Job Title: Program Officer Inclusive Modern Market (IMM)
Vredeseilanden is active within Sustainable Agricultural Chain Development. Our aim is to enable organizations of smallholder family farmers to successfully participate within sustainable value chains. We invest in the capabilities of these organizations and their members to become strong collective business organizations, while linking up these organizations with other chains actors like processors, traders, retailers, consumers… We also invest in connecting these farmer organizations with higher level farmer organizations and support these in their advocacy work towards governments and private actors to create an institutional environment that enables the position of smallholder family farmers within sustainable agricultural chains.
Job Summary: The VECO Program Officer Inclusive Modern Market will primarily enhance inclusive and durable trading relationships between Farmer Organizations (FO) and private companies
Key Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Plan, implement, monitor and adjust innovation/change pathways in inclusive business models in selected pilot chains within the IMM program in the country
- Plan, coordinate, implement and monitor activities leading to set structural changes for inclusion of smallholder farmers at national level
- Develop, strengthen and support business linkages between FOs and private companies (facilitation and brokering role)
- Build and strengthen the entrepreneurial attitude, skills and capacities of FOs (business plan development, offer of business support services to its members, commercial accounting, access to finance, quality control systems, Global Gap approval, production planning)
- Offer strategic and technical assistance to FOs ensuring their inclusion in the chain
- Design, test, and validate change/innovations in the linked business models
- Monitor and document the change/innovations processes in the business models, the changes in behavior at the level of the involved FOs and companies, and the results of these in terms of improved small-holder livelihoods, and draw lessons
- Make inventory and document experiences of other organizations with inclusive business models in the country
- Significantly contribute to the organizational development and strengthening of farmer organizations and export companies.
- Document and translate the outcomes of the pilots as evidence for achieving structural changes and up-scaling at national level
- Coordinate/implement the actions of/with the various partners in the achievement of the structural change agendas
- Build up a close relationship with private companies interested in sustainable sourcing from smallholder farmers
- Build and network with other organizations that have a stake in the structural change agendas
- Analyze and document the changing national context in relation to the business environment, the value chain, the market … and with regard to opportunities with/demands from other companies
- Monitor and document the achievement of the national structural change agendas
- Provide timely information, analysis, lessons learned to allow program management to readjust its programs
Qualifications, Skills and Experience needed for the job:
- The ideal candidate should preferably hold a good Masters in Agriculture, Economics, or equivalent by experience
- A minimum of three years’ experience in value chain development in East- Africa, working with Farmer Organisations and private companies.
- Past exposure and experience as entrepreneur or farmer is an asset.
- Past exposure and experience in the horticultural sector and various types of certifications particularly Global GAP.
- Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the functioning of value chains from production to consumption and of their institutional environment
- Has a good understanding of sourcing policies of companies
- Good knowledge and understanding of and experience working with farmer Organizations
- Has a good understanding of national and global market dynamics
- Can apply methods to improve professionalism in all parts of the chain
- Communicates clearly in a variety of settings and styles and has good net-working skills
- Listens actively
- Can persuade and inspire individuals and groups.
- Can get messages across that have the desired effect
- Is creative and has a sense for innovation and experiments
- Good computer operation Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Good proficiency in English (speaking and writing)
How to Apply for the job:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their applications to: veco-ea@veco-eastafrica.org
Deadline: 15 October 2014
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