TechnoServe Background:

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 businesses 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. But 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 worldwide 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.

Program Description:

TechnoServe is implementing the 3-year BlueBiz program to equip young people in Kenya’s Blue Economy with skills in enterprise development, financial literacy, and soft skills. The program addresses barriers young men and women face in starting and growing microenterprises by tackling challenges like skills development and access to finance, technology, and markets while fostering local leadership.

Operating in Kenya’s five coastal counties (Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu), BlueBiz collaborates with four local partners per county, leveraging their insights to tailor activities. The program will engage local stakeholders, including CSOs, the private sector, and the government, to create economic opportunities for youth, train local business service providers, and build the capacity of local actors to support sustainable business models.

Role Summary and Position Description:

The Market Systems and Partnerships Manager will play a critical role in driving the growth and impact of our youth development program within the blue economy. This individual will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, and maintaining strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including private businesses, financial institutions, government entities, NGOs, and other organisations, to further the implementation of BlueBiz.

The goal is to create opportunities for youth-led enterprises, linking them to financial and marketing solutions, marketing scale their products and services, enabling them to create dignified and fulfilling jobs. The ideal candidate will have a passion for youth empowerment, sustainability, and the blue economy, with proven experience in partnerships building and development, business and ecosystem development, sales and marketing, and networking skills with a focus on the critical value chains including but not limited to fisheries, ecotourism, mangrove restoration, apiculture, seaweed, plastic recycling etc.

This role aims to strategically shape and cultivate robust partnerships across several critical domains, including markets and supply chains, financial services, government entities, communication platforms (such as conferences and networking events), and local organisations. This individual will develop strategies for engagement, identify opportunities for collaboration, foster relationships, and align objectives with stakeholders in these diverse sectors for young people’s business scalability. By developing and nurturing these partnerships, the role aims to enhance organisational visibility, drive innovation, and create mutually beneficial alliances that contribute to the overall growth of the BlueBiz-supported enterprises.

Working relationships:

Reporting to the Senior Program Manager as part of the BlueBiz Senior Management Team, the Market Systems and partnerships Manager will collaborate closely with the Bluebiz team, working closely with theSubaward and Enterprise Fund Manager, Enterprise Development/Financial Advisors, Digital Associate, Communications Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager.

Duties & Responsibilities:

This role is crucial in strengthening market networks and ensuring young people engage with and benefit from market opportunities, aiming to increase resilience to market shocks. This will also require identifying the market system actors’ incentives to adopt and implement new practices to provide young people with a sustainable market. In concert with the Senior Program Manager, he/she will act as the primary project contact person and liaison for local organizations, ensuring the project representation in national technical, policy, and planning forums and other key stakeholders.

Partnership Development & Strategy:

• Develop and execute a strategic plan to engage with companies, organisations, and government bodies in the blue economy.
• Identify and evaluate potential partnerships aligned with the program’s mission, including those with markets and supply chain players, financial service providers, and government and non-governmental entities, such as local partners.
• Work with these partners to develop and tailor programs and products that increase the market participation of youth and young women.
• Foster and maintain strong relationships with existing partners and continuously explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.
• Represent youth and young women’s interests in regional and national forums, policy discussions, and conferences related to the Blue Economy. This will involve organising and leveraging market access events, facilitating connections within various sectors, and providing training on market access and business development. The manager will also play a vital role in advocating for the youth, ensuring their voices are heard, and their interests are represented in policy discussions and market development initiatives.
• Collaborate with local government, donors, and NGOs to ensure the Blue Economy strategy /policies include youth and gender-sensitive approaches.
• Act as the primary liaison between the youth groups and external stakeholders.
• Monitor partnership performance, ensuring targets are met and issues promptly resolved.

Youth Enterprise Support:

• Collaborate with local partners to engage with youth groups, assessing their service and product offerings to enhance their market positioning. In partnership with the Bahari Boost Challenge Fund (BBCF) lead, Subaward and Enterprise Fund Manager, local partners support young individuals in identifying their financial needs beyond BBCF, equipping them to navigate the financial sector effectively and developing and delivering impactful pitches.
• Provide guidance and training to youth enterprises on approaching and maintaining professional relationships with partners.
• Facilitate networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities for youth entrepreneurs, including, but not limited to, exhibiting their products at relevant conferences, pitching in deal rooms, participating in youth dialogues, etc.
• Create mutually beneficial agreements with private and public actors that ensure the successful uptake of services and products offered by youth groups and/or funding for these businesses.

Market Development:

• Key responsibilities will include developing key value chain marketing strategies, identifying new market opportunities, and supporting the local partners and market actors in operationalizing strategies that align with the needs of the young people and the identified market actors.
• Independently engage senior-level executives from private sector actors to develop solutions to meet the needs of young people (for instance, engaging the youth as suppliers, agents or customers)
• Define the demand and supply plan for services/products generated by the youth enterprises, and support the youth in developing sales pitches for their products /services to create demand…
• Conduct research, analysis, and intelligence into local, regional, and international markets and financing opportunities that young people can leverage.
• Manage the entire sales cycle, from lead generation to closing deals with youth enterprises and the market.
• Support tracking sales and marketing metrics to evaluate performance and adjust tactics with youth enterprises.

Financing Support:

• In collaboration with the BBCF lead and Subaward and Enterprise Fund Manager, key responsibilities will include developing external financial strategies, identifying new and innovative funding opportunities, and supporting the local partners and financial institutions in operationalising strategies that align with the needs of the young people and the identified financial institutions.
• Engage senior-level executives from financing institutions, for example, banks and grant/debt/mezzanine awarding institutions, and negotiate with them to provide financial solutions to meet the needs of BlueBiz participants (for instance, engaging the youth as women suppliers, agents or customers)
• Manage the entire deal cycle, from lead generation to ensuring that young people can access secured funding, providing a seamless and impactful process.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

At least one Enterprise Development Advisor.
Provide mentorship and capacity development to more junior staff.
Perform other tasks as needed to ensure the success of the program.

Required Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Abilities:

• Relevant educational qualification (preferably Master level) in Marketing, Sales, Economics, Statistics, Agribusiness, Business Management, Finance and Accounting or related field and over 10 years of experience working in the private sector in management consulting, Marketing, Sales, market research, banking or related fields, or in an NGO/government role with an orientation towards private sector development or market systems development.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in sales and marketing, partnership development, business development, or strategic relationship management.
• A proven track record of working with stakeholders in the blue economy or sustainable development sectors is highly desirable.
• Experience working with youth programs or social enterprises is a plus.
• Experience working in Kenya or the coastal regions is an advantage.
• Fluency in English is required. Understanding of Swahili is an advantage.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Excellent networking, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Strong understanding of the blue economy and sustainability sectors.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and activities
• Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
• Experience building win-win partnerships between multiple stakeholders, including civil society, supply chain actors, financial institutions, technology providers, and others
• Ability to communicate a high-level strategy to internal and external stakeholders while driving the execution of a work plan and achieving short-term milestones.
• Experience and comfort in applying adaptive management principles to make strategic, data-driven decisions in the face of uncertainty and complexity.