inputs credit or other activities that involve some form of mobile financial services
• Experience leading and managing high-caliber, multi-cultural technical teams, creating a results-oriented environment
• Strong track record of building trust-based client, vendor and stakeholder relationships that create strategic technical outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to develop and roll out practical technical projects, by showing how you develop and use project management disciplines and tools, and work monitoring processes to ensure the timely delivery, cost effectiveness and technical standards-compliance of promised technical modules or capabilities
• Graduate/postgraduate degree in relevant studies that blend ICT with agriculture and/or business is required; for example, degree qualifications in ICT; additional qualifications in e.g. Agricultural Economics, Business Management, or a related field would be preferred
• Excellent numeracy and analytical capability
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Portuguese and at least very good oral and written English; other language skills are also highly regarded
• Preference will be given to Mozambican nationals

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
• Indicate the source of this job post: emprego.co.mz
• Qualified and interested applicants should submit a single Word-formatted document consisting of cover letter, resume and salary history
• No phone calls please
• TechnoServe is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities

How to Apply

1. Documentation

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Salary History

2. Application

• Send your Documentation to dboa@tns.org with the Subject line “Information Technology Lead”