Consultancy for Embedded Advisor

Job Description

Background

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we are working to sustainably grow Africa’s food systems.

AGRA, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is implementing a 5-year program, Youth Engagement for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA). This program aims to catalyse dignified and fulfilling work for young people, especially young women, and disadvantaged groups, through the growth of inclusive food systems and agriculture value chains. The AGRA Rwanda country strategy recognizes that the success of young entrepreneurs in agriculture hinges on a well-coordinated ecosystem that provides the support they need. However, this ecosystem often experiences weaknesses, including broken links that can hinder youth entrepreneurship in agriculture.

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (through the Rwanda Cooperative Agency - RCA) are implementing a project to unlock youth employment opportunities by strengthening Rwanda’s agricultural cooperative ecosystem.

Key objectives of the project include:

• Developing a national database on agricultural cooperatives/SMEs for data-driven decision-making
• Delivering tailored business development services to smallholder farmers and cooperative
• Increasing youth and women’s participation in cooperatives, enhancing their access to finance through digital lending solutions

Objectives

The Embedded Advisor will:

• Provide technical expertise to deepen youth participation in agricultural cooperatives
• Support RCA in implementing data-driven interventions for youth employment
• Strengthen partnerships between cooperatives, financial institutions, and agribusinesses
• Ensure effective project management, monitoring, and reporting

Qualifications and Experience

The required consultant should have the following attributes:

Education

• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, Business Administration, or related field

Required Experience

• 5+ years in cooperative development or youth employment programs
• Experience with agricultural value chains and digital finance solutions
• Strong data analysis and project management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Rwanda’s cooperative sector
• Experience working with RCA or similar institutions
• Good technical and hands-on IT skills with above average expertise with various computer applications (MS Office, Teams, Databases et cetera)

About the Organization

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