Crop Delivery Officer at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture - HarvestPlus

HarvestPlus on behalf of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture seeks suitable Nigerian for the position below at its country office in Abuja:

Job Title: Crop Delivery Officer

Ref No: IITA-HR-NRS2017-0040
Location: Abuja
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Contract: 1-year renewable contract Location: Abuja

Duties
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:

Technical Oversight:

• Formulate strategic and technical direction for the delivery of biofortified seed in Northern Nigeria and other participating West African countries
• Establish, maintain and strengthen relationships for mainstreaming of biofortified crops in ongoing programmes with collaborating partners, which includes development partners/INGO’s, government officials and the private sector
• Provide programmatic and technical expertise to partner organisations including commercial companies in the development of viable biofort agribusiness clusters
• Develop intervention strategies and implementation procedures in a participatory manner with key stakeholders
• Formulate strategies to develop service markets in commodity chains/rural markets and seek opportunities to work as per sector strategy
• Lead the effort to conduct desk research of existing information and produce a detailed market and stakeholder analysis that broadly defines the impact, demand and feasibility for a range of possible interventions
• Define in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and potential partner organisations the scope of implementation activities and where applicable negotiates a formal agreement
• Take part in facilitating and managing the work of partners, facilitators and service providers ensuring value for money for the tasks given
• Undertake regular field visits to ensure proper implementation of activities in line with programme objectives and goals
• Represent the programme in events, meetings as assigned, displaying courtesy, tact, consideration and discretion in all interactions with partners, other members of the programme, and with the public

Seed Systems:

• Provide technical expertise for HarvestPlus Nigeria and other West African projects in promoting community based seed entrepreneurship in their respective countries
• Plan, organise and implement seed production and commercialization plans, including in-bred lines maintenance, production of breeders, pre-basic and basic seeds of parental lines for increased commercial seed production
• Facilitate the commercial production of biofortified seed by licensed seed companies
• Inspect fields under production by seed companies to ensure adherence to certification standards
• Liaise with seed companies licensed to produce and sell biofortified seeds. Collaborate with the Regional Seed System Specialist in the bulking of parent seeds/lines of leads entered for National Variety Trials
• Set up trials to monitor and ensure certified seed purity and viability
• Work with partners and technically support the laying out of demonstration plots and conduct field days to promote biofortified maize in Nigeria
• Build capacities of both private and public-sector partners in the seed system (including small/medium scale seed companies, CBOs and NGOs) through development of training modules for seed production, seed multiplication, seed business management and marketing
• Engage with private sector and community based seed producers in developing a sustainable market for seed and monitor the production of high quality seeds for production

Market creation/linkages, delivery and promotion:

• Define and analyse systems that are of major importance in developing the markets for biofortified seeds, crops and foods
• Identify the value chain and core transactions, key rules & supporting functions, and assess key constraints
• Monitor biofortified crops and food value chains to identify market failures and pressure points, and ways to make the chain more functional and efficient
• Facilitate the establishment and strengthening of seed sales outlets to ensure increased farmer access to biofortified seeds
• Create and strengthen market linkages for biofortified crops and foods; bridge the gap between demand and supply; promote the availability, accessibility and affordability of biofortified crops and foods
• Build capacities of partner companies and organisations on contract farming/out-grower management and aggregation/off-take of biofortified crops
• Provide technical content and support the development of training materials on Good Agronomic Practices including pest management, extension training delivery, post-harvest handling and processing, to support value chain actors
• Establish and manage model villages to become evidence based villages for biofortification

Value Chain monitoring and Data Collection:

• Carry out regular assessment of biofortified crops and foods value chain including market development opportunities, market prices, demand and supply interactions
• Work with the MELA Specialist to design and implement a robust data collection plan covering all value chain activities and actors including monitoring of market price, product quality, demand and supply linkages and differentials
• Work with the MELA Specialist to regularly review scope and targets for operational planning in alignment with the program Theory of Change (ToC), monitoring framework, results pathway and indicators
• Participate in results measurements including baseline studies, periodic evaluative studies and impact assessments
• Continually monitor and evaluate intervention activities - inputs and outputs, taking actions to correct course as necessary, and produce activity reports that supports decision making
• Perform other duties assigned by the Country Manager.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Agriculture, International Development or related discipline with at least Four (4) years’ work experience in activities related to agricultural commodities and rural development

Competencies
The ideal candidate must have:

• Proven knowledge of agricultural value chain players (especially cassava, maize, millet, sorghum, rice) and support service institutions in Nigeria
• Good understanding and interest in how markets and value chains work
• Strong project management expertise, exposure to implementing technical assistance projects, and ability to bring together sector stakeholders
• High degree of motivation, initiative, independence, reliability, adaptability, and professional maturity
• Strong commitment to gender sensitive, pro-poor development work and an ability to work in a multi-disciplinary and multi-national team
• Strong interpersonal/people management skills and excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent problem solving, analytical skills, networking and relationship-building skills
• Good working experience with DFID, BMGF and USAID funded programs
• Experience in working in Northern Nigeria and fluency in Hausa language are added advantage

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

Application Closing Date
3rd January, 2018.  

Method of Application
Interested applicants should complete the online application attaching detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format. The application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees which must include the applicant’s current or previous direct Supervisor, professional colleague and evidence of current remuneration package.

Click here to apply online

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