Senior Agriculture Expert

Job Description

Position: Senior Agriculture Expert

Location: Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia or Vietnam

The Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) is currently seeking a Senior Agriculture Expert to serve as a technical lead consultant on a proposal for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s anticipated Food For Progress project in Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia or Vietnam. The two key objectives of Food for Progress are to: 1) improve agricultural productivity; and 2) expand trade of agricultural products. The consultant will work closely with FSVC’s relevant proposal teams to conduct the tasks listed below. All deliverables will be completed by the consultant in compliance with FSVC processes.

Responsibilities:

• Leverage existing professional contacts to facilitate high-level introductions and build strategic partnerships, particularly with government ministries, private sector firms, agricultural cooperatives, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other key stakeholders.
• Support the proposal team in designing the strategic and technical approach, activities, monitoring and evaluation plans, budget, and cost proposal narratives.
• Collaborate with international and in-country consultants, as well as Home Office-based proposal team members, during capture planning and live proposal development.
• Assist technical writers by providing detailed reviews, inputs, comments, and ground truthing of technical drafts.
• Engage stakeholders, including private sector entities, government representatives, investment stakeholders, major agribusinesses, local and international organizations, donor-funded projects, and other relevant entities to inform the technical approach and proposal strategy.
• Prepare detailed written notes from stakeholder interviews, including full contact details, within 24 hours following each meeting.
• Regularly coordinate with the proposal team, adapting capture strategies as necessary.
• Conduct cost-benefit analyses of selected agricultural value chains in target areas.
• Undertake additional relevant tasks as required. 
• Ability to travel within the country if needed to conduct stakeholder engagement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong professional network and demonstrated ability to leverage contacts for strategic stakeholder engagement.
• Degree in Agricultural Engineering, Agro-Economics, or related fields, with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience.
• Resident in Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia or Vietnam, with proven experience in agricultural consultancy within the local context.
• Demonstrated experience drafting proposals or providing technical contributions to USDA or comparable U.S. Government-funded projects.
• Previous involvement in implementing USDA or similar U.S. Government-funded agriculture projects preferred.

Application deadline and requirements: By April 30, 2025, applicants are asked to submit their resume in English to hr@fsvc.org with the email title “Senior Agriculture Expert – [Insert Country Name]”. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

About the Organization

The Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) is a not-for-profit, private-public partnership whose mission is to help build sound banking and financial systems in transition and developing countries. Sound financial infrastructure, together with the rule of law, is necessary to mobilize domestic savings, attract foreign investment, deepen international trade linkages, and create conditions that promote lasting economic opportunity. FSVC was founded in 1990 by the late Cyrus Vance, former U.S. Secretary of State, and John Whitehead, former Co-Chairman of Goldman Sachs and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, at the request of President George H. W. Bush. FSVC?s Board is currently chaired by Mr. Whitehead. Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, is the Honorary Chairman of the Board. John Walker, a partner at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett and a leading international lawyer, serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board. FSVC?s President and CEO is Andrew Spindler. FSVC?s core work concentrates on strengthening commercial banking systems, developing central bank capabilities, and building capital markets. Major additional areas of work include the legal framework for the financial system, payments system development, pension reform, and the combating of money laundering and financial corruption. FSVC structures practical, results-oriented technical assistance and training missions staffed by financial sector practitioners who serve as unpaid volunteers. Over the past fifteen years, more than 7,000 experts from the financial, legal and regulatory communities have taken part in more than 1,400 FSVC missions, reaching nearly 30,000 counterparts in 30 developing and transition countries. By recruiting currently employed professionals at the peak of their careers to serve as volunteers, FSVC is able to provide technical assistance that is objective, independent and state-of-the-art. In addition, recipients of FSVC?s assistance develop valuable professional relationships with volunteers and establish institutional linkages with sponsoring institutions. These institutional linkages provide significant additional benefit to counterparts over the long term. FSVC-arranged assistance is also highly cost-effective: FSVC has delivered over $175 million in technical assistance by leveraging the pro bono service of expert volunteers, more than triple the amount of U.S. Government grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and State.