Background:
Land O’Lakes International Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening agriculture from farm-to-folk, helping businesses grow, and linking farmers to markets. Since our start in 1981, we have been leveraging nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights from our close affiliate, Land O’Lakes, Inc., a farmer-owned agribusiness committed to fulfilling its purpose of feeding human progress. Our team is made up of nearly 350 employees who are committed to market-led approaches, and passionate about collaborating locally to create lasting inclusive economic growth. By unlocking the potential of agriculture for the last 36 years, the lives of more than 3 million people have been transformed through nearly 300 programs in more than 80 countries.
Project Description:
Land O’Lakes International Development is seeking expressions of interest for the position of Agriculture and Private Sector Development Component Lead for the anticipated West Africa Trade and Investment Hub (WATIH) activity. The goal of the project is to improve the production, business capacity, market linkages and ultimately increase trade within and outside of West Africa, for ECOWAS members. This position will be based in Accra, Ghana with frequent travel throughout the West Africa region.
Position Summary and Primary Responsibilities:
The Agriculture and Private Sector Development Component Lead will lead implementation of the Agriculture and Private Sector Component of the WATIH project. He/she will oversee a team of value chain experts focused on crops and livestock to strengthen inter-regional and international trade of staple crops and livestock. Working within the larger Trade Hub project and in coordination with the Chief of Party, this position will coordinate and manage all program activities related to livestock and crops markets systems from farmer productivity to local, regional, and international market opportunities.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
- Candidates need not be expert in both staple crops and livestock but should have broader experience in agricultural value chain development management.
- Advanced degree (Master’s degree or PhD) in Agriculture, Trade, Agribusiness, Agriculture Economics, or other relevant degree.
- A minimum of ten years of experience in technical assessment, design and implementation of agricultural development projects in Africa.
- Experience in leading agricultural value chain and market system development interventions in a development organization.
- Fluent in spoken and written English and French.
- Prior experience leading crops and/or livestock production and market assessments, prioritization of interventions and project design for large-scale projects.
- Strong understanding of private sector-led approaches to crops and livestock market systems development, preferably in Francophone Africa.
- Demonstrated experience in networking with donors, government officials and the private sector.
- Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop collaborative relationships, especially in a multi-component project with multiple implementation countries.
- Superior analytic, communication and interpersonal skills, including training and facilitation skills and demonstrated experience working with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Land O’Lakes enforces a policy of maintaining a drug-free workforce.
More Information
- Job City Accra
