Job Title: Program Associate – Clean Energy Initiative (CEI)
Organisation: SPOUTS of Water Ltd
Duty Station: Alebtong, Uganda
Reports to: Field Manager, Clean Energy Initiative
Special Conditions: Some travel will be required between the SPOUTS head office, the factory in Kampala and the region of duty in response to the demands of the program
Start Date: 1 February 2023
About US:
SPOUTS of Water LTD is a for-profit social business that manufactures and sells the Purifaaya™ ceramic water filters and distributes rocket stove technology. SPOUTS was created in Uganda in 2014 with the simple idea that ceramic water filters could be made and sold locally, providing an amazingly effective product through a sustainable business model. SPOUTS is currently the largest ceramic water filter manufacturer in Africa. Since SPOUTS sold its first Purifaaya in 2015, it has distributed 130,000+ filters to East Africa providing over 650,000 end-users with long-term access to safe drinking water. SPOUTS is a rapidly-growing organization with over 500 employees across Uganda and Rwanda. The next step is to expand its operations throughout East, West and Southern Africa.
Job Summary: The Program Associate is responsible for identification of program areas, helping with the recruitment of the village-level support team and installation of cookstoves in Alebtong, Northern Region, Uganda. The Program Associate ensures the maximization of the distribution and installation potential of SPOUTS in the rocket cook stoves program in their respective region. The Program Associate is responsible for ensuring daily, weekly, monthly, and annual regional installation targets are achieved through effective management of the village team towards set goals. The Program Associate is required to coordinate all the regional programs and ensure the achievement of installation targets to contribute to the success of SPOUTS as a sustainable social enterprise.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Lead the positioning of the company’s regional installation activities in order to capitalize on business opportunities to achieve and sustain installation targets in line with company objectives
- Work directly with the Field Manager to help implement program goals
- Maintain a business development plan covering installation and expense controls to support the growth and sustainability of the program within their region of operation
- Implement the installation plan by working with village-level teams and other local leaders to develop program action plans
- Assign duties and responsibilities to the village installation teams to implement project goals as needed
- Maintain regional installation volume and expenses/costs by keeping current with program activities
- Ensure timely availability of the stove parts in the region
- Anticipate emerging issues based on changing supply and demand trends and feedback from the region; propose innovative responses to keep abreast of changes
Develop and maintain key customer and partner relationships to expand programs’ customer base and ensure recognition of the rocket stoves as a preferred solution in the region
- Implement new installation initiatives, strategies and programs to grow installation within the region
- Build and promote strong, long-lasting relationships in the region by partnering with senior contacts in aid organisations, discussing their evolving needs, developing tenders and identifying ways to expand installation with aid partners
- Identify regional emerging markets, market shifts and potential conflicts, ensuring a timely response to achieve positive outcomes for existing and potential beneficiaries
Complete program operational requirements by ensuring regular reporting, scheduling and assigning village-level team work, and following up on results
- Ensure the preparation of accurate distribution, installation and expenses reports, analyse trends and results in relation to goals and present realistic forecasts to the Field Manager
- Maintain data relating to partners, accounts and activities; document key partner interactions
Manage the team in order to deliver quality performance outcomes across the regional team
- Manage, control, train and motivate the village installation team members to develop their skill to ensure that a high professional standard is achieved and monthly installation targets are met
- Ensure there is a mechanism in place to monitor individual performance, assess progress and provide feedback to support individual development
- Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the village installation team and manage the team accordingly
Demonstrate corporate responsibility
- Always in a manner consistent with SPOUTS’ values
- Comply with the SPOUTS standards of conduct and all applicable policies and legislation
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- Proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel
- Minimum of a Degree in any business-related field
- Proven experience in projects relating to the poor and vulnerable, customer relationship management and achieving set targets, particularly at a regional or local level
- Proven experience in business development, sales or last mile distribution is preferred
- High level of competence in spoken and written English language skills
- High level of competence in spoken languages in the Northern Region of Uganda
- The candidate is preferably a resident of Northern Uganda, preferably Alebtong
- Must have a valid rider’s license/permit
- Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of SPOUTS
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
- Personal commitment to excellent customer service
- Applies broad-based knowledge to manage projects, account for resources and ensure compliance with relevant legislation and standards
- A successful track record in setting priorities, managing work demands and evaluating progress while remaining responsive to changing priorities
- Works autonomously, delegating appropriately to manage workload
- Uses initiative to develop new approaches and to encourage high performance outcomes
- Commitment to training the team to maximize individual and organizational goals
How to Apply:
Interested in applying for this role? To apply, please use this link:
We will review applications on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible. Due to the volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to every individual application we receive. If you do not receive an invitation for an interview from us within 3 weeks of applying, please consider your application unsuccessful.