Jobs | TechnoServe | Business Solutions to Rural Poverty

Full details after the jump.Position Specification Position Title: Chief Operations Officer (“COO”) Reporting To: President/Chief Executive Officer Location: Headquarters - Washington, DC Organization: Technoserve, Inc. – www.technoserve.org - is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1968 with the original mission “to provide the hardworking rural poor of the developing world with the technologies they needed to improve their productivity” -- hence the name TechnoServe: Technology in the Service of Mankind. Over the past few years, through a process of restructuring and incredible growth, the organization has refined its mission statement, which is now : To help entrepreneurial men and women in poor rural areas of the developing world build businesses that create income, opportunity and economic growth for their families, their communities and their countries. Today, TechnoServe is a leader in an emerging international movement helping people build businesses to break the cycle of poverty in the developing world. There are entrepreneurial men and women everywhere who have the drive and ambition to build a successful business, whether it is a farm, marketing agency, processing plant, factory, eco-lodge, store or professional service firm. TechnoServe empowers them with critical missing pieces: business and technical training, mentors, information, management tools and access to finance and markets. The result: sustainable businesses that provide increased incomes, jobs and confidence in the future, all fueling economic growth in some of the world’s poorest regions. In the poorest regions of the world TechnoServe’s practical and sustainable approach has proven that vibrant, growing businesses can generate the jobs and income that represent the surest route out of poverty for millions of people. For four decades, TechnoServe has developed and refined programs that embody this approach. In 2007 alone TechnoServe worked with over 700 small businesses and farmer co-ops which generated over $150 million in revenue and directly impacted over 1 million people. TechnoServe operates from local offices in 16 countries in Latin America, Africa and in India, with full-time staff of approximately 550 people and an additional 100 Volunteer Consultants/year who spend from 3-12 months “in the field” with local TechnoServe staff and clients. The organization’s budget in 2008 was approximately $43mm. Scope and Responsibility: A newly created position, the COO will provide overall operational leadership for the organization’s field operations while also acting as a fully integrated member of the senior leadership of the organization. Creation of this position is a direct reflection on the organization’s focus on the importance of high quality/high-impact field operations. The COO will report directly to the President/Chief Executive Officer. At a high level the COO will: Be responsible for operations and revenue management within all operating regions. Own and develop a standardized, collaborative approach to the organization’s interaction with clients, internal operations and measured approach to growth. This will require the development of standardized tools, templates, and training programs to ensure consistent and efficient delivery of high-impact work. Continue to develop and implement TechnoServe’s recently-developed program management methodology – the process by which the organization bids, wins, plans, executes, and reports on programs. Ensure consistent reporting across all divisions and serve as the aggregation point for all operational and management reporting from the various regions. Serve as a “single point of contact” for interactions between the field and Human Resources, Legal, Finance, Development, Information Technology, and other head office functions. Provide consistent, relentless, and daily focus on all overall operational coordination/ consistency and high impact implementation. Organizational Structure/Reporting Relationships: The COO will report directly to the President/Chief Executive Officer and will be a part of the Senior Leadership of the organization Reporting directly to the COO will be the Regional Directors of East Africa, West and Southern Africa, and Latin America. In addition, the COO will be responsible for integrating operations with the organization’s “Coffee Initiative” – a specialized division of TechnoServe funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Background Required: 10+ years experience managing an organization’s field operations – preferably in a multinational environment Proven project management skills – preferably having worked on projects located in remote regions Strong private sector experience, skills and understanding Experience communicating across cultures and through language barriers, as well as transferring best practices between environments Comfort with, knowledge of and experience with identification, implementation and management of IT and management reporting systems, as well as basic tools such as Access, Word, Excel, etc. Fluency in Spanish is a plus. Personal & Professional Traits: Strong collaboration, influence and communication skills Demonstrated interpersonal skills Comfortable working in and bringing order and consistency to an entrepreneurial and de-centralized environment Ability to manage across reporting lines and successfully function in a matrixed structure Understands how to command respect, as opposed to demand it Can demonstrate the intellectual capacity help an organization become more strategic by increasing the effectiveness of its tactical “tool kit” Balanced point-of-view regarding risk management and agility Education: Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees required Travel: Ability to travel (both domestic and international) up to 50% (significantly more in the early stages). Contact: Derek Wilkinson Senior Vice President & Principal Slayton Search Partners, Inc. 1737 H Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 (202) 641-9120 (office) (202) 320-2660 (mobile) (202) 293-8036 (fax) dwilkinson@slaytonsearch.com Slayton Search Partners’ Limit-lessSM approach to executive search has made the firm the first choice of U.S. businesses and organizations who demand the best possible search results. By focusing on a structure that balances the size needed to do the job with the size needed to deliver personal attention and service, Slayton avoids restrictions that limit access to top talent among traditional search firms, helping transform executive search into a Limit-lessSM opportunity for improved performance. Headquartered in Chicago, Slayton serves its clients from offices in Atlanta, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. and is focused on select specialty and functional practice areas. 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