The Rwanda Ikawa Nziza Cyane (INC) project seeks to equip coffee washing stations (CWS), exporters, and government agencies with new tools, strategies, and policies to drive greater efficiencies and unlock new market opportunities in specialty coffee. Funded by the European Union in conjunction with Rwanda’s MINECOFIN, the Rwanda INC project will run for 4 years began November 2020. Some of the primary project components include (1) digital tools for CWS business management and farm extension monitoring; (2) new mechanisms for input financing and distribution (e.g., fertilizer, lime, new varieties); and (3) a strengthened coffee value chain through industry briefs, strategies, and proposed quality standards for uptake by government and exporters.

Job Summary:

TechnoServe seeks a Business Advisor for Operations and Sustainability to support the successful implementation of Rwanda INC’s ambitious impact agenda. This role will provide technical and advisory support to extension agents, CWS managers, exporters, and allies throughout the value chain to create value for farmers and coffee businesses, alike.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Engage farmers, CWS managers, and cooperative leadership in identifying challenges associated with farm inputs – particularly fertilizer, lime, and improved cultivars.

Co-design and support the rollout of new input sales, financing, and distribution models.

Work with financial institutions to help address challenges facing farmer credit for inputs.

Work with coffee nursery partners to support the production and commercialization of improved varieties.

Lead needs assessments at CWS to determine environmental compliance gaps.

Work with a wetlands engineering partner to design and lead the construction of vetiver grass wetlands at coffee washing stations to improve compliance with environmental standards.

Support the roll-out of digital tools for CWS seeking (1) enhanced extension services monitoring and management, and (2) improved business analytics for management and reporting.

Support development, buy-in, and roll-out of minimum quality and sustainability standards for Rwandan coffee. Work with CWS, exporters, training partners, and relevant regulatory bodies to enable a system of audits.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or a related field with strong business acumen.

Minimum of 3 years of field and technical experience with agribusiness development, ideally in a training capacity.

Experience in the coffee sector with expertise in coffee washing station operations.

Strong project management and financial analysis skills.

Track record of building strong client and stakeholder relationships.

Technical skills required to do this job.

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with coffee value chain actors (especially coffee washing stations)

Comfortable translating data analysis into business insights

Familiarity with ICT tools is a plus

Familiarity with plant nutritional needs

Familiarity with the environmental impacts of CWS and mitigation efforts

Ability to generate innovative solutions in work situations that require minimal supervision.

Strong networking skills

Required Languages

Fluency in Kinyarwanda and English