Value Chain and Business Development Advisor at GIZ Nigeria

Responsibilities & tasks
Responsibilities:

• The Value Chain and Business Development Advisor will have the responsibility of supporting small holder farmers, MSMEs and processors to improve productivity and yields, reduce post-harvest loses and aggregate value across the tomato and ginger value chains while ensuring the mainstreaming of climate-smart and sustainable solutions and innovative approaches. 
• This will include (ii) identifying and partnering with key stakeholders in the value chains to be promoted (ii) conducting analysis of challenges, opportunities and development potential (iii) providing targeted and effective support and advice on critical topics with inclusive approaches.

Tasks:
Advising project partners:

• The Value Chain and Business Development Advisor
• Supports the identification of MSMEs / inclusive business and other partners for engagement by the project.
• Supports in conducting assessments among MSMEs and businesses to establish gaps and opportunities while incorporating inclusivity approaches.
• Coordinates and assists with capacity development for MSMEs and other businesses based on the gaps identified.
• Supports in data building for business decisions of beneficiary MSMEs in basic financial and economic analysis regarding factors of production accommodating as much financial detail as possible.
• Supports the planning, identification and implementation of proof of concepts around agroecology, regenerative agriculture and agroforestry compatible with the selected value chains.
• In collaboration with other advisors, support beneficiary MSMEs to participate in scenarios to promote matchmaking and investment opportunities to improve their businesses.
• In collaboration with other advisors and beneficiaries supports preparing, implementing and documenting training events, workshops, forums, team meetings and other programme activities.

Networking and cooperation:

• Helps identify the needs of government ministries, departments and agencies, private sector, NGOs and other identified stakeholders relating to their role in improving the agricultural value chains.
• Assists on aspects relating to incentives and business/ climate smart innovations promotion initiatives.
• Supports in identification of partners for Public Private Partnerships, networking support of SMEs and working closely with other advisors to leverage investments, climate change adaptation etc in to the agricultural value chains.
• Supports in identification of the needs of government ministries, departments and agencies, private sector, NGOs and other identified stakeholders relating to their role in improving the agricultural value chain.
• Supports in identification of the relevance and opportunities represented by other projects and accommodate them, where possible, to bolster any business opportunities and models created.

Knowledge management:

• Collects, processes and distributes relevant information, monitors communication and interaction between government institutions, partners, NGOs and other project beneficiaries through analyses of the media, direct dialogue, participation in meetings and seminars etc.
• Develops and maintains contact with all important stakeholders.
• Provides relevant information to the project management and other advisors as required.
• Develops and maintains database(s) of all beneficiary MSMEs, climate adaptation innovations as well as other innovations implemented by the project and records documentation regarding them.
• In collaboration with the other advisors disseminates success stories through existing platforms.
• Provides technical inputs on reports and activities as required by the project.
• Regularly provides the required data for monitoring and evaluation and other requirements.

Project management tasks:

• Coordinates relevant activities in collaboration with other advisors and project head as well as in cooperation with the project beneficiaries to ensure efficient implementation and organisation of the project.
• Prepares input for project/programme reports and draws up documents in accordance with project standards on communication and presentation.
• Participates in formulating programme action plans and helps synchronise the planning and budgeting system with counterparts in the project.
• Administers all project related documents in accordance with the project financial systems ensuring the integrity of the project is upheld through proper accountability and accuracy in documentation.
• Performs any other job-related task as may be assigned.

Qualifications

• University Degree in agriculture, agribusiness, business administration, rural development or related field, if possible, with a specialization in climate and sustainability topics.
• In-depth knowledge of working with and promoting small and medium-sized growth-oriented companies.
• Demonstrated excellent understanding of strategies for how to help small holder farmers and businesses grow, with expertise in one or more of the following areas: business planning and strategy, sales and marketing, product development.

Professional experience:

• Minimum of 5 years demonstrated and verifiable experience in the agricultural sector and specifically in the tomato and ginger value chains.
• Minimum of 2 years work experience in agribusiness development or agribusiness marketing.
• Experience in smallholder farmer agribusiness capacity development and knowledge of the agribusiness sector in Nigeria.
• Deep understanding of business growth strategies in the agricultural sector including climate adaptation-relevant sectors in accordance with project goals.
• Ability to strategically build and maintain networks in the private sector including processors, aggregators and others.
• Previous coaching, teaching, training, or facilitation experience preferred.
• Good networks in climate adaptation-relevant sectors (like e.g. agriculture, food, water) with public institutions, research organisations and private sector in Nigeria.
• Previous experience in working in the northern states and understanding of any prevailing dynamics preferred.

Other knowledge, additional competences:

• Have passion for and excellent understanding of the West African entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• High motivation to work at the interface of climate change adaptation and the private sector.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. Additional Nigerian languages would be added advantage.
• Excellent team spirit and networking capacity.
• Highly motivated to work in a multicultural environment.
• Strong organizational competence.
• Proactive, independent and flexible working style.