Country Director, Uganda

About Self Help Africa, TruTrade and the Gorta Group:

Gorta was formed in 1965 by the Irish government in response to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s call for countries to support long term agricultural and economic development in the world’s poorest regions. Today the Gorta Group is a group of innovative organisations driving sustainable economic and social change across Africa.

Comprising Self Help Africa, Partner Africa and TruTrade, the Gorta Group combines expertise in market-based solutions to poverty and rural development; climate change mitigation and resilience; trade facilitation and farmer and worker rights; underpinned by an inclusive ethos that specifically targets women and youth.

Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international NGO, dedicated to taking a business-like approach to reducing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Headquartered in Ireland, with offices in the UK, the US and seven African countries, SHA focuses on agriculture and agribusiness as the engine of growth in Africa. Our approach is collaborative and market-based: although we see our primary clients as smallholder farmers in Africa, we work with all participants in agricultural value chains. With over 250 staff worldwide, and a global turnover of over €20m, SHA currently runs programmes on behalf of a range of organisations including the European Union, Irish Aid, the World Food Programme, Danida and the UK Department for International Development. SHA has an ambitious growth strategy to increase its global footprint and expand into new areas.

Self Help Africa has a long established and growing office in Uganda, with approximately 40 full-time staff running development and humanitarian projects that encompass enterprise development and climate resilience programming with smallholder farmers. The Uganda programme has a strong focus on supporting market access and enterprise development among refugee and host populations, natural resource management & green economy approaches and climate change adaptation across the country.

TruTrade (TT) provides smallholder farmers with a reliable route to market and fair prices for their produce. Bringing together the supply power of small-scale producers to meet the demand of local, regional and international markets, TT’s services include a mobile enabled trading and payment platform for collaborative supply chain management; a growing network of sourcing agents who manage collection points, check and weigh produce and trigger direct payments to farmers; and trade finance so that farmers can be paid at the collection point.

The Gorta Group is looking for a dynamic and entrepreneurial professional with significant programme management and proven business growth experience, to drive forward the Group’s mission and vision and deepening of our impact, through delivering high quality programmes and ensuring that the processes of planning, implementation as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning, are robust. The Country Director will be responsible for overseeing all areas of SHA’s and TruTrade’s operations in Uganda, leveraging on their networks and resources, driving business growth and providing leadership and strategy guidance to the country teams, with five direct reports.

The key responsibility of this role is the development, delivery and recalibration of the Group’s Uganda country strategy to ensure the strategy is fit for purpose, aligned to our Global Strategy and that we are achieving significant impact for participants of our programming.

The Country Director will also take full ownership for growing SHA and TruTrade’s operations in Uganda. This will focus on growing the funding base and exploring new income streams to help us increase our footprint and maximise our impact through securing and implementing new programmes. The Country Director will collaborate with international organisations, national government, national organisations and the private sector to design and finance innovative programmes that strengthen agricultural value chains, support entrepreneurs and their businesses and drive rural economic development and reduce poverty.

Key responsibilities:

New business development and stakeholder relationship management

· You will be responsible for building relationships in-country to identify new opportunities and win funding for new programmes

· You will build in-country partnerships to expand our footprint in Uganda

· You will work in close collaboration with TruTrade’s CEO (based in Kenya) to scale TruTrade’s business model in Uganda, forging strategic alliances and seeking out new business opportunities

· You will represent SHA and TruTrade and present in national, regional and international fora and build the profile of both organisations

Programme management & operations

· You will develop, present and implement the strategic vision, overall goals and objectives for SHA

· You will oversee the implementation of all programmes in Uganda, ensuring SHA meets all key targets

· You will work with the Head of Programmes to ensure all programmes are effectively monitored and evaluated so we can demonstrate our success, impact and value for money

· You will work with the Head of Programmes to vet and manage any implementation partners

· You will ensure that SHA and TruTrade are recognised as thought leaders in agriculture and agribusiness in Uganda

· You will work with the Humanitarian Director to ensure growth of SHA’s portfolio of work in this space

Leadership

· You will manage a large and diverse team, providing direct line management to members of the Country Management Team

· You will ensure efficiencies in the operation of a joint country team through the use of shared services

· You will oversee talent acquisition, with a particular focus on championing local talent

Finance, audit and risk:

· You will line manage SHA’s Head of Finance and Administration in Uganda

· You will oversee the financial management and will ensure programmes are delivered in a cost-effective manner, ensuring a value for money approach and that major costs are successfully recovered from programme funding

· You will ensure a culture of accountability and adherence to all group policies and to staff welfare and security

· You will ensure compliance with all programme and donor requirements

Required skills and experience:

Essential:

· Minimum of five years’ senior management experience

· Previous experience running multi-sectoral teams to deliver complex programmes either in a development or private sector setting in sub-Saharan Africa

· A proven ability to deliver new income opportunities through proactive and sustained business development activity

· A proven ability to develop, implement and adapt organisational and business strategy

· Excellent communication and presentation skills, both in formal and informal settings

· Strong financial analysis and management skills

· Fluency in English

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available and SHA reserves the right to make necessary changes.