About TechnoServe:
Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. However, they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics, and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better; they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.
TechnoServe Background:
TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital, and markets. Our work is rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hard-working women and men in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs, and wealth for their families and communities. With five decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.
TechnoServe is committed to advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. We recognize that engaging, empowering, and benefitting women and men is required to maximize inclusive, climate and nature-positive economic growth and achieve widespread prosperity. Our work is guided by our Gender Equality Policy, which necessitates actions focused on both our programming and our corporate practices and culture. Our policy states our ambition to achieve parity in the share of women and men who financially benefit from our programs and enable them to translate their economic participation into positive outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities. By investing in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, we deepen our impact, improve the quality of our work, and ensure the benefits of our work equitably reach and empower women and men.
Job Summary:
The International Marketing Manager, Prosper Cashew, will lead efforts to grow the West African cashew brand and expand its presence in global and U.S. markets. This role involves creating and executing an international marketing strategy that boosts brand visibility, engages Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) audiences, drives sales and increases market share, and supports West African cashew processors.
Program/Practice/Department Overview:
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service through its Food for Progress (FFPr) program is funding a regional value chain improvement program for cashew production and processing in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria for the period of 2020 to March 2028. West Africa is responsible for 50% of the global cashew production, yet the majority of those yields are exported for processing. The project will complement other USDA investments and programs in this sector to address market barriers through technical assistance (TA) and financing solutions along the West Africa cashew value chain to improve sector productivity, increase incomes, and create jobs.
Specifically, the Prosper Cashew project seeks:
- Increased value added to the cashew sector in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria, primarily through increased processing into kernels and cashew byproducts
- Increased mobilization of capital for the cashew sector
- Increased capacity of key stakeholder institutions
- Improved policy and legal/regulatory enabling environment
- Increased competitiveness and integration of the cashew sector into global markets
- Inclusive net job creation, particularly in the expanded processing and byproduct sector.
Primary Functions & Responsibilities:
- Strategic Planning: Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing strategy aligned with Prosper Cashew’s goals, focusing on both B2B and B2C audiences, and global, regional and domestic markets
- Integrated Marketing: Oversee the creation and execution of integrated marketing campaigns across various channels, such as digital, print, social media, and events
- Brand Marketing: Lead in maintaining and strengthening the West Africa cashew brand identity. Ensure brand consistency across all marketing efforts and monitor how the brand is perceived by customers and the public, especially in the US cashew market
- Team Leadership: Oversee growth of marketing initiatives in terms of geography, staff, and complexity, as marketing efforts scale during the first 12-18 months of brand launch; collaborate with other team leads and stakeholders, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation
- Budget Management: Develop and manage the marketing budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and tracking Return on Investment (ROI) on marketing initiatives
- Partnership and Client Management: Collaborate with key stakeholders, including cashew producers, processors, distributors, agencies, vendors, and influencers around the West Africa cashew brand to enhance marketing efforts and drive sales.
- Results-Oriented Performance: Establish top-level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing initiatives and report on performance to executive leadership
- Continuous Innovation: Drive innovative marketing strategies and initiatives that leverage emerging and best-in-class trends and technologies, fostering a culture of creativity and adaptability within the team to meet evolving market demands
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7 years of experience in commercial or international development marketing, or a Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience
- At least 3 years experience executing B2B, B2C, and Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) marketing campaigns globally, targeting diverse audiences, with a focus on new brand and product launches and market expansion
- Strong track record in navigating complex stakeholder landscapes, with clear evidence of building relationships and coalitions to advance initiatives
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with European and/or West African markets a plus
- Familiarity with the U.S. retail and/or Food and Beverage (F&B) distribution landscape a plus
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Strong foundational knowledge in marketing, brand management, and channel strategy execution
- Demonstrated ability to lead and manage multicultural, geographically dispersed marketing initiatives in complex environments
- Demonstrated self-initiative and ability to drive projects independently
- Strong resiliency, including the capability to work under pressure, navigate ambiguity, and overcome challenges in a dynamic environment
- Demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity in working with diverse teams and stakeholders across various regions
- Commitment to continuous learning and ability to integrate new industry trends and best practices into marketing initiatives
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to leverage data to drive decision-making and optimize marketing performance
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, capable of inspiring and motivating others
Required Languages: Fluency in English; Basic level of working French a plus, but not required
Travel: Up to 25%, international and domestic travel
We are open to remote applicants within the United States. Candidates must have US work authorization at the time of application. If the selected candidate is located within a 50 mile radius of TechnoServe's Arlington, VA, Headquarters (HQ), they may be expected to work from HQ as directed by their supervisor.
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 proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate based on gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability, & 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 Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.
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