Agribusiness Advisor at VSO

Duration: 18 Months

Job Purpose

• The Agribusiness Advisor will develop sustainable and market oriented programmes for farmer collectives.
• He will design, facilitate, coach and mentor farmer collectives on business development and ensure that they have the right business philosophy, develop a business plan targeting their desired market, and have adequate skills to meet the market needs.
• Ultimately the role will contribute to local farmers companies winning more contracts and employing more people and therefore ensuring farming benefits more local people in the three communities in Niger State in which VSO is based.

Responsibilities

• Develop capacity building training to support implementing partners in the area of agribusiness development.
• Ensure adequate linkages to local public and private sectors stakeholders.
• Provide overall support for market and agri-business development to the program.
• Provide technical leadership to program activities related to targeted agribusiness.
• Ensure the quality and appropriateness of activities to achieve the target indicators in a cost-effective, timely, and sustainable manner.
• Ensure that activities have a strong private sector orientation so that the Maize, Soy Bean and Livestock Value Chains make progress towards becoming market-oriented for poor marginalized farmers.
• Assist growers and processors to adopt new technologies and techniques to increase the quality and quantity of production.
• Facilitate enhanced domestic marketing through more rigorous packing, and post-harvest methods.
• Strengthen the linkages among actors in the respective value chains and foster cooperation through strengthened industry associations.
• Build the availability, quality, capacity, and sustainability of business service providers and public and private extension services.
• To support to prepare business plan and identify market actors
• To prepare the follow up the groups activity and business plan reviews

Key Performance Indicator
The Key performance indicators of this placement are that:

• Target beneficiaries are able to sustain their livelihoods and the livelihoods of their families. This includes managing their own businesses, supply their produce to the markets and are always able to meet the market demands by having adequate produce for identified markets.Below includes other indicators:
  • Improvements made in the operations of farmers collective or business operation
  • Number of problems addressed and solutions recommeded
  • Objectives will be confirmed in a three way discussion between the volunteer, employer and VSO in the first three months of the placement.

Competencies
Building and Sustaining working relationships:

• The social skills to build and actively maintain working relationships that foster teamwork and collaboration with others for the benefit of a common goal.

Open Minded and Respectful:

• A non-judgemental approach that values other people and culture.

Seeking and Sharing knowledge:

• Recognition that learning is a two-way and continuous process.

Facilitating Positive Change:

• The ability to analyse problems and develop lasting solutions in line with VSO approaches.

Adaptability:

• A flexible approach and the ability to adapt behaviour to different situations.

Resilience:

• The self-confidence to work with a variety of situations, diverse people and ambiguity.

Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• University degree or equivalent in Development Policy and or Agribusiness related disciplines (agriculture economics, agribusiness administration, public administration, agriculture policy).
• At least 3 years of professional experience in agribusiness, and/or value chain and market access related , and/or analysis/research of agribusiness and/or socio-economic development projects;
• Hands on experience in supporting the development of farmers’ and their groups’ supporting services;
• Experience in planning and assessment of extension service components;
• Basic understanding of business operations and various areas of business
• Skills in training and facilitation
• Strategic planning skills
• Ability to think innovatively and analytically
• Sound computer skills
• Report writing and documentation

Desirable:

• Ability to speak Hausa
• Previous work experience in West Africa would be an added advantage

Interview/Assessment Date(s)
TBB

Start Date
TBD

Application Closing Date
31st December, 2016.

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