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| Technoserve - SNNPR |
Market Linkages Specialists - Fixed term for 4 months Job at Technoserve - SNNPR
Job DescriptionRegional Market Linkages Specialists’ duties and responsibilities are described below:
Technical Assistance in Market analysis and Marketing
·Assess key site-specific market opportunities by identifying and engaging potential buyers
·Assess technical and financial viability of market opportunities through data collection and analysis;
·Evaluate current production and marketing systems and identify opportunities for developing new and/or enhancing existing businesses
·Engage with farmers and their organizations to make choices on major crops to be cultivated and technologies applied based on an informed analysis of their options, which depend on market demand, technical capability, assess to technologies and finance, as well as other relevant factors;
Business Plan Development and Implementation
- Support the development of business plans at Irrigation scheme /IWUA, Irrigation cooperatives level, including strategies for strengthening farmer cooperatives’ and Water Users Associations’ organizational capacity and management
- Guide effective management of Irrigation cooperatives’ and marketing associations, coaching and supporting emerging entrepreneurial leadership, as well as robust and transparent management practices
- Support farmer groups with technical issues related to business plan implementation as they emerge
- Support Financial analysis of farming/Cropping system;
Training and Coaching
·Train and coach local extension experts and Development Agents (DAs), cooperatives and farmers on managing production, accessing markets and services, engaging in participatory planning and applying tools for financial viability analysis;
·Coach DAs to enhance their ability to support IWUA, Irrigation cooperatives and farmers’ groups in managing their enterprises;
·Regularly visit IWUA, Cooperatives, farmers and DAs to coach them and monitor performance;
·Train Irrigation water user association, cooperative leaders, DA on the issues related to marketing, market oriented irrigated crop production, Business plan Development, ADP and other training identified through Training Need Assessment;
Facilitate linkages with other key market actors and manage relationships
- Support identification and prioritization of market system actors and facilitate linkages between farmers, farmer organizations, private sectors and these different actors, including financial institutions
- Facilitate interactions between farmers, engineers, agronomists, cooperative experts and consultant during feasibility studies to ensure that assessments are accurate, and business plans are both participatory and realistic. Example Identification market outlets, Input sources, development of market strategy;
- Ensure continued facilitation of transparent and mutually beneficial business relationships, including with intermediate processors, off-takers, traders, input and service providers, and rural financial institutions (RuSACCO) as a model for viable market access alliances;
- Support IWUA and irrigation cooperatives improved income and Repayment capacity; collective sale of produce, link with better market, negotiate prices, and produce large quantities of high quality produce;
- Assist primary cooperatives and unions;
- Facilitate donors, partners, and external guests visiting project in respective regions;
- Develop monthly and quarterly reports, describing IWUA& cooperatives assistances, technical marketing, financial progresses;
- Develop and maintain regional-specific work plan, in consultation with Project Manager and key GoE counterparts including PASIDP II staffs/Focal Persons;
- Share agribusiness knowledge and approaches to replicate successes to other sites
- Deliver on-time, high quality, quarterly reports and other work products, as required;
- Collaborate and support project Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning colleagues
- Continuously exchange knowledge with other staff members and key stakeholders; identify and share knowledge with key market system actors and with the broader TNS Ethiopia team
- Ensure learning by documenting progress, outcomes, challenges and lessons learned
- Closely work with regional and woreda PASIDP focal Person(WFP) and Zone Technical committees
Job Requirements
·B.Sc. /M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics, Marketing, Rural Development, Cooperatives, Business Administration, Finance, Agronomy/Horticulture or related fields with 7 years’ overall work experience;
·Demonstrated expertise and experience in agribusiness; and, in particular, marketing of agricultural products (most preferably)
·Demonstrated strong analytic capabilities: Value chain analysis, financial analysis, markets analysis
·Excellent planning skills; Strong and very detailed oriented when planning and preparing documents
·Ability to work according to a work plan and meet deadlines; while at the same time adapting to new information
·Excellent problem solving, negotiation skills and willingness and experience serving remote rural areas;
·Strong skills in business software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
·Fluency in written and spoken English, Amharic and preferably Hadyia, Walita, Sidama ;
Preferred Qualifications and Capabilities
·Experience identifying buyers and facilitating agreements
How to Apply
Qualified and interested applicants should click here to apply for this position and submit a cover letter and resume as a single document (either Word or PDF) by November 23, 2020. Applications will be reviewed and considered as received/on a rolling basis. Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be contacted. Please note that we are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated link.
TechnoServe is an equal opportunity employer. Women are highly encouraged to apply.
