Agribusiness Specialist

Job Description

Agribusiness Specialist – Monrovia, Liberia

USAID Liberia’s programs operate within the US Foreign Assistance Framework for ‘rebuilding countries’ with the respective goal to: “Assist in the construction or reconstruction of key internal infrastructure and market mechanisms to stabilize the economy.” The Mission’s strategy focuses on ‘lifting Liberia’ to the next tier: i.e., from a rebuilding country to a developing country and beyond. As a contribution toward the achievement of this goal, the Food and Enterprise Development (FED) Program will be implemented to achieve the following component objectives:

- Component 1: Increase agricultural productivity and profitability and improve human nutrition;

- Component 2: Stimulate private enterprise growth and investment; and

- Component 3: Build local technical and managerial human resources to sustain and expand accomplishments achieved under objectives one and two.

The FED program is the USAID Mission’s principal mechanism to achieve the goals of its Feed the Future 2011-2015 Multi-Year Strategy.

Objective:

The long-term, resident Agribusiness Specialist is required to play a lead role on this program. The FED Agribusiness Specialist will lead Component One of the program, Increased Agriculture Productivity, and will be responsible for all activities related to the strengthening and expansion of agribusiness activities in the four key FED value chains (rice, cassava, peri-urban vegetable, and goats).

Responsibilities:

• Lead project development and strategic support in a wide variety of areas, including value chain development and upgrading strategies, improving access to agricultural inputs, agricultural extension, marketing, and peri-urban garden plot development;
• Oversee the efforts of agricultural programs in the four FED county offices, particularly focusing on value chain upgrading;
• Facilitate market driven linkages between agribusiness producers, wholesalers, processors, and markets within Liberia;
• Meet and liaise with relevant MoA staff, County Agriculture Coordinators, FAO, the private sector, and other donors working in agriculture to ensure synergies are created and resources are leveraged;
• Attend relevant meetings, technical working groups, conferences, etc. to share knowledge, coordinate programs, and promote FED’s work;
• Coordinate with the anticipated USAID infrastructure project (yet to be awarded) to identify and remove infrastructure constraints to agricultural production and flow of goods and services (products out to markets, and inputs and services into the rural farming areas);
• Conduct regular field visits to FED program sites located in the six FED target counties, to provide hands-on technical assistance and monitoring of program activities and implementation;
• Provide capacity building support and mentoring to FED Component One staff, including field-based staff in four county offices and other field locations as required;
• Identify STTA need (both international and local) and help to identity candidates when possible;
• Provide overall strategy, vision, and inputs for the Component One section of the annual workplan; and
• Contribute to FED M&E activities, including data collection and reporting in coordination with the FED M&E team

Qualifications:

• At least ten (10) years of professional work experience in agribusiness development with an emphasis on at least two of the following: building community-based organizations (e.g. co-ops, producer associations, marketing associations), value chain development, rural finance, regional/international trade policy.
• At least five (5) year working in a for-profit agribusiness
• Demonstrated experience with gender mainstreaming in agriculture projects.
• Past experience leading and building the capacity of teams of agriculture-focused staff, including remote, field-based staff, to meet program needs and deliverables.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including demonstrated advanced ICT skills.
• Demonstrated practical knowledge of regional agribusiness firms.
• Master’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural economics, or other related field is required
• Previous experience on USAID-funded agricultural/agribusiness development programs, including contributing to M&E, reporting, and designing and leading program activities.
• Experience working in West Africa and post-conflict countries is desirable; experience in Liberia is preferred.

This is an immediate opening. The ideal candidate will be able to mobilize in January 2013 at the latest.

About the Organization

DAI is an employee-owned global development company. For 40 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governments, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 60 countries. Our integrated development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines—crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS and disease control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.