Partnership Specialist, Inspiring Good Nutrition Initiatives Through Enterprise (IGNITE) Program

At TechnoServe, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. For over 50 years, we have given smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs the skills, connections, and confidence to lift themselves out of poverty. We leverage the power of markets and the private sector to create sustainable economic growth to benefit people and the planet. Our unique mix of business solutions, deep knowledge of local contexts, and data-driven insights is helping to fight poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

TechnoServe staff are local-95% are from the countries in which they work. We put a high premium on collaboration and entrepreneurship. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. And we focus on delivering lasting impact for our mission.

Program Description:

The Inspiring Good Nutrition Initiatives Through Enterprise (IGNITE) will build on the foundations of the Technical Assistance Accelerator Prelude (TAAP) program to achieve increased motivation and fortification capability of millers leading to increased proportion of fortified staple foods and conversion of a critical mass of millers to improved quality practices across eight countries. Namely Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tanzania with India, Kenya, and Nigeria serving as the operational hubs.

IGNITE will facilitate the activation and expansion of a catalytic collective impact initiative - the Millers 4 Nutrition (M4N) coalition - to globally coordinate and locally implement an ultimately sustainable model for delivery of technical assistance (TA) and other services to millers through contributions of and collaboration with corporate partners- Strategic Fortification Partners (SFPs).

These TA services, and associated engagement platforms, will establish business cases and motivate and develop capabilities of food processors to improve their performance in the fortification of selected staple foods and condiments, and thereby to achieve large-scale and relevant (contributing to the diets of large proportions of populations in countries where staple FF has been identified as part of national nutrition strategies) coverage on a sustained basis.

Job Summary:

The Partnership Specialist will play a vital role in supporting M4N's mission by managing day-to-day coordination with partners (including selected millers), ensuring seamless communication, and contributing to the implementation of strategic initiatives. This position is ideal for a highly organized, proactive individual who excels in project management, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision-making.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Partner Engagement and Coordination

• Coordinate bilateral and collective calls with Strategic Fortification Partners (SFPs) and country teams, ensuring agendas are prepared and follow-ups are tracked.
• Support the implementation of region-driven frameworks for partnership engagement, ensuring alignment with M4N's strategic goals.
  
  

Data and Insight Management

• Assist in compiling and organizing partnership data to inform decision-making and track progress against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Collaborate with MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) teams to ensure data is incorporated into partner discussions and engagement strategies.
• Maintain a centralized database of partnerships, including contributions, gaps, and milestones.

Operational Support

• Monitor and track partner activities to ensure alignment with program objectives.
• Prepare briefing notes, presentations, and reports for internal and external meetings.
• Identify and escalate challenges or delays in partnership activities to the Strategic Partnership Manager, along with potential solutions.

Strategic Alignment

• Contribute to gap analyses by identifying areas where partners could offer additional support or expertise.
• Support the Strategic Partnership Manager in broadening the scope of partnerships beyond fortification, exploring opportunities in supply chain, technology, and financial support sectors.
• Assist in the planning and execution of networking events, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions to enhance partner collaboration and engagement.
• Support the coordination of collaborative discussions/activities with other Food Processing programs that TNS is leading (as needed).

Basic Qualifications:

• Educational background in International Development, Business Administration, Public Health, Project Management, or any other related field
• Bachelor degree and minimum of 3 years of experience OR a Master's Degree and one year of experience
• Relevant experience in international development, partnership management, B2B coordination, or program management experience is required.

Languages

• Fluency in English

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with an ability to engage with international stakeholders at various levels.
• Analytical mindset with experience in working with data.
• Knowledge in food fortification or nutrition-related programs.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-cultural, cross-functional team environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and familiarity with tools like Smartsheets, or other project management software.

This is a remote position, with a preference for candidates who are located in Europe, Kenya, Nigeria, or India. Candidates must have work authorization in the country from which they are applying. TechnoServe will not provide sponsorship for this position.

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 an equal opportunity 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.