Jobs at TechnoServe

Job Summary:

• The Farmer Organization Advisor will be responsible for overseeing the self-help group (SHG) and cooperative formation, as well as managing the Local Community Trainers (LCTs).
• The Farmer Organization Advisor will work with the Farmer Organization Managers to recruit, train and provide technical assistance to the dairy SHGs and cooperatives, provide timely and accurate data collection, and monitor performance.
• It should be understood that the tasks outlined below are the key responsibilities, but the employee is expected to perform any tasks that are necessary within the context of the evolving needs of the program.

Program Overview

• TechnoServe is currently looking for one (1) Farmer Organization Advisor for a dairy development program in Nigeria. The program seeks to catalyze the Nigerian dairy sector in an inclusive way that improves the livelihoods, productivity, nutrition and empowerment of smallholder women dairy farmers and the communities in which they live. More specifically, the program will seek to:
• Advocate for an enabling environment for local sourcing through engagements with the government and relevant private sector stakeholders.
• Increase demand for locally sourced milk through partnerships with dairy processors currently or interested in sourcing locally.
• Improve smallholder dairy farmers’ productivity by increasing their access to technical support services and the right inputs.
• Empower women dairy farmers and enable them to improve their livelihoods and that of their households.
• Improve nutrition outcomes among smallholder dairy households through food systems entry points.

TechnoServe’s role as an implementing partner in this program will include:

• Identification of dairy households in targeted states
• Organizing farmers into Self-Help Groups (SHG) and strengthening these groups
• Provision of financial inclusion & income diversification.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with state ADPs, extension agents, local community trainers (LCTs) and local communities to recruit and select farmers to be integrated into the formal dairy value chain.
• Support recruitment and training of the program’s extension agents to ensure sufficient female representation.
• Support the Farmer Organization Manager in the assessment and mapping of farmer organizations in the program States.
• Set up, register and operationalize new SHGs, and formalize existing SHGs into cooperatives.
• Manage a team of LCTs to provide training and follow-up support to participating dairy farmers.
• Record-keeping of activities, and data collection of information required for monthly reports and analysis.
• Formulate recommendations and solutions with attention to the needs of the dairy farmers, capabilities and limitations.
• Assist in implementing strategies that help resolve any occasional discrepancies and irregularities
• Strict adherence to the time and scope of the program.
• Any other tasks that may be assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or HND in Agribusiness, Business Administration or other relevant fields.
• At least 2 years experience in capacities relating to either Agribusiness, Training, Marketing

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least two years of experience in the livestock value chain (cattle, goats, sheep) within Northern Nigeria.

Required Languages: Hausa, Fulfulde

Travel: 50% of travel within the project state

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to actively engage with community leaders and cooperatives
• Good Negotiation and persuasion skills
• Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication and strategy skills
• Strong skills in business software (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

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Job Summary:

• The Gender and Financial Inclusion Specialist shall be responsible for tasks that are directly related to increasing access to finance for smallholder farmers in 5 northern states in coordination with the Project Manager.
• S/he will identify suitable financial institutions for this component and will coordinate the implementation of this component.

Program Overview:

The ALDDN program seeks to catalyze the Nigerian dairy sector in an inclusive way that improves the livelihoods, productivity, nutrition and empowerment of smallholder women dairy farmers and the communities in which they live. More specifically, the program seeks to:

• Advocate for an enabling environment for local sourcing through engagements with the government and relevant private sector stakeholders.
• Increase demand for locally sourced milk through partnerships with dairy processors currently or interested in sourcing locally.
• Improve smallholder dairy farmers’ productivity by increasing their access to technical support services and the right inputs.
• Empower women dairy farmers and enable them to improve their livelihoods and that of their households.
• Improve nutrition outcomes among smallholder dairy households through food systems entry points.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Conduct access to finance gap analysis for smallholder dairy farmers, particularly women.
• Collaborate with financial institutions and mobile money providers to provide dairy farmers, particularly women, with contextualized financial services and products such as savings accounts, micro-credit, Islamic banking, mobile banking etc.
• Work collaboratively with the project lead in deepening a positive behavioural transition of dairy smallholder farmers from cash payments to digital payments.
• Facilitate the provision of financial products tailored to the dairy sector such as input credit, equipment leasing or insurance.
• Coordinate the development and provision of literacy programs to dairy farmers on topics such as budgeting, basic bookkeeping, savings etc.
• Produce statistical and narrative reports for internal and external consumption, including success stories, challenges, case studies and impact results against selected indicators.
• Serve as the principal liaison between financial institutions, including banks, microfinance institutions, impact investors, and other financial service providers.
• Lead the analysis for farmer profit or loss, the economics of production and tracking of all activities related to input financing.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with key partners and other organizations finance interested in finance access for smallholder farmers.
• Work with TechnoServe’s Access to Finance practice group to ensure best practices in the project are utilized.
• Monitor the contracts and agreements relating to financial services and products.
• Oversee the farmer literacy training content development and execution
• Strict adherence to the timeframe of assignments in project life-scope
• Any other tasks that may be assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's in the Social Sciences, Economics, Finance or any related fields and 5 years experience in similar capacities relating to banking, financial management and international development (or a Master's Degree plus 3 years experience)
• Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports.
• Excellent communication, analytical and strategy skills.
• Confident with project management and reporting.
• Experience with relevant software packages, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word and so on.

Preferred/Additional Qualification:

• At least two years of experience in gender and financial inclusion in humanitarian development within Northern Nigeria.

Required Languages: Hausa

Travel: 30%

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Self-starter, energetic, and friendly
• Comfortable with new ways of thinking and working
• Engages people and empowers them to deliver on promises
• Maintains integrity and personal reputation
• Ability to analyze complex issues and propose solutions
• Reviews information quickly and does not hesitate to try out solutions
• Passionate about knowledge learning and sharing.