Program Officer – Agribusiness Development

AATF is an international not-for-profit organisation that facilitates and promotes public/private partnerships to promote food security and enhance livelihoods of smallholder farmers in SSA. AATF works with African governments, private and public technology owners and developers, NGOs, seed companies and African smallholder farmers to identify and access technologies that address farmers’ key problems and empower them through availability of a choice of agricultural innovations that generate wealth and health for their families and communities. AATF is a registered charity under the laws of England and Wales and has host country status with the Government of Kenya. The Foundation depends on the ongoing support and collaboration of different partners and investors to meet its objectives.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Manager: Agribusiness, Policy and Commercialization, the officer shall provide technical support on Agribusiness Development, conduct baseline and feasibility studies, and drafting concept notes, business plans, market and impact assessment for all AATF projects.

Functions / Key Results Expected

• Project Business plan development
• Designing of training modules for Value Chain Actors and implementation of training.
• Designing and implementing scaling and commercialization approaches for last mile delivery.
• Technical backstopping and quality control ensuring quality of the data collected and proper analysis considering the context.
• Contribute to the identification of constraints and barriers (financial, technology, infrastructure, human resources/skills, marketing, regulatory, policy, institutional) that must be addressed and devise strategies for implementation of the prioritized actions/recommendations.
• Build linkages with other value chain development partners / actors for synergies and complementarities.
• Contribute to the appraisal of capacity-building needs related to the development, competitiveness, inclusiveness and improved impacts of agribusiness and value chain development; and contribute to developing training materials and to training courses and activities.
• Play lead role in Agribusiness planning, market assessment and programmatic guidance for the partners.
• Establishment of a viable market information systems for use by value chain actors.
• Identify, analyze and recommend the resources, skills and capacities of small farmers under each prioritized commodity emanating from AATF projects.
• Identify and compile recommendations for the capacity development of producers and associations to access financial and other services and resources.
• Analyze the current livelihoods practices and income generating occupations of the target communities/groups/associations and suggest socially acceptable, and economically viable approaches/techniques for sustainable and diversified income generating options.
• Develop linkages between market and value chain players to strengthen public private partnership for marketing of agricultural products.
• Analyze technical and policy issues, strategies and programmes to support the development, competitiveness, inclusiveness and improved impacts of agribusiness, food systems and value chain development.
• Planning, Design, and implementation of Feasibility Studies
• Working closely with the Monitoring, evaluation Accountability and learning (MEAL) to implement studies.
• Report writing, filing and fiduciary support to the Unit.

Competencies

• Ability to build and sustain relationships with key constituents (donors, research institutions, media, government institutions, etc.)
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral environment.
• High-level interpersonal and cross-cultural skills including ability to build alliances and collaborative relationships with sensitivity to diversity.
• Ability to maintain high standards of integrity; establish straightforward, productive relationships; treating individuals with fairness and respect.
• Excellent technical writing and editing skills.
• Fluency in English. Knowledge of French or Portuguese would be an added advantage

Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics/Agribusiness Management or any other related and equivalent disciplines from a recognized institution of higher learning

Experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in Agricultural value chains at the national or international level in providing business and management development services, hands-on experience in design and implementation of development projects.
• Documented experience in conducting baseline, feasibility and market studies and impact assessments.
• Experience and knowledge in various agricultural Technologies.
• Proven experience linking farmer businesses to diverse types of market.
• Extensive experience working in and with the private sector, market systems approach, inclusive business/market models, and public-private partnerships.
• Professional experience with agro-based private sector entities.
• Practical experience in socioeconomic quantitative and qualitative data analysis using statistical analysis software such as STATA, R, SPSS etc.
• Experience in technical writing with proven ability to write high quality technical reports, policy briefs and journal articles.