Project Specialist (New)

At TechnoServe, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life. For over 50 years, we have given smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs the skills, connections, and confidence to lift themselves out of poverty. We leverage the power of markets and the private sector to create sustainable economic growth to benefit people and the planet. Our unique mix of business solutions, deep knowledge of local contexts, and data-driven insights is helping to fight poverty across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

TechnoServe staff are local–95% are from the countries in which they work. We put a high premium on collaboration and entrepreneurship. We hold ourselves and each other to the highest standards of integrity and transparency. And we focus on delivering lasting impact for our mission.

Job Summary:

The Project Specialist is field staff responsible for the on-the-ground implementation of CocoVate, working directly with participating farmers, Coconut Producer Groups, Farm Service Crews, and cooperatives in assigned project sites to deliver program activities. The role requires both sound field judgment and hands-on execution. The Project Specialist will work closely as a member of the CocoVate team to ensure the smooth, accurate delivery of program activities on the ground. The Project Specialist should be organized, and be motivated to complete tasks on time with accuracy.

Program Overview:

CocoVate is a three years Coconut Oil (CNO) development program funded by Abbott Nutrition, the Adams Group and shared value partners slated to start from July 2026 in Southern Leyte in the Eastern Visayas and SOCCSKARGEN. The program aims to uplift the livelihoods of up to 5000 coconut farmers to supply premium quality white copra by aggregating coconut farmer members of selected cooperatives into self-help groups, professionalizing Farm Service Crews, establishing Copra Processing Hubs, capacitating farmer cooperatives and promoting cacao intercropping and dairy integration. 

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

•  Support the formation and strengthening of Coconut Producer Groups (CPGs) and Farm Service Crews (FSCs) in assigned project sites, including farmer mobilization and ongoing field-level coordination


•  Deliver and help facilitate farmer training on improved on-farm practices, harvest and post-harvest handling, and white copra quality standards


•  Provide hands-on field support to participating cooperatives in establishing and operating Copra Processing Hubs (CPHs), including coordinating equipment setup, quality control procedures, and day-to-day troubleshooting


•  Conduct regular field visits to monitor program activities and farmer/cooperative progress, and help ensure compliance with program quality and traceability requirements


•  Contribute to periodic gap assessments helping identify, document, and track implementation gaps for the Program team


•  Collect field-level survey, monitoring, and traceability data, and support its analysis and reporting to the Program team


•  Support the Senior Program Manager in being the primary point of contact between TechnoServe and participating farmers, cooperatives, and local government units in assigned project sites, helping resolve field-level technical and administrative issues as they arise


•  Maintain accurate field documentation (activity records, training attendance, cooperative files) and support compliant procurement, asset tracking, and budget monitoring for field-level activities


•  Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum three years of experience in Agriculture and Rural Development or a related sector plus a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, Business Management or a related field OR a Master’s Degree plus one year of experience.


•  Organizational and administrative skills, and strong attention to detail


•  Excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to interact effectively with multiple stakeholders


•  Proficiency in Google Suite (gmail, calendar, docs, sheets and slides)

Required Languages: Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, including fluency in Filipino, and English languages. Fluency in Cebuano and/or Tagalog is desirable.

Travel: Travel up to 80%

Preferred Qualifications:

•  Experience working in the Philippines is required and prior experience in Regions VIII, XI and XII are preferred


•  Experience with supply chain programs in CNO is preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

•  Analytical, writing, social and management skills required for delivering technical assistance to development programs or initiatives.


•  Ability to work both persuasively and diplomatically in a team-based environment with a high degree of complexity and ambiguity.


•  Ability to communicate complex issues with clarity, precision and prioritization is a must.


•  Strong capacity building skills, including participatory facilitation techniques, coaching, and mentoring

Supervisory Responsibilities: Field teams in both locations

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and affirmative action employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources at [email protected] or call +1 202 785 4515.