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Position Title: Agribusiness Cluster Specialist- People Performance Group-Uganda,Jobs in Uganda,
Organisation:The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Primary Location:Kabale regional office.
Job type: Full time
Primary Location: Kabale
Experience : 5 (Years)
Job Type : Full Time
Application Deadline : April 25, 2014 - 5pm
Brief Company Profile:
The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a Public
International Organization governed by an international board of directors with
representation from developed and developing nations. The non-profit center
focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in
developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and
environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise. IFDC
is recruiting staff for the 4-year CATALIST-Uganda Project, funded by the
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kampala.
IFDC is recruiting one Agribusiness Cluster Specialist (ABC Specialist) to
be based in the Kabale regional office. The role of the ABC specialist is to
oversee the development of agribusiness clusters for priority the
commodity—Irish potato—as well as crops grown in association with these potato
(usually as rotations). The ABC Specialist will coordinate the identification,
training, and activation of agribusiness clusters (ABCs). ABCs are defined as a
all actors collaborating to build profitable value chains (producers and their
organizations, input suppliers, financial service providers, processors –
warehousing – value addition, traders – buyers – market-parties, business
development services, others). The agribusiness cluster approach is designed to
support rural smallholders to move from subsistence farming to farming-as-a-business
through a sustainable improvement in productivity and quality, leading to
marketable surpluses and increased family incomes.
The Agribusiness Cluster Specialist will be responsible for translating
value chain opportunities into viable businesses in their region of operation.
S/he will facilitate and coordinate
the formation of ABCs, then facilitate agribusiness cluster interactions
between value-chain actors that lead to agreements that are mutually beneficial
to the parties involved, and provide support to value chain actors in business
plan development. With the assistance of the project ABC Advisor based in
Kampala,
s/he will be liaise with larger companies (including national and Dutch
agribusinesses) and facilitate their contacts with cluster actors, and will
also work with financial service providers to develop financial instruments for
the various actors.
S/he will identify local business
service providers who can support agribusiness clusters that want to target
profitable agricultural market opportunities.
S/he will be supported by technical expertise available within IFDC and
partner organizations, including commercial companies that are partnering with
IFDC in the development of viable agribusiness clusters. The ABC specialist
will work closely with project agronomists, also regionally based.
Responsibilities:
• Participate in the identification, analysis and evaluation of farmers’
constraints and in the assessment of the potential impact of a range of
technological solutions in their region of operation.
• Organize agribusiness clusters at various levels, and train cluster
participants to identify and exploit business opportunities.
• Carry out feasibility studies and formulate business plans.
• Identify and recommend a range of on- and off-farm services, as well as
service providers, required to facilitate the adoption of
productivity-enhancing products and the commercialization of farm surpluses.
• Contribute in the design of strategies to strengthen the linkages between
farmers’ associations, the private sector, government and civil society
organizations.
• Facilitate market driven linkages between agribusiness producers,
wholesalers, processors, and markets within Uganda.
• Conduct regular field visits to project sites provide hands-on technical
assistance and monitoring of program activities and implementation.
• Provide capacity building support and mentoring to field-based
Agribusiness Cluster Specialists as required.
• Contribute to M&E activities, including data collection and
reporting, in coordination with the project M&E and Innovations Advisor.
Basic Qualifications:
• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (business, agriculture,
economics, etc.)
• Intimate knowledge of the private sector, government and non-government
organizations and farmer associations in their area of operation.
• Experience in organizing farmers into larger clusters, involving other
cluster actors.
• Knowledge of value chain(s) for priority commodity(s) in their area of
operation.
• Practical knowledge of Uganda the private sector.
• Experience with gender mainstreaming in projects highly desirable.
• Good networking skills; existing relations with government, private, and
NGO value chain actors.
• Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide
variety of stakeholders, including the private sector, other projects, local
governments and international agencies.
• Previous experience agricultural/agribusiness development programs
desirable.
• Proven record of achieving development impacts in a similar context.
• Strong management, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Good communication and reporting skills in English
• Knowledge of one or more languages spoken in area of operation.
• Ability to work independently and to take initiative.
• Willing to travel extensively in region of operation
Mode of Application:
To apply please send CV with 3 referees including copies of certificates to
the e-mail address below . Only e-mail applications are accepted. Please mark
the subject field: “PPG – Position name”, where you replace “Position name”
with the position you are applying for. Attachments may not fill more than 2
MB.
application@ppg.co.ug
