Value Chain & Market Systems Manager at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)

Project Summary

• MEDA seeks qualified Nigerians to support its Youth Entrepreneurship and Women's Empowerment in Northern Nigeria project (Nigeria WAY) in Bauchi, Bauchi state.
• Nigeria WAY is a five-year project that will assist economically active poor women and youth to increase their income particularly those who are involved in agro-processing in the rice, soybean, and groundnut value chains.
• The project will work with communities and families to improve the environment where girls grow up.

Job Summary

• The Value Chain & Market Systems Manager leads the team providing technical and leadership support in developing the selected value chains and project activities therein related to agro processing.
• The value chain and market system manager will design value chain upgrade activities, considering gender and youth inclusion criteria as well as identify market actors, and clients to support the objectives of the project in the soybean, groundnut and rice value chains.
• The manager will be an integral member of the project team working closely with the Gender Coordinator and Environment and Technology Coordinator to research and design interventions using best practices and private sector approaches.
• The Value Chain and Market Systems Manager is responsible for project outcomes related to value chain results working closely with project implementing partners with support from MEDA's headquarter-based technical advisors.
• The position has a start date asap, is full time in a 1-year contract renewable up to 5 Years. Based in Bauchi city, Bauchi state, Nigeria the position entails travel around the state and is supervised by the Deputy Field Project Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice and build core capacities of local implementing partners in developing innovative business services, new business partnerships, market-oriented business responses and effective market information systems.
• Lead ongoing value chain constraints analysis, assessing threats, strengths, opportunities and threats to the value chains, and participating value chain clients
• Conduct specific product and market analyses for the selected value chains
• Develop or revise annual and monthly work plans for selected value chains in close collaboration and consultation with the team
• Include and mainstream the project's gender, youth and environmental sustainability strategies, with special attention to social outcomes, and monitor these throughout the value chains
• Develop new contacts with stakeholders, businesses, and institutions willing to partner and establish opportunities to leverage their activities to enhance the selected value chains
• Assist in sourcing and developing a database of available business development services, including consultants, niche business organizations, and non-profit business support institutions relating to value chains.
• Identify innovative tools or strategies to show demonstrated impact on value chain upgrading
• Engage partners, such as government and research institutions, private sector and business associations, to identify mutual benefits on the value chain, including reduction of transaction costs, reduced waste, reduction in risk, and to increase market opportunities, i.e., volume and/or profit.

Qualifications

• Graduate qualification in Business Administration, Marketing or other relevant discipline
• Minimum of five years of experience in market/value chain programing and/or agriculture; as an entrepreneur in the private sector; or in business development services
• Knowledge of gender and youth related issues in Nigeria as they relate to value chain development and entrepreneurship
• Ability to work collaboratively to achieve results
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize stakeholders into partnerships and alliances
• Experience in providing capacity building and training to colleagues and project partners
• Knowledge of market systems approaches including quality control, market standards, and/or product development.
• Excellent writing and review skills.
• Willingness to travel to project areas.
• Fluency in English and Hausa is required.
• Prior work experience in Nigeria is preferred and other comparable country context is desirable.

Required language:

• English.