TAAT Cassava Value Chain Coordinator (Ref: DDG-R4D/TAAT/VCC/01/18)
Background: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of TAAT Cassava Value Chain Coordinator.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Please visithttp://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.
Project Information
The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is a program initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative. The main objective of the program is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within 8 Priority Intervention Areas. The program will be implemented by IITA in close collaboration with other CGIAR Centers, FARA, AGRA, national agricultural research and extension systems and private sector partners. It will involve close partnership between the AfDB and other developmental partners such as the World Bank, BMGF, USAID and others. This position shall be part of the Commodity Technology Delivery Compact (CTDC) which is part of the Regional Technology Delivery Infrastructure (RTDI) of TAAT.
The Project Management Unit will oversee day-to-day implementation of project fiduciary and administrative activities; organize the transfer of project resources to the institutions leading the commodity value chains; coordinate the compilation and review of reports from value chains and enablers for submission to the Bank; and elaborate/implement administrative and financial management guidelines/template to be used across.
Position Responsibilities
The tasks of the TAAT Cassava Value Chain Coordinator will include:
Main Responsibility:
• Lead the Commodity Technology Delivery Compact (CTDC) of Cassava Value Chain and the development of all necessary submissions for approval by the TAAT Clearinghouse.
Specific Duties and Responsibility:
• Oversee day-to-day management and implementation of cassava value chain compact activities in close collaboration with country value chain implementation teams.
• Guide the Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to prepare food technology outreach campaigns for the CTDC for submission to the Clearinghouse of the Reginal Technology Delivery Infrastructure (RTDI)
• Prepare and submit from the CTDC a list of technologies to be deployed and the resources required, to the RTDI, specifically the Project Steering Committee (PSC) through the Clearinghouse who will review and approve the appropriate technologies.
• Lead in undertaking the activities of the CTDC which include: agreeing with RMCs on approaches to deploy technologies, defining target areas, mobilizing all actors across the value chain and designing and implementing wide-scale farmer extension models
• Facilitate the implementation of these value chain activities in all target countries and participate in the monitoring of progress made towards achieving the value chain and TAAT set goals.
• Provide support to all value chain public and private sector partners in each participating country and ensure that they are fully and actively engaged.
• Establish good linkages with lead compact institution to ensure that administrative support is provided for fiduciary services such as procurement and financial management.
• In close consultation and collaboration with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) ensure that capacity is built in all needed areas for various stakeholders within the value chain.
• In close consultation and collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), ensure that all policy related issues that can affect value chain transformation within target countries are effectively addressed.
• Support the development of young Agripreneurs (youth in-agriculture) through demonstration and training in close collaboration with the ENABLE-TAAT Compact of TAAT.
• Ensure that quarterly and annual consolidated technical and financial reports for the compact are prepared and submitted to the program management unit on schedule.
• Present the activities, results, impacts and outcomes of the value chain at professional, donor and other stakeholders’ meetings
• Carry out any other duties as may be assigned by the Program Management and/or Institutional management office to meet the objectives of the cassava value chain.
Educational Qualifications and Experience:
• The candidate should have a Post graduate degree in agronomy, agricultural extension, agricultural sciences, food technology, agricultural marketing or a field closely related to the cassava value chain.
• At least 10 years of professional work experience in agricultural commodity value chain development or a closely related role, at least 5 of which should be in Africa.
Core Competencies
• Experience in establishing necessary contacts and partnerships with public and private institutions, strategic stakeholders and donors in the RMCs.
• Experience in resource mobilization for commodity value chain development will be an added advantage.
• Experience in project management especially with African Development Bank projects will be an added advantage.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English with good working knowledge of French is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to write, publish, and disseminate technical reports, success stories, and promotional materials; and
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multi-cultural environment.
Duty Station: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
General information: The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.
Applications: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work).
The application should be addressed to the Head, Human Resources Service. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/career
Closing Date: 23rd February 2018
IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Source: The Guardian 02 February 2018