Inclusive Agribusiness Advisor – Soil Values- Office of Programs

About IFDC

IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.

Position summary

The Inclusive Agribusiness Advisor is responsible for analyzing the business cases for each bundle and technologies the program promotes (to mainstream sustainable soil management in the Sahel region) together with the implementing partners. He/she will coordinate with the relevant Soil Value staff and partners to undertake the cost-benefit analysis of the key interventions both at the program and watershed level. Coordinates exchange and provide technical backstopping to the Soil Value staff and Local implementing partners.

Responsibilities

Specific task

• Assess opportunities for developing inclusive business models using the technologies/innovations promoted by the program and its partners;

• Provide "thought leadership" on how (product/ process, technological/ institutional) innovations promoted to enhance soil fertility can be diagnosed from commercial viability and inclusivity point of view;

• Develop a framework to support SMEs and MSMEs engaged in the distribution of inputs (seeds, fertilizer, farm equipment), services (extension, financial solutions), and technology, in relation to promoting sustainable soil management, in order to develop inclusive and commercially viable business models that offer a competitive playing field and maximize impact on local and regional food systems;

• Co-lead the leveraging activities of the program through private sector engagement;

• Support the Local Implementing Partners (LIP) and farmers-based associations to develop a service provision model that can be sustained without any public support in the long term;

• Coordinate and/ or support country and regional level analyses to identify opportunities for inclusive business and/ or to deepen understanding of competitive determinants of selected value chains that can be used to increase the rate of return (investment) for the smallholder farmers on their soil;

• Identify, group and list key value chain operators and to appraise relationships (e.g., relations between potential consumer markets/ segments and processors/ traders, between processors/ traders and farmers, among farmers themselves, and between agro-input suppliers and farmers, etc.);

• Coordinate market related interventions agreed upon at the partnership/watershed level. These activities may include the following:

• Organize Market insights research, interpret insights and translate into advice to the SMEs, MSMEs, farmers based organizations and other relevant stakeholders;

• Implement strategy workshop(s) with business actors/leads and relevant stakeholders to develop marketing & last mile input distribution strategy;

• Integrate, together with other SV staff, market (both input & Output) activities in partnership(watershed) related action plans, and secure budget for implementation through the leveraging strategy of the program;

• Build capacities (technical & organizational) through business model canvas (or any other marketing strategy) workshops and design/ implement follow-up activities, including empowerment programs.

Requirements

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in business management, agribusiness, & economics;

• Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in inclusive business development activities in West Africa;

• Proven track record in developing business models for inputs and output markets;

• Ability to understand marketing trends and develop strategies to tap market opportunities;

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders;

• Experience in multicultural & multilingual environments;

• Fluency in speaking and writing English and French;

• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the West African region.

Reporting and Work Relationships

The Inclusive Agribusiness Advisor is supervised by Deputy Program Director Partnerships. She / he benefits from the coaching of the Program Director and the other Deputy Program Directors. She / he works in close collaboration with the Broker lead, Country Coordinators and Soil Values colleagues from other consortium members and Knowledge partners.

Location

This is a national recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC office based in one of the Soil Value focus countries (Burkina, Mali, Niger or Nigeria).

Benefits

IFDC's benefits include annual and sick leave, health and group life insurance coverage, a 13th-month salary, social security and pension contribution in compliance with local laws and end-of-contract benefits.

Salary Clause

The salary grade for this position is BG 9 with a monthly salary of $2599.00

The determination of new employee salaries takes into account various factors. These include the salary range linked to the assigned job grade, the candidate's qualifications in relation to the job's responsibilities and prerequisites, internal fairness, the competitive state of the job market, as well as potential organizational and budgetary considerations.

Diversity Clause

IFDC is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe in the value of bringing together people with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. All employment decisions at IFDC are made on the basis of ability, performance, and organizational need, in alignment with our values of fairness, respect, and opportunity for all.

About Program/Project

Soil Values (SV) is a 10-year program funded by the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS). The goal of the project is to address soil fertility constraints and achieve sustainable management of soil fertility in a way that contributes to ecologically sustainable improvements in food productivity and to increase resilience of small-scale food producers in the Sahel.

A consortium consisting of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), and Wageningen University (WUR) has secured funding from DGIS for the Soil Values program expected to be implemented from 2024 to 2033 in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Northern Nigeria. This consortium is complemented by five knowledge partners – AGRA, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), ISRIC – World Soil Information, and International Water Management Institute (IWMI), all of which are recognized leaders in their respective fields.