Program Manager- Market Linkages

Inkomoko supports entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in order to improve livelihoods and create thriving communities. 

Founded in 2012, Inkomoko has worked with more than 41,000 entrepreneurs across East Africa, including thousands of refugee entrepreneurs, resulting in thousands of new jobs and more than $50M in new revenue in communities.  

Inkomoko provides a combination of training, consulting, access to finance, and market-level systems change.  We are the largest lender to refugee entrepreneurs in Africa, and seek both social impact and financial sustainability.  

Inkomoko has +200 staff in 18 offices across Rwanda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Through Inkomoko’s 2030 strategic plan, we are expanding to 5 additional countries to serve more than 550,000 entrepreneurs with our services and growing our $30M loan fund.

All staff at Inkomoko are connected to a shared set of organizational values:

• Purpose: be solutions-oriented and produce high-quality work and be a global leader.

• Achievement: push yourself to reach beyond what you think is possible. 

• Improvement: be humble and committed to continuous learning and growing through giving and receiving open and accurate feedback.

• Bravery: willing to take risks, create a safe space for others, be compassionate, and inclusive.

• Turikumwe/Tuko Pamoja/ Abren Nen (“We are together”): appreciate your colleagues, celebrate success, and support each other in hard times.

We’re currently searching for an experienced Program Manager to join our client services team to lead one or many projects. She/He will be responsible for developing and implementing our new market system approach designed to support entrepreneurs in creating new market linkages as well as lead a team of business advisors. The ideal candidate will have a sharp business mind and a proven ability to strategize and implement program initiatives, a strong talent for project coordination and delegation, and is motivated by optimizing productivity and nurturing program success from inception to completion. 

While this position will cover a variety of upcoming projects as Inkomoko secures tenders and partnerships, we anticipate that the PM will have a portfolio that includes serving both micro and small businesses in Addis Ababa as well as in secondary cities. 

The projects will focus on creating market linkages across all Inkomoko entrepreneurs and the PM will play a key role in making sure our new market system approach fits market needs.  

The objectives of this role include:

• Design, implement, and maintain program initiatives that adhere to organizational objectives - including a market-systems approach to serving entrepreneurs in Ethiopia and the region

• Develop program assessment protocols for evaluation and improvement

• Maintain organizational standards of satisfaction, quality, and performance

• Oversee multiple projects, ensuring program goals are reached

• Manage budget for maximum productivity  

Program Management (70% time)

• Fully develop and operationalize program plans and program execution, meeting the needs of Inkomoko and our partners.

• Design and Develop a new market systems approach to serve entrepreneurs in line with Inkomoko’s strategic plan. 

• Project coordination and managing project interdependencies.

• Creating and managing a budget.

• Cross-project resource management

• Identifying and addressing problems and risks.

• Stakeholder communications, negotiations, and problem-solving.

• Develop program plans, including staff roles, timelines, activities, and outcomes to meet the objectives of the projects. 

• Build a team around a shared goal, delegating effectively, and ensuring the right staff for each job.

• Align project goals, objectives, and priorities with other equally valuable programs within the Client Services Department and company.

• Manage the schedule and delivery of services to achieve project and company goals, raising concerns and creating solutions to overcome barriers to delivery.

• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning(MEL) department to plan and implement the evaluation processes required to meet project reporting and learning objectives for the company. 

• Use learnings and MEL data to iterate project activities as well as improve services to clients.

• Plan, direct, coordinate, and review the work plan for staff on your project; assign work activities, and projects; review and evaluate products, methods, and procedures; meet with staff to identify and resolve problems.

• Program documentation and reporting on progress, results, impact, and learnings

• Respond to and resolve difficult and sensitive clients’ inquiries and complaints

• Conduct and update market scans and analyses, as well as in the identification of potential strategic partners. 

• Establish and maintain a list of local enterprises in the targeted location and identify the potential enterprises for market linkage support

• Identify opportunities for market linkage client's growth. 

• Conduct assessments and surveys on the value chain in the Agricultural, industrial, and livestock sectors. 

• Work with the training team to develop training modules for market linkage clients to build the capacity of clients to fully understand the advantages of using linkages, and work with them to create new and/or diversified market linkages.

• Work closely with the development/fundraising department on fundraising documents and proposals.

• Perform other related program management duties as presented.

Partnerships & External Relations (15% time)

• Solicit relevant tenders on behalf of Inkomoko, providing support to the Director with respect to program development, staffing, budgeting, and timelines 

• Seek out new opportunities for Inkomoko and take part in developing new services, projects, and programs as well as take part in proposal writing 

• Proactively communicate and maintain relationships with Inkomoko stakeholders, including government, donors, and partners relevant to PM projects

• Actively represent the interests of Inkomoko and your program in partnership/collaborative meetings, sharing insights and learnings

• Coordinate relevant events related to project implementation

• Organize meetings and group platforms, with prospects for market linkages to facilitate negotiations and contract agreements between input distributors, local livestock, agro-dealers & aggregators. 

• Work with the Communications team to provide source material from your projects (case studies, success stories, quotes, entrepreneur profiles, impact results) for Inkomoko public relations, social media, blogs, etc.

• Maintain relationships with the private sector to facilitate, and assist with the development of exhibitions for clients, assess, prepare, implement, and monitor strategies to strengthen the client’s market linkages.

• Develop strong relationships with start-ups and micro and small businesses, identify opportunities for growth and upscaling, and contribute to the preparation of investment proposals and plans as necessary.

• Assist in organizing client mass meetings and group platforms for market linkages to facilitate negotiations and contract agreements.

• Nurture and maintain the necessary network in the private sector and among the agricultural community as well as development projects that support industrial productivity and livestock.

• Attend all market linkage forums to connect with the larger ecosystem.

• Build the capacity of clients to fully understand the advantages of using linkages, and work with them to create new and/or diversified market linkages.

Management & Administration (15% time)

• Participate in the development of Client Services Department goals, objectives, and KPIs as part of the annual planning process.

• Ensure departmental compliance with local laws, company guidelines, and donor requirements.

• Work with the Finance Dept to maintain appropriate expense controls, accounting, budget management, and project billing.

• Assist the expansion manager in providing content necessary for in-country expansion research in line with the market linkage

• Supervise the team of staff working with you on various projects, and in cases of dotted-line reporting, coordinate with the direct line manager for effective staff engagement. 

• Coordinate, review, and make recommendations regarding department personnel matters, including recruitment, hiring, discipline, investigations, personnel actions, and staff compensation.

• Participate fully as an Inkomoko staff in all-staff meetings and other organizational activities.

We are looking for candidates who have previous project management leadership roles with demonstrated success, and who align with our company values.

• 7+ years of demonstrated success in program management of complex projects.

• Excellent team builder with demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to train, supervise, evaluate, and give feedback to staff.

• Experience with designing and implementing projects with a market-systems approach and/or creating market linkages in Ethiopia. Regional experience is a PLUS

• Experience working with micro and small businesses as well as overall market dynamics

• Excellent time management and planning skills

• Has a sound understanding of the challenges refugees and the local community face with regard to business growth. .

• Excellent budgeting skills

• Highly analytical and organized

• Excellent creative and innovative thinking skills 

• Demonstrated experience in developing business plans, and financial institutions  such as microfinance 

• Great negotiators and influencers, and highly adept at conflict resolution

• Excellent digital skills, including experience with Asana, Slack, and other PM software as needed

• Master’s degree preferred, or Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business administration, and value chain management or related field. 

• Ability to embrace transparency with diplomacy and sophistication with high-level leaders.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken to a range of audiences.

• Fluency in English and Amharic is required.  Any other local language is a plus.

This role is a tremendous opportunity to work in a high-growth, mission-driven organization. Our compensation includes both great culture and a competitive market-based package, including:

• Incredible company culture, including deep investment in your learning and growth, and a commitment to inclusion and diversity

• Opportunity to work with a talented, passionate, and committed team of professionals across the region

• Ability to make a significant social impact and contribute to economic growth

• Competitive salary, and potential KPI-based bonus

• Favorable policies like health insurance, staff savings program, parental leave, sabbatical program, and more.