P2 Workstream Lead - PROPCOM+ at Palladium Group

Job Ref. ID: req20684

This Opportunity

• Propcom+ is a new FCDO-funded eight-year (2023-2030), rural and agricultural market development programme supporting climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry that benefits people, climate, and nature. The programme is implemented by
• The Palladium Group, and it aims to transform Nigeria's rural economy by addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in the country's food and land-use system. It will do this by (i) increasing productivity, improve nutrition and food security; (ii) enhance climate resilience, pursue lower emissions, and protect and restore nature, and (iii) help tackle some of Nigeria’s underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity.
• It does this by working as a ‘market facilitator’, identifying constraints in markets systems and facilitating changes to enable rural markets to work better for the benefit of poor and climate-vulnerable smallholder farmers and rural small-scale entrepreneurs.
• Propcom+ has a target of increasing the incomes and climate resilience of 3.9 million poor and vulnerable people in Nigeria, 50% of whom will be women, through a “3Ps” approach of interlinked components:
  • P1: Scaling-up a focused basket of Proven climate-smart interventions around agricultural and primary processing / storage practices and models to get these adopted by millions of poor and vulnerable smallholder farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs.
  • P2: Building markets by developing and Piloting new business models that improve productivity, enhance resilience to climate change, reduce emissions, and improve nutrition outcomes.
  • P3: Enabling Policies that support a strengthened enabling environment for sustainable food and land-use system.

Location and Compensation

• The position is based in Palladium’s Abuja office. The P2 Workstream Lead will be required to travel frequently within Nigeria, particularly to the Northern part of Nigeria.
• Please be advised that a final salary offer will be based on various factors, including but not limited to your qualifications, education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and Palladium’s business or organizational needs.
• If you have any questions or concerns regarding the compensation for this position, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We value your interest in our company and appreciate the opportunity to discuss this opportunity with you.

You and Your Career:

• If you are a problem-solver, collaborator, and doer, and you have expertise in rural and agricultural market development, we are interested in hearing from you. 
• We are a learning organization and provide growth opportunities from the start. We pride ourselves on giving you the freedom, resources, and guidance to chart a fulfilling career!

Reporting and Supervision:

• This post will report to the Strategy director.
• This post will supervise the Portfolio manager position as may be decided by Programme management.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Sourcing and assessment of innovative business models:

• Develop framework for identifying and assessing viable innovations
• Find ways to grow the incubator, attracting new ideas and entrepreneurs to the project
• Accountable for the incubator communications strategy regarding attracting entrepreneurs and informing market actors
• Piloting support to test innovations and iterate designs
• Support business plan development and identify capacity gaps at business level, including finance needs
• Deliver targeted technical assistance to operationalise business plans
• Facilitate training, mentorship, and business support, based on business needs
• Prepare promising businesses for investor engagement
•  Manage technical assistance and performance-based grants (where relevant)

Team Management:

• Manage an agile team (staff, consultants, and subcontractors) ensuring excellent work and high-quality outputs.
• Ensure good staff management practices including staff planning, recruitment, on-boarding, appraisal, and development.
• Support team to collect evidential data for MERL.

Stakeholder Management:

• Manage relationship within agricultural entrepreneurship and MSME ecosystem, as well as with representatives of the Government of Nigeria.
• Lead the creation of Public Private Partnerships to incentivise the adoption of inclusive and sustainable models and practices
• Maintain excellent relationship with the Leadership Team and Technical Advisors
• Keep close relationship with the P1 and P3 Workstream leads to ensure smooth transitions and share knowledge.

Project Management:

• Lead client reporting on P2 results, activities, recommendations, and lessons learned.
• Where relevant, assume responsibility for consistent implementation of company Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Guidelines, Security Protocols and, where applicable, recommend modifications.
• Where relevant, ensure the programme provides and demonstrates Value for Money.

Key Competencies Required

• A Master's Degree in Economics, Agric-economics, any field of Engineering, Project Management, Marketing, or Strategic Management.

Professional Expertise/Competencies Preferred:

• Substantial (10+ years) experience of relevant, professional experience, for instance supporting agricultural development, food security, MSME agribusiness and/or private sector development.
• Experience working on donor-funded projects required, FCDO and USAID experience preferred
• Meaningful experience applying market systems approaches
• Strong technical experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, MSME start-up, investment finance and MSME business development and/or startup incubation
• Experience in finance and investment desired
• Active, established networks in the above areas
• Risk mitigation
• Demonstrated management skills and effective interpersonal skills.