Team: New Business Development | Commitment: Consulting | Location: Malawi

Technical Lead – Malawi

Position Summary:

CNFA requires a Technical Lead to design a proposal for the upcoming solicitation for the USAID Malawi Agricultural Commercialization activity. The Consultant will serve as Technical Lead, ultimately responsible for designing and providing written drafts to the CNFA Lead Writer throughout the proposal process. The Consultant will work closely with the CNFA Lead Writer, Proposal Manager, and Proposal Coordinator assigned to this solicitation to review the status of the bid and produce inputs in preparation for each deliverable and deadline. All deliverables will be completed by the Consultant in compliance with CNFA’s processes.  Duties, responsibilities, and timelines may shift depending on release of the solicitation. They include but are not limited to:

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct desk research of reports of existing donor and government projects and initiatives in Malawi along with in-country interviews and research to learn USAID priorities for the anticipated solicitation.
• With Lead Writer, identify private firms, government, local organizations, and other key stakeholders and develop recommendations with whom to meet to collect information and consider collaboration.
• Build off work already conducted in early research and design to give more detail and nuance to the initial technical design framework.
• Travel to Malawi (Lilongwe and target regions) to conduct in-country meetings, interviews, and research to learn USAID priorities for the anticipated solicitation.
• In collaboration with local technical consultant and local admin consultant, set up meetings with Malawian private firms, government, local organizations and other key stakeholders to identify project design elements and considerations and opportunities for collaboration.
• Identify partners to ensure that we have enough information on them and their operations and have completed sufficient due diligence.
• Support the proposal team with the development of the strategic approach, including appropriate activities leading to objectives and results.
• Provide written inputs to advance the pre-proposal plan document, the solution design worksheet, and the initial draft.
• Provide daily phone updates and meeting notes to the Lead Writer during the visit.
• Meet with/conduct interviews with potential proposed high-level staff and partners.
• Lead the technical design process.
• Provide written inputs to the technical proposal, which may include: the executive summary, main technical body, components/activities, graphics to demonstrate the design, and other areas included in the solicitation.
• Review other sections of the proposal to ensure coherence with the technical proposal, namely staffing, management, M&E, and past performance.
• Review and provide feedback on the org chart and staffing decisions.
• Collaborate with the cost and pricing team to provide feedback on the costs associated with technical activities, in line with the language presented in the approach.
• Identify and recommend qualified personnel.
• Provide written inputs to meeting notes in the CNFA format for all meetings in collaboration with the Lead Writer/Technical Advisor.
• Travel to CNFA Home Office in Washington, DC as agreed with the proposal team.

Key Qualification:

• Demonstrated expertise in agricultural value chains, market systems, and/or trade and exports required, some of which must include horticulture, livestock, animal health, aquaculture, SME development, mechanization and input supply, and/or international food safety standards, regulations and policy harmonization.
• 8+ years of providing technical oversight and leadership on development projects and/or proposal writing experience in the international development field required; USAID experience preferred.
• A Master’s degree in agriculture, economics, management, international development, or a related field of study or equivalent work experience required.
• Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, especially for compliance required.
• Strong writing and editing skills required.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills required.
• Experience working with different partners, staff, and experience in developing organizational charts and staffing approaches strongly preferred.
• Experience in devising an approach for graphic designs strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Malawi or East or Southern Africa preferred.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status. CNFA takes affirmative action in support of its policy to advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Only those candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.