Recruitment: Associate Program Officer Mali: Job Reference APO/ML/04/2018
About AGRA
Founded in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.
AGRA is rolling out a new 5-year strategy to catalyze and sustain an Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa to increase incomes and improve food security for 30 million farmers. Under this strategy, AGRA will deliver through an approach that simultaneously catalyzes change at farmer level, strengthens input and output market systems and puts government at the center to enable and champion private-sector-led agricultural growth at national level.
To support this transformation from a country perspective, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the role of Associate Program Officer.
The Position
Reporting to the Program Officer – Mali, the Associate Program Officer (APO) will contribute to agricultural transformation by creating partnerships and managing grant making at local level. The role will be based in Mali and open to Mali nationals.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Work with government at local and national level to design and implement agricultural transformation initiatives;
- Work with private sector at local level to upgrade agricultural value chains and expand market opportunities for smallholder farmers;
- Develop an approach to reform national and regional policies and institutions to facilitate agricultural market development and trade.
- Coordinate with other players to create synergies between AGRA funded programs and other agricultural initiatives;
- Identify opportunities for collaboration with small, medium and large agribusinesses in the geography;
- Assist the Program Officer to create road maps documenting the resources and constraints to agricultural transformation;
- Assist in the identification of opportunities for investments via competitive grants;
- Develop and support multi-disciplinary networks of individuals and organizations that promote linking smallholder farmers to markets.
- Coordinate capacity building of grantees in data capturing, management and reporting;
- Work closely with the Program Officer to jointly design and implement strategies for disseminating improved crop varieties.
- Monitor, evaluate and supervise grantee activities;
- Provide regular periodic reports as may be required;
- Carry out administrative functions such as coordination of periodic audit, stakeholder forums etc.; and
- Documenting and knowledge-sharing of the success stories, best practices and lessons learnt.
Key Qualifications and Experience required:
- A Master’s degree in Agriculture or related disciplines with deep knowledge in seed systems, market access or other relevant areas of the agriculture value chain.
- Minimum of 7 years’ experience in agri-business and development efforts in Africa;
- Experience in managing multinational initiatives in the private and/or public sector with a sound knowledge of, and experience in agricultural trade development at national, regional and/or international level;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both French and English with a team orientation and strong collaborative skills.
An attractive remuneration package commensurate with the responsibilities of the position will be negotiated with the successful candidate.
If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail and telephone contacts).
Applications should be submitted to recruit@agra.org noting to quote the job reference number.
To be considered, applications must be received by 27th April, 2018
For more information on AGRA, applicants can visit www.agra.org
AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer