Job Vacancies at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2022-014
Location: Kano
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Contract: 1-year renewable contract

Duties

• Increase private sector investment into the vitamin A maize, iron pearl millet and cowpea subsectors through building competitive commodity value chains that increase Return on Investment (ROI).
• Support the Scaling Climate Adapted Nutritious Crops Through Market Systems (Nigeria) program in the establishment of strong agro input supply chains by provision of business development support to all actors, namely: seed companies and agro-dealers.
• Facilitate the creation of robust supply chains for aggregators and processors through the provision of technical assistance and capacity building to producers, aggregators, retailers, service providers, and other actors.
• Work with the state coordinators to put in place sustainable contract farming and out-grower business models that will guarantee continuous raw material sourcing for processors.
• Suggest and implement demand creation strategies that will increase demand for vitamin A maize, millet and cowpea seed and grains.
• Work with the state coordinators to reduce post-harvest losses via the identification and deployment of proven, culturally appropriate post-harvest loss, processing and food safety solutions.
• Create business opportunities along value chains for young people and women through capacity building, and the creation of support systems via mentoring, access to finance and markets
• Provide specialist, pragmatic, and effective advice to agribusiness clients based on successful value chain development strategies and models that are contextually appropriate to the region.
• Establish effective partnerships with stakeholders, including other development partners, using a range of communication and facilitation skills, to deliver improved efficiency along commodity value chains to clients.
• Engage in knowledge generation (case studies), value chain analysis, policy reviews, and other analytical support service relevant to building competitive commodity value chains and an enabling environment.
• Develop strategic business plans with investment metrics and measures.
• Establish business development needs for businesses, with identified priority areas of involvement that informs development of plans.
• Establish strong working relationships with business owners, policy makers and other stakeholders.
• Establish and implement framework for BDS market diagnostic together with other team members.
• Conduct periodic market intelligence and share gathered information with key stakeholders in the vitamin A maize, iron pearl millet and cowpea value chains.
• Support value chain actors to increase income due to participating in the value chains of climate and nutrition smart crop varieties, disaggregated by sex, category (farmers, seed suppliers, aggregators, processors and retailers) and geography.
• Design and implement strategies that will include farmers, seed suppliers, aggregators, processors and retailers, to access markets for climate and nutrition smart crops and products, disaggregated by VCA category/type, product type and geography.
• Prepare, moderate and document meetings and workshops and organize field trips as requested.
• Organize and implement field trainings and workshops, and also coordinate the work of consultants’/resource persons.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Agricultural, Agronomy, Agricultural economics, Agribusiness Management or any other Service Management courses with a minimum of six (6) years’ experience performing similar or related role in a well-structured organization.
• Training in the areas of market systems, value chain approach, cooperatives / social entrepreneurship, nongovernmental organization (NGO) administration, business development services, business policy formulation and advocacy and information, communication and technology is an added advantage.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Have good writing skill and high competency on Microsoft excel and PowerPoint.
• Have excellent oral communication skills in Hausa language.
• Have experience in implementing market system activities in northern Nigeria.

Remuneration
We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

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Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2022-014
Location: Kano
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Contract: 1-year renewable contract

Duties

• Be responsible for developing and managing commercial and public sector partnerships for scaling the distribution of climate tolerant biofortified seed and other inputs and enabling forward linkages with leading firms in the food and agribusiness sector.
• Develop a sustainable market system approach to HarvestPlus development activities under the Propcom+ initiative. Facilitate value chain arrangements like contract farming, bundling and retail farmer and SME financing (including credit, savings and insurance products).
• Support HarvestPlus in developing high quality technical assistance packages, embedding these with relevant local TA suppliers and work in close collaboration with relevant sectoral stakeholders and ensure change efforts are sustainable past the end of the project.
• Understand the ecosystem of market system participants and their interrelationships in the target value chains namely Vit A Maize, cowpea, Vit A Cassava and iron pearl millet.
• Review and provide input on scale strategy of the project.
• Support work planning for systemic interventions that will generate results and target numbers as laid in the program results framework. Review activities to date with Lead Firms and plan for new activities to scale up interventions or work with new partners (for e.g. large distributors, agrodealers, processors, financiers, food businesses) to catalyze systemic change.
• Help design appropriate partnership models and delivery approach for new partners.
• Review the program’s systemic activities and results framework and contribute to the work plan for market systems activities with lead firms, commercial financiers and social organizations.
• Support the alignment of Propcom+ systemic approach to market systems development with partner contract results and indicator targets and facilitate regular reporting.
• Constantly review and iterate on the project design with an aim for improving how the project facilitates innovation, change and sustainability.
• Work with partners to identify TA needs and facilitate local TA delivery.
• Work with other team members and external stakeholders on stakeholder engagement events for business planning, state and federal policy.
• Help the Program lead manage and build the capacity of two-three state coordinators.
• Support the identification and development of new projects leveraging the activity under Propcom+.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Qualifications

• Masters in Agriculture, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural extension, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration or any other related field with a minimum of six (6) years’ experience performing similar or related role in a well-structured organization.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Have good writing skill and high competency on Microsoft excel.
• Have ability to communicate fluently in Hausa language.
• Have experience working both with leading agribusinesses and commercial financiers.
• Have strong networks among agriculture stakeholders including producers, processors, input providers, traders, financiers and government.
• Have excellent organizational skills and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgment, expert problem-solving, and creativity.
• Have willingness and ability to travel extensively.
• Have Familiarity with donor funded agriculture activities.
• Have excellent communication skill in Hausa Language

Remuneration
We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.