Kenya: Agribusiness Officer

The International Potato Center (CIP) is seeking an AgriBusiness Officer for upcoming Phase 2 of Feed the Future Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD) project – potato value chain component to be based in Nairobi, with possibility of Meru Town.

The Center: CIP is a not-for-profit international agricultural research-for-development organization with a focus on potato, sweetpotato, and Andean roots and tubers. Its vision is of roots and tubers improving the lives of the poor. CIP is dedicated to achieving food security, improved well-being, and gender equity for poor people in root and tuber farming and food systems of the developing world. CIP works with partners to contribute high quality science, technology, and capacity strengthening for sustainable science-based solutions. CIP is headquartered in Lima, Peru, with staff and activities in over 30 locations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. CIP is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers who are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. The CIP Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) main regional office is in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Assignment: Under the AVCD project, CIP is working in close collaboration with county governments to develop and support potato marketing cooperatives, youth groups and seed businesses (collectively referred to as potato businesses) to develop into functioning businesses. The cooperatives, youth groups and seed businesses are based in Meru county, and Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties of the North Rift and are registered as businesses. They have been trained and produced business plans and now they are in place to implement their business plans. In Meru county. A union comprised of eight cooperatives was also newly formed in 2018.

Under the AVCD project, the AgriBusiness Officer will be responsible to work with the cooperatives, youth groups and seed multipliers to support them to implement their business plans to become operational and profitable.

The responsibilities of the successfulcandidate are to:

• Work with each potato business to support in implementing their business plans;
• Support the potato business with business training as required;
• Work with the Meru Potato Union to support the Union to become operational;
• Support the potato business to access markets: formal, traders, informal, etc;
• Support the potato business to access financing to support their business plans;
• Support the potato business to develop group savings schemes for cooperative members.

The successful applicant will have:

• An MSc in AgriBusiness or other related discipline;
• At least eight years post MSc experience working with agricultural cooperatives demonstrating capacity to strengthen cooperatives and other farming group;
• In depth understanding of the business/accounting capacities needed to develop farmers and agricultural cooperatives into professional businesses;
• Proven experience linking farmer businesses to diverse types of markets;
• Proven experience linking farmer businesses to finance;
• Proven experience developing group savings plans within farmer groups;
• Proven experience training farmers and cooperatives in business skills, specific experience with farmers involved in seed production as a business is an asset;
• Proven experience developing training program to develop numeracy capacities of smallholder farmers;
• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Conditions: The employment contract is subject to funding approval and the duration of the contract will be for a one year term with a possibility of renewal subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance. The projected start date is 1st February 2019.

Applications: Applicants should apply online through our CIP’s Job Opportunities website (http://cipotato.org/open-vacancies/ ), including a letter of motivation, a full C.V with the names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. Screening of applications will begin on November 30, 2018 and will continue until the post is filled. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Learn more about CIP by accessing our web site athttp://www.cipotato.org

CIP is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified women and professionals are particularly encouraged to apply

CIP does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). CIP also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.