National Agribusiness Cluster Advisor at The International Fertilizer Development Center IFDC

Job Title: National Agribusiness Cluster Advisor

Employer: The International Fertilizer Development Center IFDC

Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya

Application Deadline: 31st Oct 2013

IFDC is a Public International Organization that focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in developing countries.

IFDC seeks to employ a National Agribusiness Cluster Advisor to coordinate the in-country implementation of a market development project called 2SCALE (Towards Strategic Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship).

The International Fertilizer Development Center Plans to recruit a National Agribusiness Cluster Advisors in Kenya and several other East and Southern African Countries. 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.

The National Agribusiness Cluster Advisors will coordinate the in-country implementation of a market development project called 2SCALE (Towards Strategic Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship). Activities involve identification, development and implementation of so-called agribusiness clusters.

These clusters are defined as a collaboration between all actors needed to build profitable value chains (Producers and their organizations, input suppliers, finance suppliers, processors – warehousing – value addition, traders – buyers – market-parties, business development services, others).

The agribusiness cluster approach is designed to support rural smallholders move from subsistence to farming as a business through a sustainable improvement in productivity and quality leading to marketable surpluses to increase family incomes.

The Kenya National Agribusiness Cluster Advisor will lead the  identification of profitable agricultural market opportunities and  local business service providers who can support agribusiness clusters that want to target profitable agricultural market opportunities, the facilitation of discussions between value-chain actors that lead to formal contractual agreements that are mutually beneficial to the parties involved, and the provision of support to value chain actors in business plan development.

As a Public International Organization, IFDC's role is to facilitate the development of sustainable agribusiness clusters, and to support the introduction of agricultural technologies that both improve quality and increase productivity on a consistent basis.

Advisors will act as facilitators and coordinate the agribusiness cluster activities, 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.

He/she will be on the front line in facilitating the emergence of agribusiness clusters and will work with partners to ensure a farmer-driven, bottom-up, participatory process

The National Agribusiness Cluster Advisors will report to the Regional Agribusiness Coordinator based in Nairobi.

Scope of Work
• Facilitate strategy development and decision-making related to the project (e.g. regions, commodities) within the target country, effectively involving all important stakeholders. This includes assisting targeted producer organizations.
• Implement approved project activities that are proposed at the sub-national (i.e. cluster and chain) level, which will include:
• Identification and preparation of contracts with sub-contractors and partner institutions at the national and sub-national level.
• Training of targeted business development service providers on relevant issues – i.e. directly linked to their core business – related to agribusiness cluster formation and commodity chain development.
• Networking between agribusiness cluster actors and other stakeholders.
• Facilitation of up and downstream linkages between agribusiness clusters and regional/ international market segments of the targeted commodity value chains.
• Facilitation of marketing studies – aiming to strengthen linkages between producers, local entrepreneurs and end-markets.
• Facilitation of value-adding processing, storage and marketing activities.
• Facilitation of learning and extension at the agri-business cluster level, including implementation of learning plot activities (e.g. Integrated Soil Fertility Management options) and development of learning centers.
• Representing IFDC and the 2SCALE project at relevant national meetings and workshops.
• Assist with the identification of core-teams at the national level.
• Write and submit stipulated reports to the Regional Agribusiness Coordinator and relevant staff and partners of IFDC.
• Integrate lessons learned into subsequent project activities.
• Any other assignments that the Regional Agribusiness Coordinator deems necessary for the project implementation and review.
Please Include A Cover Letter Describing Your Motivation For Pursuing This Position.

Required Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively with value-chain actors at all levels involved in the project and to stimulate a genuinely participatory process
• Experience in the private sector, and a private sector orientation
• Degree in an agricultural or business field
• Good communication and reporting skills in English
• Ability to coordinate training programs and other events
• Ability to work independently and to take initiative
• Willing to travel extensively in Kenya and East and Southern Africa
• Excellent skills to work in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment

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