Senior Technical Manager - PReP at TechnoServe

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. We are a non-profit 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, hardworking men and women in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs, and wealth for their families and communities. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Technical Manager - PReP

Requisition number: SENIO004772
Location: Abuja or Lagos or Anambra
Job type: Full time (On site)
Job category: Programs
Reports to: Country Director
Travel: Local travel 40-50%
Project: The Plastics Recycling Program in Southern Nigeria (PReP)

Program Overview

• Nigeria generates an estimated 2.5 million metric tons (MT) of plastic waste annually. Less than 12% of that waste is recycled, while the rest is dumped, incinerated, burned in open fields, or discarded into the Atlantic Ocean, causing immense climate and health risks.
• The Plastics Recycling Program in Southern Nigeria (PReP), started as the Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity (NPSA), a $4 million, two-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation. However, in year 2, USAID pulled out and the project transitioned to PReP with a revised scope of work. 
• The project aims to reduce plastic waste in Lagos and Anambra states by 49,000 MT by increasing the volume and quality of recycled plastics through inclusive, market-driven interventions along the value chain and by fostering an enabling environment. 
• The project will strengthen the capacity of 9,500 collectors, 24 aggregators, and 10 recyclers to reduce plastic waste through improved business competitiveness, sustainability, profitability, and inclusive job creation, ultimately driving growth in the circular economy, for a cleaner, healthier Nigeria. The project will run through September 2025, with the possibility of extension.

Job Summary

• The primary responsibility of the Senior Technical Manager is to provide technical oversight and guidance to achieve the project’s goals.
• This role requires expertise in the circular economy and waste management, as well as experience with Nigeria’s unique waste ecosystem and regulatory landscape. 
• The ideal candidate should have a proven track record of working with collectors, aggregators, and recyclers to build their capacity and improve their performance.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight of the project’s interventions
• Offer technical solutions to implementation challenges
• Suggest technically sound ways to adapt project approaches, as needed, to reach targets and milestones
• Mentor and build the technical capacity of the project’s Business Advisors
• Contribute to donor reports and presentations, and work with the Senior Program Manager to represent the project at external meetings and events.
• Assess the gaps in the clients’ (collectors, aggregators, and recyclers) technical knowledge and capacity.
• Develop curricula and training materials to address these knowledge and skills gaps in the value chain actors.
• Work with the Senior Technical Manager and the Entrepreneurship Practice to roll out training programs for the value chain actors.
• Work with the Strategic Initiatives team to develop the TOR, hire enumerators and conduct the Collection Rate of PET study.
• Contribute to the development of reports and other knowledge resources, as appropriate.
• Collaborate with industry players, including government agencies, private sector, and civil society to promote supportive policies and an enabling environment for the players.
• Contribute technically to the development of PReP phase 2 and other plastics recycling programs within TechnoServe, as required.
• Advise TechnoServe’s Program Development team on project proposals, as needed

Qualifications

• An Advanced Degree in Environmental science, Waste management, Circular Economy, Business Management, International development, Economics, or other relevant field and at least 7 years of relevant professional experience (10+ years with a bachelor’s degree).
• Experience in international development is preferred.
• Prior work experience or collaboration with private sector companies and businesses.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with a broad range of public and private sector counterparts and other key stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of the plastic waste sector.
• Experience with USAID-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Experience in designing and delivering technical training programs is highly desirable.
• Experience working in Nigeria is preferred.
• Experience in successfully implementing gender-integrated programs is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Deep understanding of waste management, particularly the Nigerian plastic waste sector.
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work with tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and priorities.
• Ability to contribute to well-written, cohesive analyses and reports.

Required Languages: 

• Fluency in English is required.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.