Business Advisor (PRiFN) at TechnoServe

Job Summary

• The Business Advisor will work under the supervision of the project manager to provide capacity-building for rice millers, relevant government agencies and other actors in the rice value chain as well as facilitate the linkage of fortified rice produced by the supported rice millers to the school feeding and other social intervention programmes. 
• In addition, S/he will gather market intelligence and monitor performance. It should be understood that the tasks outlined below are the key responsibilities, but the employee will be expected to perform any tasks that are necessary within the context of the evolving needs of the project.

Program Overview

• TechnoServe, in collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), is implementing the Promoting Rice Fortification in Nigeria (PRiFN) project to pilot and promote the uptake of fortified rice as part of the national strategy to combat micronutrients malnutrition in Nigeria following the approval of the fortification of rice with iron, zinc, folic acid, B12 and other B vitamins by the Federal Government of Nigeria. 
• The project aims to support the production of and promote the consumption of fortified rice in Nigeria.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities
Project Inception Phase:

• Take the lead on community sensitization, mobilization and enrollment of rice millers/processors.
• Ensure project targets (including gender) are met.
• Assist the project manager and MEL officer in developing the project work plan, MEAL package and tools.
• Support assessments, baseline, midterm and endline evaluation activities.
• Identify local community trainers in the assigned communities and support the operations team during the recruitment process.

Project Implementation Phase:

• Support the project manager in developing training materials for the production of fortified rice and related food safety and quality control measures.
• Handle the training of rice millers, regulatory agencies, religious and community leaders, as well as other stakeholders key to the implementation of the PRiFN project after development of a proper training design.
• Support community sensitization drives and stakeholder engagement for the promotion of the health benefits of fortified rice.
• Work with the PM in identifying social intervention programs and the integration of fortified rice in them.
• Together with the project manager, identify rice millers/processors and other actors in the rice value chains who would partner with the project.
• Work with the MEL specialist in monitoring and evaluation activities, surveys and reporting as well as developing success stories and lessons learnt.
• Understand, respect and promote Techno Serve’s values, vision, and strategy in the implementation of assigned duties.
• Perform other duties in line with the evolving needs of the program.
• Prepare with the project team for donor reports.

Basic Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Agronomy, Economics, Human Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, Public Health with a minimum of 2 years’ experience working with rural communities supporting rice farmers. Alternatively, 4 years’ experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of the rice value chain in Nigeria.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Must have strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven skills with Microsoft Office software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Excellent communication skills.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Ability to engage and advise a broad range of stakeholders, especially community leaders,
• Demonstrated experience in data collection and analyses.
• Demonstrated experience in report writing
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and train in Hausa or other languages besides English is an added advantage.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English (written and spoken).