Market System and Resilience Specialist, Feed the Future (FTF) Nigeria Resilience Activity at Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI)

Job Summary

• The Market Systems and Resilience Specialist will provide strategic guidance in market systems/value chains across the Activity.
• S/he will lead the program's efforts to invest sustainably in agri- business particularly targeting smallholder farmers.

Specific Job Responsibilities

• Provide overall strategic guidance and leadership on viable value chains across the program; ensuring thorough assessments and analysis of commercial viability (return on investment, Cost- benefit, profit margins, cash-flow requirements, supply and demand modelling) of potential value chains before investment.
• Facilitate the consortium to achieve high levels of program quality through technical service provision in close collaboration with the COP/DCOP.
• Working jointly with other stakeholders and relevant government ministries and department agencies (MDAS), develop sustainable intervention strategies for prioritized value chains.
• Work closely with other project managers to demonstrate and promote commercial viability of selected value chains and agribusinesses.
• Liaise with private sector partners to promote sustainable commercial markets for prioritized value chains.
• Provide technical support to all donor's reporting requirements (including quarterly, semi-annual and annual technical reports) in a timely manner in coordination with the COP/DCOP.
• Support the adoption of appropriate technologies in agricultural production and post-harvest processing to reduce costs and increase commercial viability of selected value chains.
• Ensure compliance with DDI and USAID policies and requirements.

Key Qualifications and Requirements
The Market Systems and Resilience Specialist must have the following skills and experience:

• A Master's Degree in Agriculture, Economics, or Business Administration;
• Minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated experience with USG or other similar development projects focused on market systems, resilience, and livelihood development, preferably with an understanding of the Nigerian context including gender and youth issues;
• Spoken and written proficiency in English;
• Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including national and local government, donors, community-based organizations, and the private sector;
• Strong technical experience in market system approach to development;
• Skills in resilience programming and strategies for developing household and market-systems
• Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including national and local government, donors, community-based organizations, and the private sector;
• Strong technical experience in market system approach to development;
• Skills in resilience programming and strategies for developing household and market-systems resilience especially in conflict settings;
• Skills in livelihood promotion focused on human and social capital, but also including aspirations for improving livelihood prospects and the confidence to take on prudent risks to achieve improved livelihoods;
• Expertise in programming that enables the inclusion of women, men, and youth in livelihood and market systems development.