Country Representative and Senior Program Manager, Honduras and Guatemala

Job Description

Title: Country Director and Senior Program Manager, Honduras and Guatemala

Grade: 10

Location: Honduras

Reporting/Supervisor: Regional Director

About TechnoServe:

At TechnoServe, At TechnoServe, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. For over 50 years, we have given smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs the skills, connections, and confidence to lift themselves out of poverty. We leverage the power of markets and the private sector to create sustainable economic growth to benefit people and the planet. Our unique mix of business solutions, deep knowledge of local contexts, and data-driven insights is helping to fight poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

TechnoServe staff are local–95% are from the countries in which they work. We put a high premium on

collaboration and entrepreneurship. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. And we focus on delivering lasting impact for our mission.

Job Summary:

As TechnoServe's Country Director in Honduras, you will have the incredible opportunity to lead and shape the strategic direction of sustainable economic development in the country. The Country Director will be at the forefront of driving impactful changes, overseeing all aspects of our work, from strategic branding to operational excellence. This role is not limited to managing day-to-day operations; it is about making a lasting difference by ensuring high-quality program implementation and championing TechnoServe's mission in Honduras and Central America. You will be the face of TechnoServe in Honduras: you will represent us to stakeholders, develop a robust pipeline of new program opportunities to grow the Honduras platform, and steer our team toward efficient, effective, and impactful results. It is a dynamic and rewarding position that offers the chance to drive meaningful change and leave a lasting legacy of economic empowerment and development.

In addition to leading the Honduras platform, this position provides senior management to the Producer Organization Strengthening program in Guatemala and Honduras vis-à-vis the donor, under the strategic direction of the Regional Director. The position ensures achievement of project objectives, compliance with donor requirements, quality of execution, and effective stakeholder engagement, ensuring full alignment between implementation in Honduras and Guatemala. It directly supervises the Program Manager in Guatemala and the Specialist in Honduras, each of whom leads a team of business advisors. Through this program, over 30 months, TechnoServe will strengthen the operational, commercial, and governance capacity of 100 fruit and vegetable Producer Organizations in Guatemala and Honduras, enabling them to act as effective, professional intermediaries that connect smallholder farmers with higher-value markets and essential services.

Functions and Responsibilities:

1. Country Leadership - Honduras

Business Development, Strategic Growth and Stakeholder Engagement

• In coordination with the Regional Director and the Program Development team, contribute to defining and executing the business development strategy.
• Maintain strong relationships with donors and develop a pipeline of new program opportunities to grow the Honduras platform and expand TechnoServe's impact
• Cultivate strategic relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including government ministries, private sector companies, business associations, and civil society organizations.
• Represent TechnoServe at events, meetings, and institutional processes, protecting its reputation and fostering long-term relationships.
• Lead or contribute substantively to the design of concept notes and proposals, including partnerships, technical approaches, budgets, and country information gathering.
• Identify synergies between the Honduras platform and regional programs, promoting new opportunities for impact.

Country and Legal Representation

• Serve as TechnoServe's primary institutional point of contact in Honduras
• Serve as TechnoServe's legal representative in Honduras, where applicable and in accordance with the applicable appointment, powers of attorney, authorization limits, and legal advice.
• Ensure compliance with local legislation and institutional policies in coordination with the Legal, Human Resources, Finance, and Operations teams.
• Ensure that banking, tax, and financial transactions are conducted in accordance with organizational and donor policies.

Institutional Leadership, Administration, and People Management

• Act as a role model who takes accountability, communicates transparently, provides thought leadership, and escalates issues to headquarters in a timely manner.
• Promote a culture of integrity, transparency, collaboration, inclusion, safeguarding, and accountability.
• Coordinate with regional and global teams to resolve bottlenecks, drive operational improvements, and implement institutional decisions.
• Oversee the effectiveness and continuity of administrative, financial, and human resources functions, maintaining the appropriate controls and approval lines.
• Integrate TechnoServe's institutional policies, procedures, and methodologies into program operations in both countries, resolving any quality issues that arise in delivery.
• Lead, in coordination with Human Resources, the recruitment, onboarding, development, and performance management of staff under their supervision, in accordance with TechnoServe policies.

2. Strategic Leadership of the PO Strengthening Program

Program Management and Implementation

• Lead the program from start-up to closeout, defining goals, priorities, work plans, and corrective actions to achieve the committed results.
• Ensure the submission of internal reports, corporate measurement, and high-quality reports to the donor.
• Define work assignments for the program team in Honduras and Guatemala, with limited direction from the Regional Director.
• Oversee the technical quality of the intervention and the application of TechnoServe methodologies, coordinating with practice areas, field teams, and partners.
• Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams in Honduras and Guatemala; oversee performance, foster collaboration, and strengthen management capacity.
• Lead the Honduras diagnostic study.
• Adapt the program's intervention model and work plans between Honduras and Guatemala in response to the diagnostic findings.
• Adapt the curriculum across cohorts in response to results achieved and the evolving needs of POs and buyers.
• Establish monitoring tools, including timelines, budget dashboards, progress reports, and periodic project reviews.
• Manage donor relations, lead technical visits and meetings, and ensure timely, high-quality deliverables and reports.
• Identify and manage programmatic, financial, operational, and reputational risks, escalating critical issues in a timely manner.

Financial Management, Compliance, and Learning

• Lead budget control, analyze spending monthly, and propose budget adjustments or modifications in accordance with donor requirements and institutional policies.
• Oversee procurement planning, consultant contracting, and the allowable use of resources, in coordination with Finance, Administration, and Procurement.
• Coordinate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) teams on the definition of indicators, data quality, results measurement, and evaluations.
• Review technical and financial reports, project reviews, and corporate reports, using findings to improve implementation.
• Ensure orderly start-up and proper programmatic, financial, and documentary closeout.

Partnership Development and Market Ecosystem

• Lead the program's partnership strategy in Honduras and Guatemala, identifying and formalizing agreements with actors that offer complementary services to POs and their member producers, and strategically direct outreach to buyers
• Negotiate and follow up on sustainability partnerships with local entities (universities, government extension programs, cooperative federations), ensuring POs' access to professionalization services beyond the implementation period.

Required Languages: Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, including fluency in Spanish and English.

Travel: Up to 25% of the time.

Basic Qualifications

• University degree in Agronomy, Agro-industrial Engineering, or a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Commerce, or related fields focused on business or agricultural management, plus 10 years of experience in strategic planning at the management level, management, and/or consulting for the strengthening of agricultural enterprises, with an emphasis on business plan development and the implementation and management of new businesses; or a Master's degree plus 7 years of experience.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks while meeting tight deadlines.
• Experience managing budget design, forecasting, and financial reporting processes.
• Prior management experience, including direct supervision and/or cross-functional coordination.
• Ability to engage with senior external stakeholders, including donors and supplier finance teams.
• Proficiency in Excel and other data analysis tools.
• Strong written communication skills, including experience preparing donor-facing reports and presentations.
• Development of virtual and in-person training programs for Producer Organizations (POs) or agricultural enterprises.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Track record in business development and relationships with institutional and corporate donors.
• Previous experience leading or representing country offices, and knowledge of Honduras's operating and regulatory framework.
• Experience in agricultural programs, producer organizations, market access, and business strengthening.
• Work experience in Honduras and Guatemala, and knowledge of their market contexts.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, grants management, and process improvement.
• Availability to reside in the project intervention area (preferred)
• Own vehicle, preferably suitable for agricultural use, and a valid driver's license.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Independent judgment, negotiation and diplomacy skills, and the ability to represent the organization on sensitive matters.
• Excellent planning, financial analysis, communication, problem-solving, and multitasking skills.
• Ability to develop talent, broker agreements, and lead geographically dispersed teams.
• Commitment to gender equity, integrity, inclusion, and TechnoServe's safeguarding standards.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Program Manager (Guatemala), Project Specialist (Honduras) and Business Advisors.

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 and affirmative action employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation, and we thoroughly screen all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system and apply for a position at TechnoServe, please contact Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.