Summary
Date Posted: Saturday, June 03 2023, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Vacancy for ambitious and knowledgeable professionals
with a passion for rural development
• We are Agriterra, a Dutch agri-agency that provides business development services to ambitious cooperatives and farmer organisations in developing and emerging economies. We assist them with advice and training by locally based business advisors and by deploying practitioners from the Dutch and international farmer organisations and (cooperative) companies. We apply a three-track approach: We make cooperatives bankable and create real farmer-led companies, we improve extension services to farmer members and we enhance farmer-government dialogues. Our advisory practice covers the full range of services on management & organization, financial management, governance, business development and lobby & advocacy.
• Agriterra is looking for a highly motivated cooperative advisor to support the implementation of the project Increased maize value chain efficiency in Rwanda.

Background information on the project Increased maize value chain efficiency in Rwanda
• Africa Improved Foods (AIF) produces fortified foods for infants and breast-feeding women in Rwanda and aims to source at least 50% of its raw materials domestically. However, at present the poor quality of local maize (aflatoxin contamination) prevents the company to reach its objective. The project aims to eliminate aflatoxin from Rwanda’s maize value chain by making the value chain more efficient. This will lead to improved food quality, less postharvest losses, increased farmer income and reduced malnutrition. The goal of the project is to connect local maize producer organizations to the supply chain of Africa Improved Foods, a fortified food producer in Kigali which is currently facing difficulties with finding quality maize in Rwanda. This is an RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) funded SDGP project with the timeline of July 2019 to June 2024.

Position of Cooperative advisor
• The Cooperative Advisor will be based in the Agriterra Kigali office and will support the implementation of the SDGP Maize project. This position requires an experienced person with multi-annual experience in cooperative development in the maize sector, with a high degree of independence, integrity and problem solving skills. The Cooperative advisor is expected to contribute to the overall management and implementation of project activities that include but are not limited to provide business advisory services to the maize cooperatives in the project and facilitate them in access to market and finance.
• To ensure that the project objectives are achieved in full, the job holder will be required to establish a great cooperation and communication with the project team, liaise directly with project partners (i.e. Africa Improved Foods, Sight and Life and local government) and other key maize value chain partners.

Duties
• Provide regular business advisory services to project affiliated cooperatives
• Plan, implement and monitor project activities and progress
• Support data collection for all project activities
• Fill timely the project information and achieved results in the Agriterra data system.
• Facilitate the access to finance and market access of the cooperatives.
• Facilitate the organization of meetings, training and other events which are related to the project.
• Timely and adequately report Agriterra intervention activities in the project
• Analyze in the logical framework and come up with concrete suggestions to address the identified short comings before the project ends.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on project progress based on project activities and indicators.
• Carrying out periodic evaluation and highlighting any project problems/issues arising.
• Work closely with the local government where the project is being implemented and if necessary represent Agriterra in different government/ stakeholder meetings related to the project.
• Facilitate the roll out and follow up of cooperative trainings
• Attending monthly and quarterly Agriterra team meetings to present and assess the achievement and progress of the project.
• Create and maintain a good working relationship with all project partners, namely Africa Improved Foods , Sight and Life, the local government, maize cooperatives etc..
• Analyze the results achievement by project cooperatives and provide adequate advice or recommendations to both Agriterra and project partners.
• To carry out other relevant tasks as assigned.

Expected results
• Improved business performance of project affiliated cooperatives
• Improved data recording and timely update on progress achievements versus target.
• Accessible and up to date SDGP Maize project data information in Agriterra Agro Info Net system
• Increased adherence to the crop insurance scheme by cooperatives in the project
• Great collaboration with all project partners
• Improved governance and business development within cooperatives

Education, experience and skills
• At least a Master’s degree in Agribusiness and related field
• At least 5 years' experience in a comparable position in maize value chain.
• Demonstrable experience with the Farm to Market Alliance or comparable market coordination initiative in the maize sector.
• Demonstrable experience in working for projects supporting smallholder farmers within the maize value chain.
• Strongly developed analytical abilities and commercial insight.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• A robust personality combined with the ability to work independently
• Good command of Microsoft office
• Good knowledge of two of the following languages: English and Kinyarwanda

Performance evaluation
• The advisor will work under supervision of the Project Manager and he/she will support and work closely with the Agriterra Cooperative Advisors of the Rwanda and Great Lakes team. Evaluation of the performance of the advisor will be done by the country team, under supervision of the Country Representative of Agriterra in Rwanda in order to establish areas of further development. A final evaluation will be done at the end of the contract period.

General conditions
• The duty station is Kigali with frequent travels to the cooperative’ locations;
• There will be close cooperation and communication with other Cooperative advisors of team Rwanda about planning and exchange of information.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Associate Degree

Job application procedure
Are you interested ?
• Are you interested in this position and do you fit the profile? Apply before the 15th of June 2023 with a cover letter, curriculum vitae and academic certificate in one PDF file, by sending an e-mail with subject ”Application on the position of Cooperative Advisor for SDGP Maize project“ to rwanda@agriterra.org  to the attention of Mr. Jasper Spikker, Agriterra Rwanda Country representative, with reference code ATRW-CA8334. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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