Job Openings at Sanergy
Sanergy is an award-winning social venture that builds healthy, prosperous communities by making hygienic sanitation accessible and affordable in Africa’s urban informal settlements. Our systems-based approach to solving the sanitation crisis involves five key steps: we build a dense network of franchised micro-entrepreneurs, who operate low-cost, high-quality waterless sanitation facilities - called Fresh Life Toilets. We provide critical support services - such as access to finance, business analytics, training, and marketing. We collect the waste regularly and safely remove it from the community. We convert the waste into valuable end products, such as organic fertilizer, insect-based animal feed, and renewable energy. Finally, we sell the end products to Kenyan farms under the brand name Farm Star.
About the role
The Grants and Partnerships Officer joins us at a critical juncture. Sanergy is ramping up expansion in Kenya and throughout sub-Saharan Africa with its innovative circular economy approach, while at the same time undertaking pioneering research on regenerative agriculture in Africa and entering into both traditional and blockchain-enabled carbon markets. The officer will be responsible for identifying and securing grants with key multilaterals, research agencies, prizes, and foundations. The officer will work closely with both our operations and finance teams to successfully manage the implementation of these grants in order to achieve their goals.
We are looking for someone who has impeccable communication and writing skills, is relentlessly creative, and deeply mission-aligned with our team.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Fundraising:
- Generate leads, identify co-funding partners, analyze opportunities, pitch ideas and develop internal stakeholder buy-in to go after opportunities.
- Work with R&D to identify and develop opportunities based on the R&D research roadmap to develop new waste-derived products.
- Craft strong business rationale and a tailored message to partners and funders. Communicate strategic initiatives and vision to inspire and convince partners to support the organization financially and technically.
- Plan and manage the entire proposal development process for identified funding opportunities, working closely with the Operational teams and Finance team to develop high quality funding applications. This includes developing narrative, budgets, log frames and theory of change in accordance with funder guidelines.
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- Grant Management:
- Build strong, open and collaborative relationships with funders
- Ensure all relevant team members are fully briefed on the terms and conditions of funders agreements/contracts, including Monitoring and Evaluation requirements and key deadlines.
- Gather information from Operational teams, prepare narrative reporting and liaise with partners with regular high quality updates. Ensure reporting requirements for all funders are met and reports are completed to deadlines.
- Support due diligence processes, facilitate funder audits and coordinate with Operational teams and Finance team on external evaluations.
- Produce internal reports and conduct reviews on the performance and progress of fundraising against agreed financial targets and annual objectives.
- Organize and lead site visits with funders.
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- Others:
- Build networks and strategic partnerships locally.
- Expertly speak on behalf of the organization to funders and visitors.
- Support other areas of business development as required in the organizational strategy, especially to improve business development tools and impact reporting.
Qualifications
- 2 years of experience and proven track record in building partnerships, particularly with institutional funders.
- Highly organized and able to follow through and prioritize tasks.
- An highly effective communicator at all levels in the organization, with strong oral and written skills and a willingness to share information; required fluency in English.
- Impeccable integrity and ethics
- Relentless determination to succeed
About the role
Sanergy has an opening for an exceptional individual who can contribute to Sanergy’s grant-raising activities, in particular by developing our capacity to research and identify appropriate grant opportunities. This 6 month fellowship position will work within the Business Development Team to research, develop and execute the pipeline of grant-funding we need to support our work going forward. The fellowship will provide training and hands-on experience as a member of the Business Development team, as well as networking and mentorship opportunities.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Conduct regular self-directed research to identify a steady supply of grant funding opportunities for our different workstream: expansion, new product development, process improvement etc...
- Develop research strategies for new areas of the grant funding landscape as yet unfamiliar to Sanergy, for example developing partnerships with research institutions
- Manage the progression of grant opportunities through the pipeline database, including inputting requisite data and regular status updates
- Conducting opportunity analysis for new grant opportunities and pitching these to the rest of the team
- Collaborating with the business development team in creating high-quality applications
- Collaborating with key internal and external stakeholders to gather information and analyze needs and requirements.
- Participation in meetings with potential funders
- Responding to information requests from funders
- Presenting data or analytic findings in a variety of formats (reports, PPT, graphs, figures and tables).
- Perform data analytics functions that generate knowledge via data mining, visualization, or other forms of data analytics
Qualifications
- On-going or completed Graduate Degree from an accredited degree program providing training in business, finance, international development, or a related field of study (MBA and/or 1-2 yrs work experience would be a plus)
- Proficient in conducting online searches, including structuring and analyzing data
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to multi-task and work effectively across multiple focus areas
- Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
- Ability to work in a fast–paced, high–energy environment
- Proficiency with data analysis (Excel, Sheets) and data management (Drive, Dropbox) applications as well as generally with Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook) and Google ( Docs, Slid es) suites
- Basic understanding of and interest in circular economy and waste management
- Good understanding of principles of grant funding, with prior experience a plus
- Understanding of financials statements is a plus
- Language: English required.
- Humility, integrity and a sense of humour.
The Chief Partnerships Officer joins us at a critical juncture. Sanergy is ramping up expansion in Kenya and throughout sub-Saharan Africa to serve 1.5 million people in at least 3 countries over the next 5 years. The Chief Partnerships Officer will be uniquely responsible for orchestrating our work with funders (predominantly institutional, but also philanthropic), global government agencies, and the larger WASH community. To achieve our goals, we must increase the amount of financing into WASH from major development agencies and philanthropy, improve the financing and regulatory environment through effective policy and advocacy work, and change the narrative on sanitation, such that it becomes a priority issue for governments and financiers. The Chief Partnerships Officer manages the 3 teams - business development, global policy & advocacy, and external comms - responsible for achieving these results. We are excited for the incoming Head of Partnership to develop and execute a strategy that integrates these work streams into one seamless endeavor. Let’s go!
Duties and Responsibilities
- Achieve Sanergy’s ambitious fundraising targets through building partnerships with key stakeholders
- Lead strategy for all aspects of donor relationships, including conducting baseline prospect-identification and research, preparation of proposals, solicitation, closure, and stewardship.
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with key stakeholders at multilaterals, governments, and in the WASH industry.
- Develop and execute Sanergy’s global policy and advocacy strategy to promote non-sewered sanitation and the prioritization of serving residents of low income communities with quality, safe sanitation services.
- Develop and execute a global communications strategy to ensure Sanergy can realize its business objectives.
- Manage and lead a high-performing team across all 3 key areas: fundraising, communications, and global P&A.
- Represent Sanergy externally with funders, government, and other key stakeholders.
- Serve on the Sanergy Leadership Team as a key leader for the organization and partner to the Executive Director.
Qualifications
- 15 years of experience and proven track record in building partnerships, particularly with institutional funders. A track record in raising and managing >$10M / year is desired.
- Demonstrated experience in undertaking advocacy work “from the inside:” working with key stakeholders to develop and change the policy and regulatory environment.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and executing successful corporate communications strategies.
- Demonstrated experience in managing multi-country teams with diverse professional development needs.
- Deep, relevant networks in the WASH sector.
- Highly organized and able to follow through and prioritize tasks.
- Impeccable integrity and ethics.
- An effective communicator at all levels in the organization, with strong oral and written skills and a willingness to share information; required fluency in English.
About the role
Fresh Life is seeking to hire a Finance Director to lead the Finance and Business Risk Management teams. The Finance team is responsible for providing accurate and reliable financial reports to our internal and external stakeholders and providing financial analysis reports and tools to support planning and decision-making in the organization. The Business Risk Management team is responsible for managing legal, operational and overall business risks within the organization.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Financial analysis
- Collaborate with peer leaders to set our US non-profit’s & Fresh Life's organizational objectives providing forward looking financial analysis and insights.
- On a monthly basis, analyze financial performance in order to deliver data driven quantitative and qualitative insights to drive informed decision making and constant improvements
- Lead cross-team projects that bring structure and analysis to highly complex and ambiguous business objectives, thereby improving outcomes on those projects and improving the relevant teams' subsequent pragmatic innovation.
- Deliver insightful analysis and clear presentation of the financial strategy to the Board of Directors
- Use quantitative methods to lead cross-organizational analyses and projects related to improved financial performance
- Support financial analysis, modeling, and budgeting across all teams on an as needed basis
- Budgeting
- Own the organization budgeting process by collaborating with peer leaders to produce ambitious but realistic financial targets aligned with the strategy and operational plans.
- Own the execution of the budget and financial model by accurate financial forecasting, tracking, and coaching of managers on the same
- Oversee adoption of quality analysis and problem solving by ensuring all budget plans are well thought out and justified
- Provide guidance to all Fresh Life teams on budgeting and impact of their operations advising on creating or enhancing revenue generation and cost optimization opportunities that improve performance against those teams' and the organization's targets
- Planning
- Collaborate with peer leaders to set organizational objectives for USNP and FLI related to reducing cost/person/year through reducing cost and supporting increased revenue generation
- In collaboration with peer leaders, develop and deploy processes and tools to support structured data driven decision making to improve financial performance
- Use quantitative methods to build insightful models to structure and analyze data, identify potential opportunities and threats and determine value of information and methods to test the key assumptions in the model
- Own all models that forecast financial performance in the next 1 year and beyond. Lead financial reforecasting as necessary. Own the financial assumptions and models toward our path to 2026 C/P/Y target.
- Collaborate with peer senior leaders to drive the strategic planning for Fresh Life for the next 5 years and beyond
- Support complex projects related to increasing efficiency and optimizing profitability of existing products/business models
- Collaborate with peer senior leaders to set and achieve Fresh Life's annual cost and revenue targets
- Collaborate with peer senior leaders to set and achieve cost/person/year targets
- Develop the financial strategy for the organization to achieve our business objectives, coaching and inspiring your team and collaborators to implement operationalise the strategy through structured planning
- Leadership and coaching
- Devise and deploy the strategy to achieve the Finance Team and BRM Team goals on financial modeling, analysis, accounting, audits, and business risk management
- Develop instructions, policies and procedures to successfully implement and manage all Finance Team and BRM Team goals
- Develop and adhere to operational budget to achieve all Finance Team and BRM Team goals
- Identify and develop a plan for personnel and any other resources required to achieve the Finance Team and BRM Team goals
- Support Finance Team and BRM Team members to adopt structured approaches to identifying and solving problems, leading by example and providing training or coaching as needed to ensure all managers and other relevant team members successfully apply formal problem solving methods
- Support Finance Team and BRM Team members to identify and implement corrective actions when problems occur, leading by example and providing training or coaching as needed
- Support Finance Team and BRM Team members to develop and implement preventative actions to prevent recurrence of any problems that do occur, leading by example and providing training or coaching as needed
- Ensure you and all Finance Team and BRM Team members respect other stakeholders, listen to others' views first, and actively consider and respectfully challenge conflicting views
- Build and lead cross-functional project teams to ensure strong collaboration and the identification of the best way forward by leveraging team expertise/existing infrastructure and ensuring alignment with objectives across the organization.
- Increase short-term predictability within the Finance Team and BRM Team by coaching others to develop and use operational planning tools to forecast the inputs and tasks needed to achieve the outputs required for the next quarter
- Increase medium-term predictability within the Finance Team and BRM Team by coaching others to develop and use the tactical planning tools to forecast the inputs and outputs needed by week and month to achieve the business objectives for the next year
- Increase long-term predictability within the Finance Team and BRM Team by developing the strategic planning tools and training others to forecast the objectives needed to achieve the business outcomes for the next 2-4 years
- Coach others to persist through major challenges to thoughtfully bring a new idea to fruition, including knowing when to press forward or revise approach, ensuring feedback from those that would be affected, and testing ideas rigorously
- Coach others to thoughtfully evaluate others' creativity and ideas, and continually seek out opportunities for positive change
- Strategic leadership
- Collaborate with the Executive Director, Talent Team, and other senior leaders to revise or create tools and processes that support improved structured problem solving
- Develop processes and tools to measure, track, analyze and report on financial progress and results across strategic and operational initiatives.
- Promote collaboration among teams by troubleshooting reasons for non-collaboration and seeking ways to resolve them
- Increase your impact by identifying your influence objective in each collaboration opportunity and use the appropriate style to influence behavior towards achievement of your objective
- Build 1:1 relationships with senior leaders across the organization, acting as a thought partner to ensure collaboration across teams and influence decisions that can drive success for the organization's key goals.
- Discover and leverage insights, ideas, strategies, and learnings from outside the sanitation sector to solve business objectives, especially applying lessons from innovative businesses and business models to develop new ways of generating sustainable revenue streams
- Stakeholder engagement
- When actual results do not match the plan, collaborate with peer senior leader lead analysis of volatility and uncertainty in Fresh Life, and improve your operational, tactical, and strategic planning to ensure actual results match the plan
- Collaborate with peer leaders on the highly complex and ambiguous business objective bringing Fresh Life operations to break even through reduced cost/person/year and increased revenue, and develop structure and order to reduce the complexity and ambiguity in achieving these outcomes
- Proactively share relevant partnership opportunities or business improvement ideas with other teams and create a culture of information sharing for your team
- Through the Finance team and processes, support the operational teams to identify, prioritize and solve complex business challenges to unlock desired financial outputs, efficiencies and costs
- Develop the strategy and build the relationships with new partners related to Finance Team responsibilities (e.g., financial ERP, audits, AR mgmt); for each partner identify individualized goals, value propositions, and customized service or product delivery
- Support Business Development, Government Affairs and operational teams in building relationships with potential funders and government partners
- For fundraising and board engagement, support relationship building and information sharing, customized to the partner and situation
- Ensure the organization meets customers’ stated and unstated needs now and in the future
- Proactively resolve conflicts between the organization and external partners, with a goal of developing and maintaining partnerships that provide value for both parties over many years
Qualifications
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6+ years overall experience in high performing operating and investing roles, including the below:
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4+ years of experience in corporate finance at a fast-paced environment with demonstrable skills in financial modeling, financial analysis, fundraising, budgeting and funder / investor reporting
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2+ years of experience working with a high growth startup or management consulting firm
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Bachelor's degree in a business-related course; MBA is a plus
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Effective people management skills with prior experience of leading teams to achieve set organizational goals
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Experience in project management, monitoring, and evaluation
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Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think outside the box
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Excellent organizational and planning skills
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Excellent communication skills
Job Location
Nairobi
About the Role
Sanergy is hiring a Sales Associate -Naivasha/Gilgil to help take our sales to the next level. This position offers an opportunity to launch an exciting new product targeting small and medium-scale farmers in Kenya
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Learn and utilize the company’s direct sales methodology to sell an exciting new product directly to commercial small and medium-scale farmers.
- Meet and exceed sales targets
- Advise farmers on the use of best practices in soil management and other Good Agricultural Practices
- Build a portfolio of long-term clients by conducting structured post-purchase service visits with customers
- Daily update sales and pipeline data using Google Apps and the company’s proprietary smartphone applications.
Skills, Qualifications & Experience:
- Valid motorbike driver’s license
- Technical Degree in Agriculture (B.Sc. in Horticulture or similar) with Agricultural sales experience
- High level of motivation and entrepreneurial drive
- Interest in learning in-depth about a new industry, new product category, new sales process, and everything else that’s needed.
- Desire to learn, constantly improve, and act on feedback
- Creativity when problem-solving and excellent communication skills
- Goal-driven and self-motivated when working independently
- Basic computer skills – MS Office, Google Apps
About the Role
Sanergy is hiring a Sales Associate - Meru / Timau / Isiolo to help take our sales to the next level. This position offers an opportunity to launch an exciting new product targeting small and medium-scale farmers in Kenya
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Learn and utilize the company’s direct sales methodology to sell an exciting new product directly to commercial small and medium-scale farmers.
- Meet and exceed sales targets
- Advise farmers on the use of best practices in soil management and other Good Agricultural Practices
- Build a portfolio of long-term clients by conducting structured post-purchase service visits with customers
- Daily update sales and pipeline data using Google Apps and the company’s proprietary smartphone applications.
Skills, Qualifications & Experience
- Valid motorbike driver’s license
- Technical Degree in Agriculture (B.Sc. in Horticulture or similar) with Agricultural sales experience
- High level of motivation and entrepreneurial drive
- Interest in learning in-depth about a new industry, new product category, new sales process, and everything else that’s needed.
- Desire to learn, constantly improve, and act on feedback
- Creativity when problem-solving and excellent communication skills
- Goal-driven and self-motivated when working independently
- Basic computer skills – MS Office, Google Apps
About the role
Sanergy is looking for a Regional Sales Manager to lead the sales team covering the Western and Rift Valley regions in Kenya, to sell organic agri-inputs and insect-based animal protein to achieve required revenue and margins. As part of the role, the Manager will work to drive sales of Evergrow Organic Fertilizer and KuzaPro insect-based animal protein.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead all sales and marketing operations within the assigned region.
- Implement projects to grow Evergrow Organic fertilizer through direct sales and reseller sales channels by more than 10x
- Oversee sales of KuzaPro organic insect-based animal protein to feed millers.
- Optimize all aspects of sales operations, including customer acquisition, distribution, payment collection, and after-sales service to maximize profitability.
- Hire, manage and retain sales representatives to maximise their efficiency in achieving the required number of presentations and client visits
- Coach sales representatives on how to overcome blocks so as to increase the sales conversion ratio and retention of existing clients
- Recruit traders (resellers, agrovet distributors) to sell Evergrow Organic Fertilizer
- Manage revenue collections to minimise risk to the organisation
- Resolve challenges while selling and implementing projects and escalate to the manager any issues that he/she is not able to resolve
- Liaise with Operations teams to ensure timely delivery of products
Qualifications
- Degree or higher level education in an Agricultural related course
- Previous experience in significantly scaling up agri input sales
- >2 years’ experience in consultative B2B selling
- >3 years’ experience in building and managing sales teams, preferably in direct sales with a clear track record of high performance
- Aptitude for numbers and data-driven decision-making
- Knowledge of agricultural inputs market for small and medium-scale farmers preferred or ability to learn technical knowledge quickly
- Coachable – a desire to learn, constantly improve, and act on feedback
- Willingness to work outside of Nairobi and travel to support the sales team approx. 80% of the time.
- Valid driver's license and min. 2 years of driving experience. Should be able to drive a manual car (This will be tested during the interview process.