Agri-food and Marketing Specialist - Socodevi

SOCODEVI contributes to improving the living conditions of communities by supporting the creation and strengthening of sustainable and inclusive cooperative or mutual companies.

Job Description

• Project management/Full time
• Experience Level: Senior Level
• Experience Length: 5 years
• Location: Kumasi, Ghana

Project Description

The TogetHER Project aims to empower women and young adults (18-30 years old) in rural cocoa-producing communities in the Ashanti and Western North regions of Ghana. Training and support will encourage collective savings, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion while contributing to the sustainable resilience of the cocoa sector and the equal distribution of economic benefits and opportunities.

This project aims to reduce gender gaps in the cocoa sector and encourage resource flows at the community level, so that cocoa cooperatives can become more inclusive, foster women and youth equal and effective participation and truly sustain their empowerment. Through this project, SOCODEVI is leading the way in transforming existing cooperatives to be more inclusive and resilient in collaboration with all levels of government in Ghana.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Project Director and working closely with the Principal Coordinator & Finance Specialist, the Agri-Food and Marketing Specialist will serve as a technical advisor to the TogetHER project relating to Food Security, Markets, Partnerships, and Innovations and will collaborate closely with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Department of Cooperatives, Ghana COCOBOD and Cooperatives.

Responsibilities may include:

• Mapping value chains, including gender dimensions, for food and agriculture products, and identifying possible points of intervention to improve efficiency and effectiveness;
• Identifying and promoting policies, laws, and regulations that favor agribusiness;
• Identifying sources of funding for agribusiness including debt, equity, and risk-sharing products;
• Analyzing and defining workforce and training needs for agribusinesses;
• Forging public-private partnerships involving commercial agribusiness and local producers or producer associations;
• Helping agribusinesses increase competitiveness and gain access to new markets by meeting market technical requirements such as food safety, regulatory and private standards;
• Promoting agro-entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, such as women, and promoting women’s participation at all levels of the value chains.

Required Skills or Experience

• This position requires a strong background (at least at M.Sc.) in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Agronomy with at least 5 years of relevant experience in Ghana’s forestry and agriculture sectors;
• Knowledge of the characteristics and functioning of value chains linking producers to consumers, including relevant policy issues and options (i.e., farm management implications of agribusiness value chains);
• Knowledge of the major international agribusinesses and the opportunities for partnership with them in pursuit of development objectives. Also, the financial requirements for agribusiness and options for meeting those requirements;
• Knowledge of issues around technical barriers to trade including food safety, certification, grades and standards and how they affect commercial opportunities. Also, the basics of food processing, marketing, and input/output distribution and the barriers that may inhibit women’s full participation in agribusiness enterprises;
• Team player with demonstrated interpersonal skills in presenting recommendations and negotiating solutions to disputed recommendations;
• Skill in written and oral communications (English and local languages) to develop and present clear and concise findings and analysis to supervisors, managers, and diverse audiences;
• Experience in project development and management, including planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and project reporting. Demonstrated ability in drafting scopes of work, reviewing proposals, and starting up new programs;
• Experience working with minimal oversight to accomplish complex and demanding tasks that require both technical and managerial expertise and the ability to independently conduct research, analysis, and reports that both inform and guide SOCODEVI’s program direction;
• Demonstrated experience in adult training (andragogy) and participatory methodologies in rural contexts;
• Experience in gender mainstreaming and/or knowledge of gender equality would be an asset;
• Support timely submission of project/progress reports and in the preparation of other reports as may be required;
• Advanced computer skills (Windows, MS Office, SharePoint).