Individual Consultant: Lead Crops

Job Description

Background

AGRA is an African-led alliance focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Founded in 2006, at a time when agricultural development was emerging from a 20-year decline characterized by minimal growth and investment in the sector, AGRA’s mission is to catalyze and sustain an agricultural transformation in Africa through innovation-driven productivity increases and access to markets and finance that improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

The African Agricultural Transformation Initiative AATI is an initiative co-founded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), McKinsey & Company, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI) on July 5, 2022 that seeks to establish new and strengthen existing national delivery mechanisms to support agricultural transformation policies and programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa. Collaborating in the transition of the management of AATI’s Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO) operations in Tanzania from IFAD, AGRA and IFAD signed a Contribution Agreement on April 17, 2025, where AGRA has agreed to host and support the ongoing activities of Tanzania ATO based on the workplan and budget and in alignment with national agricultural priorities. As part of this agreement, AGRA wishes to engage a consultant for the position of Lead Crop Expert to work in Tanzania ATO as per the terms and conditions of this agreement, Terms of Reference, and Tanzania ATO Workplan.

It is against the above backdrop; AGRA invites qualified consultants to submit proposals to provide Consultancy for Lead Crops Expert. Key deliverables, required competencies, and other essential details are provided below.

Objectives

1. The Lead Crops Expert will be responsible for designing and implementing all matters related to the development of crop value chains within the ATO.

2. Overall, the lead crops expert will be responsible for developing and managing the crop value chain knowledge and expertise to the ATO team, monitor progress and provide technical backstopping on cluster interventions across the entire value chain from input and production to markets at the regional level. The Lead Crops expert will also support the diagnosis, design and implementation of ATO’s strategies and interventions.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

• MSc degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Crop Protection, Plant Breeding, Plant Science and related fields

Experiences

• Minimum ten (10) years of relevant experience in the field
• Practical experience on linking farmers’ groups with potential markets.
• Practical experience in implementing solutions at the local level and the zeal to work with rural communities to change their situations.
• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operational activities
• Additional experience in market intelligence is a plus.
• Deep understanding of Tanzania’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and informal actors operate within the system.
• Demonstrable track record in program and systems design and implementation

Languages

• Excellent level (written and verbal) English and Kiswahili is required.

Skills

• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service
• Strong team player with excellent people management skills
• Ability to work and perform under pressure and changing environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills including thorough knowledge and understanding of various institutions in Tanzania; extensive experience in facilitating dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a passion for transforming agriculture and improving the lives of small holder farmers.
• Excellent skills in networking, partnerships, collaboration and alliance building
• Very good Knowledge of Tanzania
• Sensitivity to gender and environmental issues
• Willingness to undertake frequent field visits.

About the Organization

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