IFDC Recruits Cluster Assistant in Abuja

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public
international organization
addressing critical issues such as
international food security, the alleviation of global hunger and
poverty, environmental protection and the promotion of economic
development and self-sufficiency.
IFDC focuses on increasing productivity across the
agricultural value chain in developing countries. This is achieved by
the creation and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop
nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

We are recruiting to fill the below position:

Job Title: Cluster Assistant

Location: Abuja
Project: Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE)
Duration: 1 year renewable contract
Grade: 8

Background
The program entitled “Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness
through Learning in Entrepreneurship” (2SCALE) aims at improving rural
livelihoods and food and nutrition security in Africa. It was created by
a consortium of partners, led by the International Fertilizer
Development Center (IFDC), and comprising the Base-of-the-Pyramid
Innovation Centre (BoPInc.) and the International Centre for
development-oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA). The program is
supported by a grant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (through the
Directorate-General for International Cooperation, DGIS) of the
Netherlands.

From 2012 to 2014, 2SCALE developed a portfolio of 53 public-private
partnerships in selected high-potential sectors in nine sub-Saharan
countries . From 2015 to 2017, 2SCALE will support its private partners
to deepen and scale-up these partnerships. The objective is to offer
significant opportunity to over 500,000 smallholder farmers to improve
their livelihoods and 2,500 SMEs to improve sales and provide jobs,
while sustainably supplying food to regional, national and local
markets, of which 40 percent will be BoP consumers.

The 2SCALE technical team is composed of country teams (Cluster Advisors
and Cluster Assistants) supported by cross-cutting thematic specialists
with a regional scope (access to finance; technical innovation; local
empowerment; BoP marketing; action-research in partnership development;
communications; grants; monitoring & evaluation). In each country
team, the Cluster Advisor is assisted by Cluster Assistant(s) in
developing and strengthening the partnership portfolio. To improve the
coordination, knowledge and skills required to deepen activities within
every partnership, the Cluster Advisor and Cluster Assistant(s) are
specifically assigned to one or several partnerships, for which they act
as an account manager – or Partnership Facilitator in the 2SCALE
framework.

2SCALE’s portfolio in Nigeria is composed of 6 active partnerships:

• Dairy Development Program, in partnership with FrieslandCampina WAMCO
• Cassava partnership, with Nigerian Breweries (Heineken) and Psaltry
• Vegetable partnership, led by East West Seed International and AACE Foods
• Soybean partnership championed by farmer cooperatives
• Maize partnership championed by farmer associations and cooperatives
• Groundnuts Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) pilot with women processors
• A 7th partnership is also under construction on rice in Benue state.
• As of July 2015, 2SCALE partnerships in Nigeria involved 27,240
  small-scale farmers (31% of whom are women), and 412 small & medium
  enterprises (including 139 SMEs led by women).
• The 2SCALE Nigeria team is comprised of 4 technical staff acting as
  Partnership Facilitators, under the overall supervision of the country
  Cluster Advisor. The repartition of the partnerships is as follows:
• Cluster Advisor, Partnership Facilitator for maize, soybean, and in charge of the collaboration with AACE Foods
• Dairy Public-Private Partnership Manager, facilitating the partnership in milk with FrieslandCampina
• Cassava Partnership Manager, facilitating the partnership in cassava with Nigerian Breweries (Heineken) and Psaltry
• Cluster Assistant, Partnership Facilitator for vegetables, rice and groundnuts.

This scope of work focuses on the latter position.

Duties

• The Cluster Assistant’s overall duty consist of assisting the
  Cluster Advisor in deepening and scaling the partnerships selected by
  2SCALE in the country.
• In Nigeria the Cluster Assistant is specifically in charge of
  supporting 2SCALE partners in the vegetable-, rice- and groundnut
  partnerships, to deepen and scale them.
• Deepening relates to the networks at local (agribusiness cluster)
  and regional (along the value chain) levels, and sets the stage for
  further scaling; scaling in turn is about the additional numbers of
  smallholder farmers that can be included in these networks, and the
  volumes of produce that flow through the value chains to targeted market
  segments.

Specific Duties include the following:

• Collect and analyze market and industry information related to focus partnerships.
• Lead gender analyses and empowerment interventions targeting vulnerable groups in focus partnerships, and document them.

Support cluster stakeholders to develop a solid strategy to reach their
shared ambition and scale the partnerships, in line with set targets,
which include but are not limited to the following:

• Vegetables: 21,000 smallholder farmers (incl. 7,500 women) and 25 SMEs (incl. 9 women-headed)
• Rice: 6,000 smallholder farmers (incl. 1,500 women) and 13 SMEs
• Groundnuts: 2,000 smallholder farmers (incl. 750 women) and 19 SMEs (incl.11 women-headed)
• Document field achievements, innovations, failures and lessons
  learned; share them in reports and integrate lessons learned into
  subsequent project activities.
• Write technical reports and notes as requested, in strict compliance with deadlines.
• In an autonomous way, collaborate (exchange of ideas and
  documents) with partnership facilitators in charge of similar
  partnerships in the other 2SCALE countries (West Africa, East &
  southern Africa).
• Identify and implement collaborative activities with other IFDC-led projects in Nigeria.
• Develop and ensure good working relationship with agribusiness partners and local authorities.
• Act as the Cluster Advisor when required to do so.
• Assist cluster actors in translating their strategy into business-driven cluster action plans.
• Develop grant sub-contracts as well as terms of reference for specific support activities with direct funding.
• Monitor the implementation of grant-funded activities through intensive field visits and coaching of grassroots partners.
• Ensure quality deliverables are submitted by grantees in compliance
  with grant sub-contracts. Approve technical deliverables and review
  financial deliverables. Initiate and monitor disbursement of grant
  installments by IFDC.
• Track private sector contributions and provide all required documentation in time to the project coordination.
• Develop, document and facilitate governance at the partnership level for the vegetable- and rice partnerships.
• Coordinate specific support provided by cross-cutting staff in focus
  partnerships, such as access to finance, technical innovation, local
  empowerment (ICRA), BoP marketing (BoPInc), communication,
  audit/coaching of (potential) grantees, monitoring and evaluation.

The Cluster Assistant is also responsible for any other assignments that
the Cluster Advisor or the project management deem necessary for the
success of the project:

Supervision

• The Cluster Assistant is supervised by and reports to the Cluster Advisor.
• S/he works in close collaboration with cross-cutting thematic specialists and the regional agribusiness coordinator.

Position and Duty Station

• The 2SCALE Nigeria Cluster Assistant is a national position with a duty station at IFDC’s office in Abuja.
• The position requires intensive travels (minimum 50% of the time) in
  target regions in Nigeria, and exceptionally to other 2SCALE countries.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Agriculture or Agribusiness. A degree in horticulture would be an added advantage.
• At least 6 years of relevant experience in agribusiness or
  agricultural development, with a minimum of 2 years of experience in
  horticulture.
• Work experience in the private sector (company or association) or with public-private partnerships would be a plus.
• Result-orientation and ability to take initiatives under minimal supervision, and reach targets.
• Excellent spoken and written English, with the ability to write quality documents.
• Proficiency in spoken Hausa (required). Additional proficiency in Yoruba is an advantage.
• Up-to-date knowledge of the agricultural sector in Nigeria, and in
  particular of value chains related to vegetables, rice and/or
  groundnuts.
• Good understanding of and work experience in value chain
  development, if possible in horticulture. Knowledge of inclusive
  agribusiness models.
• Experience with project result-based planning.
• Proven experience in organizing and facilitating capacity building
  programs (trainings, demonstrations, field visits, etc.) and other
  events for value chain stakeholders.

How to Apply
 
Interested and qualified candidates should send both their CV’s and cover letters to: ifdcnigeria@ifdc.org and barthur@ifdc.org

Note: Women willing and able to travel intensively are highly encouraged to apply.

 
Deadline 14th August, 2015.