STRATEGY LEAD, AFRICANOVEMBER 2019

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About Ethical Tea Partnership

The Role

Person Specification

Key areas of responsibilitIes

Ethical Tea Partnership Strategy Lead, Africa

Job Description

Required Skills & Qualifications

How to Apply

About Oxford HR

CONTENTS

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ABOUT ETHICAL TEA PARTNERSHIP

The Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) is a not for profit organisation that convenes the tea industry, development partners, NGOs and governments to improve the lives of tea workers, farmers and the environment in which they live and work. Much of tea is grown in places that face significant sustainability challenges. ETP works on long-term change programmes that improve the lives of workers, farmers and their families and communities through improving livelihoods, empowering women and to enable the whole sector to become more resilient to climate change. All ETP programmes are focused on creating a thriving, socially just and environmentally sustainable tea sector and all programmes aim to improve the progress that is being made towards attaining United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in tea-growing regions. To date, ETPs programmes have improved the lives of over 700,000 people in tea communities with a goal of reaching one million people by 2020.

Ethical Tea Partnership Strategy Lead, Africa

ETP has 50 corporate members including the biggest multinational tea companies such as Unilever (PG Tips, Lipton) and Tata Global Beverages (Tetley), major international tea brands e.g. Twinings, large food service companies such as Starbucks and specialist tea companies from Europe, North America and Asia. ETP is supported through a mix of international funding from the public and private sector, including our member companies.

ETP has a strong track record in driving and delivering change in tea-growing regions, through a range or partnerships which include tea boards and tea research institutes, producer associations, local and international NGOs, UN agencies such as the FAO and UNICEF, institutional donors such as IDH - Sustainable Trade Initiative, GIZ, and others.

ETP has small but dedicated expert teams across most tea growing regions, including Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi in Africa, as well as a London based secretariat.

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ETP is seeking an energetic and self-motivated part-time Africa Strategy Lead to be based in Nairobi or Kigali.

The Strategy Lead will be responsible for driving forward ETP’s strategy in Africa. S/he will develop high level strategic relationships with business, government, donor agencies and civil society to assist the ETP team to most effectively implement its current strategy

in Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi, and develop a well-informed post 2020 Africa strategy and programme. S/he will work with the team to strengthen existing relationships and partnerships and broker new funding and implementation partnerships that can deliver significant impact in tea-growing regions.

Title: Strategy Lead, Africa

Position type: Part-time/long-term consultancy

Reporting to: Africa Programme Manager (UK based)

Direct Reports: None

Location: Nairobi (preferred) or Kigali

Salary: Competitive

Start date: ASAP

THE ROLE

Ethical Tea Partnership Strategy Lead, Africa 4

PERSON SPECIFICATION

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ETP has a long-term localised outlook and flexible approach, giving team members scope for innovation and creativity in how complex sustainability challenges in the tea supply chain are addressed. For a high-calibre person this should be an exciting and rewarding position, with the opportunity to develop new thinking and make a real impact.

The post holder will be managed by the Africa Programme Manager based in London and will work closely with teams based in Kenya, Rwanda and Malawi.

Overall regional strategy Developing and adapting the

overall strategy for the region. This will require developing a vision

as to how ETP programmes will evolve and function as the sector develops, linked to ETP’s broad

organisational vision, ETP’s strategy and associated

partnerships and implementation plans to deliver on this vision.

Thought leadershipDriving thought leadership

underpinned by sound analysis to influence partners and senior

tea sector actors around a shared vision of the sector’s potential, and support required for organisational

and sectoral change.

InnovationDeveloping concepts on how new policy and regulatory instruments

in the region could be leveraged to enhance the effectiveness of the

sector’s performance.

Relationship management/ Partnership development

Brokering new partnerships and nurturing relationships to

influence and advance joint objectives, and the ETP strategy.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

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1. Lead the development of ETP’s 2020-2025/30 Africa strategy.2. Identify relevant emerging African and global issues, anticipate trends in the tea and

associated sectors, and lead the development of ETP’s strategic response to theseemerging issues.

3. Actively participate and represent ETP in high-level regional, African and global policyfora and conferences, including governmental meetings, and follow up as required.

4. Build on existing partnerships with ETP’s existing members and other internal andexternal stakeholders.

5. Using a range of communication and facilitation skills, develop new initiatives andbroker new partnerships to deliver on ETP’s strategy to improve sustainability in thesector.

6. Coordinate ETP’s high level relationships with donor agencies, development partnersand NGOs as they relate to strategic issues.

7. Provide analytical input and strategic advice for ETP’s resource mobilization efforts.8. Develop ETP’s internal capacity for strategic thinking, planning and critical problem

solving.

JOB DESCRIPTION

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Qualifications• A university degree (ideally a Masters) in economics, international development,

business, agriculture, public policy or similar in a relevant discipline.

Experience• More than 7 years of relevant leadership experience in strategy development, change

management, resource mobilisation or policy influencing.• 5 years’ experience working in or providing high-level advice and facilitating

consultative processes with stakeholders in a development context.• Proven experience developing strategies to address complex and sensitive challenges

ideally in (agricultural) value chains.• Proven exposure to high-level policy development, negotiation, and debate fora.• Experience in leveraging partnerships including fundraising• Specific knowledge of the tea sector or another agricultural value chain would be

advantageous but is not a pre-requisite.

Skills• Deep understanding of principles and concepts of strategic planning, global

development policy debates and major development issues.• Strong facilitation skills – able to ensure partners and sector stakeholders coalesce

around shared plans and ideas.• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a diverse organization, tailoring

language, tone, style and format to match audience.• Excellent communication skills in English (oral and written), with the capacity to

engage private sector scientific, government, public and community audiences at asenior level.

• Advanced influencing skills with an ability to combine hard and soft skills.

• Excellent strategic and lateral thinking skills and good judgement – able to assimilateinformation and new ideas quickly to determine strategic opportunities and risks.

• Solid understanding of and general awareness of the driving factors behind the issuesand dynamics affecting social and economic development in East and Central Africa.

• Strong organisation, planning and time-management skills, with a proven ability toplan and prioritise own work and meet deadlines under pressure, often balancing whatappear to be conflicting and sometimes changing priorities.

• Computer literacy: Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.• Fluency in Kiswahili is a significant advantage.• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.

Personal Attributes• Good interpersonal skills and good at working to deadlines.• High emotional intelligence.• A team player, with the ability to network and work effectively across countries in a

multicultural setting.• Empathises with ETP’s mission and values and brings both a commitment to African

development and an understanding of the development landscape.• A self-starter with a proactive approach.• Maintains high performance and demonstrates resilience when operating in a fast-

paced environment.• An understanding and appreciation of what it takes to deliver across different cultures.• Integrity and professionalism, setting and demonstrating the highest ethical and moral

standards and a strong sense of personal accountability.• Able to travel nationally, regionally and internationally (up to 25% of time).

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

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All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job advert page and complete our online application form. Before applying please combine your cover letter and CV in ONE single document to be uploaded during the application process.

The cover letter should be no more than one page and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The document should be saved in MS Word in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (yymm) e.g: Esther-Wairumi-CVandStatement-1911

TimelineClosing date: Preliminary interviews: Final panel interviews:

Equality Statement Equality and diversity are at the core of Ethical Tea Partnership’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Selection ProcessAll candidates will be notified about the status of their applications. Shortlisted candidates may be required to undertake an additional assessment prior to the final interview.

QueriesIf you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email ethicalteapartnership@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.

December 13Week of December 16

January 2020

HOW TO APPLY

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Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts

from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our clients.

Oxford HR’s team members have significant personal experience of working in international development and the social sector as well as the corporate and governmental sectors. We are in a unique position to find and assess talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

ABOUT OXFORD HR

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