Agribusiness & Value Addition Officer

Role Summary:

The Agribusiness & Value Addition Officer will report to the Project Manager in close collaboration with other relevant officers. S/he will contribute to FINDEF’s efforts in designing and implementation of emergency agricultural and resilience sensitive programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and day to day delivery of all agribusiness development related programme activities.
• Conduct market assessments to determine the feasibility of proposed enterprises to support jobs and income generation within the project locations and undertake continuous market scanning to identify emerging market opportunities to inform inclusive market-based programme design.
• Develop viable business models for project participants and identify partner institutions to offer entrepreneurship trainings and linkages to additional business development services.
• Contribute to building and maintaining relationships with importers, producers, input suppliers and other private sector partners contributing to the value chain development to exchange learnings and track best practices.
• Promote the adoption of good agri-business practices that can be extended through various implementation platforms to effectively support beneficiaries to engage in agri-business and marketing especially by women and youth.
• Coordinate the delivery of assigned projects and ensure effective and efficient management for results and timely reporting.
• Propose an action plan and strategies/approaches for the implementation of the selected project interventions including the identification of partners to improve livelihoods, diversify diets and strengthen resilience to external shocks.
• Contribute to the design, content, delivery and supervision of the training packages for value chain actors.
• Provide technical leadership in the procurement process of the agri-business component of the programme including definition of technical specifications for various programme inputs and services and seek technical clearance from the Project Manager.
• Lead in the formation and running of sustainable farmer producer groups/cooperatives for seed and grain and develop inclusive rural business models to enable smallholder farmers’ access ready market for their produce.
• Collaborate with crop production component to transform Farmer Field schools into Business Field Schools and transition them into rural micro enterprises.
• Provide support to processing and trade enterprises / cooperatives to the identified beneficiaries in the targeted area.
• Support the scale up of rural financial literacy and inclusion models including the VSLA and linkages with financial institutions.
• Support coaching and mentorship activities for the established businesses
• Prepare case studies, guidelines, reports, publications, and presentations in support of programme delivery.
• Perform any other related duties as required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master's (or Higher) Degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics with specialisation in enterprise development and / or marketing (Essential).
• At least five years postgraduate (MSc, MBA) relevant experience related to both entrepreneurial development, small-scale enterprises development and agricultural commodities marketing with emphasis on rural development within smallholder production and marketing schemes (Essential).
• Proven track record in networking and dialogue facilitation with private and public sector actors. Experience with government engagement and within the area of implementation preferred.
• Knowledge of entrepreneurship ecosystem dynamics, including regulatory frameworks, market structures, and support services available to MSMEs.
• Proven ability to design and implement innovative solutions to promote entrepreneurship and MSME growth, including access to finance, market linkages, and business development services.
• Strong networking and partnership-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders to achieve common goals.
• Knowledge of finance, marketing, and value chain development.
• Experience working in teams and managing processes dependent on cooperation with multiple actors.
• Practical experience in negotiation and influencing.
• Excellent report/proposal writing skills and track record in meeting all deadlines and deliverables.  
• Familiarity with technology and innovation trends in agriculture.