Country Director, Mali

Location: Bamako, Mali
Report to: Senior VP Programs
Language Requirement: Fluency in French and English
Application Deadline: 17th December 2017

About myAgro myAgro is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise based in West Africa. We have pioneered a mobile savings model that allows farmers to invest their own funds in high-quality seed, fertilizer, and agricultural training to increase their harvest and income by 50-100%. Our North Star is to help 1 million farmers increase their incomes by $1.50 per day by 2025 and lift themselves out of poverty.

About this Role myAgro is seeking a seasoned but hands-on leader to oversee the execution of myAgro’s long-term program strategy in Mali. Mali has been the seat of myAgro’s operations, and we have big plans for expansion and impact in the coming years: increasing our impact, reaching new geographic areas, innovating on our current models, and preparing myAgro to serve as a model for organizations reaching small farmers around the globe. The Country Director will provide critical operational leadership to myAgro’s Mali program as we grow, ensuring our operations run smoothly and efficiently as we scale to reach tens of thousands more farmers in the coming years.

The Country Director is responsible for the administration of our core program (including developing key operational processes to increase efficiency during a period of rapid growth), as well as pilot development, program budgeting, M&E, management of nearly 400 Malian and expat staff, and more. As a member of myAgro’s Executive Team, s/he will also make critical contributions to myAgro’s long-term strategic direction. S/he will report to myAgro’s Senior VP Programs

myAgro is a startup social enterprise with plans for rapid and substantial growth. The ideal Country Director candidate will have an outstanding track record managing complex projects and diverse teams, developing innovative programs, and serving in an organizational leadership capacity during a period of rapid scale or transition. The ideal candidate will also be comfortable working on a limited budget, will have a highly entrepreneurial mindset, and will be comfortable “getting their hands dirty” when required.

Responsibilities Include:

Key Goals for Next 4 Years in Mali

• Sustainability – Increase sustainability of field program from 36% sustainable (FY 2015) to 100% sustainable by 2021
• Impact – Increase impact from $150 on average per farmer to $550 on average per farmer (this will increase farmer income by $1.50 per day to move them to the middle-income level in Mali.)
• Scale – reach 100,000 farmers in Mali
• Organizational capacity: have strong Malian leadership in all key departments to reduce reliance on expat management

Strategy and Sharing Vision

• Determine key goals and major strategic decisions with the Mali team, the Senior VP Programs, and executive team
• With myAgro senior leadership, develop program strategy, targets and milestones to achieve myAgro’s ambitious goals
• Develop tools, trainings, dashboards for sharing goals and objectives with the Mali team and regularly reinforce progress, remove bottlenecks and implement strategy
• Produce and present regular progress and management reports to myAgro’s Senior Management Team and Board of Directors
• Share and incorporate feedback from the team in developing vision, communication process, etc.
• Build partnerships with key stakeholders in West Africa and beyond

Financial Health & Reporting

• Lead budgeting and operational planning to ensure program goals are met cost-effectively and on time
• With Finance Director, ensure monthly finance reports for operations are accurate and on-target
• Ensure compliance with national and local financial management standards, and ensure efficient annual audits are carried out
• Support decentralization of budgeting at the field coordinator level

Special Projects

• Support fundraising efforts through reporting, hosting donor visits, contributing to grant proposals, participating or leading meetings with new donors as necessary
• Oversee development and implementation of an HR performance management and incentive structure in-line with myAgro’s budget and HR laws in Mali (including forecasting and planning towards hiring to replace those nearing end of contracts)
• Work with Policy team to develop or support a government strategy of sharing myAgro’s work, getting buy-in and developing potential opportunities (on a case by case basis)
• Develop pilots and manage M&E to continually improve myAgro’s model and impact
• Security and health oversight for expat team and general security for the office(s) and field staff

Day-to-day Management

• Manage team of nearly 400 local staff and 10-15 expats to deliver a consistent, high-quality program throughout the country
• Meet weekly with your direct reports to coach, guide and give feedback
• Go to the field weekly to observe activities in process and complete 2-3 field visits every 4-6 weeks in at least one remote district which would require overnight stays – Sikasso, Koutiala, Bougouni or Niena (more visits are feasible as you see fit, but this is the minimum)
• Develop a bar for quality execution through field and office leadership
• Manage your team’s workload and performance with regular reviews, evaluations, raises, promotions, probations, firings as needed
• Cultivate the values and culture of myAgro throughout the organization

Required Experience:

• French and English proficiency
• A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience with at least 3 years in an organizational leadership role.
• Preferably your background is a mix of corporate and non-profit roles with experience implementing projects in developing countries
• You’ve planned, managed and executed a large budget
• You’ve built effective relationships with external stakeholders from the private and/or public sector
• You’ve utilized KPIs, or similar metrics, to manage and direct an organization towards success
• You’ve managed staff and demonstrated strong facilitation and training skills

Additionally, you should possess the following:

• Passion for myAgro and our mission - the needs and realities of the farmers we serve are our top priority
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Organized and an efficient work style – able to consistently exceed expectations when dealing with farmers, team members, partners and donors
• Exceptional creative/innovative problem-solving skills - work effectively in a challenging and resource-constrained environment
• Comfortable making decisions in the face of ambiguity
• Comfort in a fast-paced, high demand environment in a developing country
• Flexibility, a sense of humor, an open mind, and a diligent work ethic is necessary for success

Benefits:

• Compensation is competitive with other early-stage social enterprises in West Africa
• Global health benefits, including dental, vision and emergency insurance
• Generous paid time off, plus national holidays
• Periodic trips to Senegal and other locations
• Make a significant impact on the growth and direction of a growing social enterprise, and see the immediate impact of helping families move out of poverty!

myAgro provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital/parental status, national origin, age, disability, political opinion, social status, veteran status, and genetics. myAgro complies with all applicable federal, provincial and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

For immediate consideration, please apply below!