Implementation Manager

**About TechnoServe**:
Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of businesses and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics, and increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing...when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they can access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

**Program Overview**:
In recent years, given social and economic pressing challenges, efforts have been taken by governments, corporates and not-for-profit organisations to revitalise township economies, promote job creation and improve the livelihood of the population. The plastic and paper recycling sector in South Africa is a significant contributor, involving over 180,000 workers across the country and annually saving over 3 million tonnes of CO2e. Over 95% of the plastic and paper that are not recycled go to landfills, thus recycling is the greatest drive of landfill diversion. This industry has garnered increasing attention, evidenced by the emergence of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), waste reclaimer associations, and governmental initiatives aimed at improving recycling performance and the welfare of workers.

Acting as the interface between the informal and formal sectors, waste recovery businesses are key players in growing the supply chain and improving livelihood of waste pickers. However, market dynamics, lack of supply chain resilience, and limited operational and financial are factors hindering business performance and lasting job creation.

The Anglo American Foundation has partnered with TechoServe, Rlabs and Green in designing a programme that aims to develop green economic opportunities for youth in the South Africa recycling sector, providing target beneficiaries with access to more, better quality, safe and higher paid jobs (quality livelihoods) in the circular economy, and changing the perception of the contribution that waste workers add to the sector.

The ambition is to develop and demonstrate the long-term viability of an inclusive, end-to-end and collaborative approach to the development of the recycling sector, first piloting in a few targeted geographies, before being able to scale a joint platform across other townships in South Africa and regionally and bring it to an investable level.

The programme has three pillars that aim to create lasting impact: 1) micro businesses creation implemented by Rlabs, 2) direct enterprise support implemented by TechnoServe and 3) strengthening of support ecosystem implemented by TechnoSeve and Green Cape.

The initial 15-month Phase A of the programme will focus on the townships of Soweto in the City of Johannesburg municipality and the City of Ekurhuleni. TechnoServe and RLabs will deliver a set of interventions to achieve youth empowerment objectives and address gaps observed in the plastic and paper recycling sector. This first phase will be a learning phase to inform a potential follow-on 36-month programme, contingent on co-financing.

The conceptualization of this programme follows a diagnostic study that was conducted, by TechnoServe in 2023, with the objective to validate the potential to create jobs and improve workers’ livelihoods by building capacity of waste recovery businesses. The diagnostic study identified three priority interventions to create lasting impact in South Africa’s circular economy: 1) direct enterprise support, 2) micro businesses creation, 3) strengthening of support ecosystem.

**Job Summary**:
Working closely with the Senior Progamme Manager, the incumbent will play a critical role in the programme by leading and managing the development and implementation of the overall strategic goals, objectives and visions of the programme. This including other task includes overseeing advisory services and all program activities, training services to beneficiaries and stakeholder management.

TechnoServe pillar, will provide customised capacity building to small and medium growing recovery businesses and promote connections among market participants in targeted recycling routes. TechnoServe will directly develop the capacity of opportunity-driven business-owners through training, advisory, mentorship, and aftercare including access to finance and access to markets interventions, gather market intelligence and monitor p