Ref. No: DDG-P4D/HTC/PMU/04/20

Background: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Head, TAAT Clearinghouse.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), is a major continent-wide program designed to boost agricultural productivity across the continent by rapidly delivering proven technologies to millions of farmers. The overall goal of TAAT is to double crop, livestock, and fish productivity by expanding access to productivity-increasing technologies to more than 40 million smallholder farmers across Africa. TAAT aims to generate an additional 120 million metric tons (MT) of food while lifting 130 million people out of poverty. Getting certified seeds of the most modern varieties into the hands of tens of millions of farmers is the primary objective of TAAT.

The program supports the Feed Africa Initiative of the AfDB by providing the needed, proven agricultural and food processing technologies and implementation strategies for inclusion within the Bank’s loans to Regional Member Countries (RMCs). It is implemented by the Regional Technology Delivery Infrastructure (RTDI) made up of the Commodity Technology Delivery Compacts (CTDCs); the TAAT Clearinghouse (CH); the Program Management Unit (PMU), and a Program Steering Committee (PSC). The CTDC is currently composed of 11 CGIAR centers, 3 Advanced regional R&D African centers, National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) institutions, private sector partners and NGOs. IITA is the executing agency of TAAT.

The Clearinghouse is responsible for linking TAAT Compact activities with country-level programs, positioning these countries’ governments as TAAT’s Primary Scaling Partners. This is achieved through the provision of technical assistance in regional and country project design, ensuring the inclusion of proven technologies and robust partnership arrangements within the resulting projects. The program is looking for a highly qualified individual to fill the vacant position of the Head of the TAAT Clearinghouse.

Main Responsibilities
The main responsibility of the Head of the TAAT Clearinghouse is to effectively coordinate the process by which all eligible RMCs of the AfDB making investments to boost agricultural productivity, can benefit from relevant expertise, technology and capacity and resources brought together within the TAAT ecosystem. Working with the Feed Africa and Private Sector Departments, Regional Complex Country offices, and TAAT Compacts, the CH will match identified investments and deploy Compact expertise to ensure projects meet indicated country targets and objectives for agricultural transformation.

Specific Duties

• Engage AfDB Feed Africa task team to outline the entire portfolio and identify and prioritize projects aligned to TAAT objectives that would benefit from TAAT support.
• Coordinate and agree on the mode of engagement between Task Managers and the relevant compact leaders and incorporate this into proposed TAAT compact workplans.
• Coordinate with Task Managers of identified projects to engage AfDB Country representatives in RMCs to appraise them about TAAT activities in their countries.
• Support selected supervision missions of flagged pipeline projects and help identify areas where TAAT expertise can be introduced to ensure delivery of project objectives.
• Prepare a detailed workplan for financing TAAT country programs in ten “Must Win” RMCs per year to reach set targets of certified seeds for all TAAT commodities.
• Working with the Policy Compact, identify and address key shortcomings in formal seed systems that limit smallholder farmers’ access to locally adapted, affordable, high quality certified seeds of improved varieties.
• Support Feed Africa Task Managers and TAAT Compacts in resource mobilization efforts for both strategic partners and supplemental resources aligned with advancing TAAT goals. This includes both identifying co-financing options for country projects or strategic partners beyond the TAAT ecosystem that offers value addition with respect to ensuring impactful TAAT country projects and leveraging aligned processes and resources
• Prepare a detailed plan on how to build and manage real and virtual teams made up of Feed Africa and Private Sector Departments, Regional Complex Country teams, and TAAT Compacts that will be involved in project preparation and appraisal.
• Prepare an engagement plan outlining CH coordination and program facilitation function, modalities for engaging and facilitating coordination and awareness of TAAT activities and support options across AfDB task teams, country team leaders and Compact leaders.
• Work with Task Manager to schedule regular physical and/or virtual meetings of all the stakeholders to discuss progress on program design and implementation of country programs to which TAAT compacts are actively contributing.
• In collaboration with other Managers of the AfDB, Compact leaders, and country focal points, be mutually accountable for the TAAT loan programs; promote collaboration and facilitate teamwork across teams and across organizational units.
• Maintain a high standard of professional integrity, treating individuals fairly and respectfully and be sensitive to differences across culture, nationalities and gender.
• Model exemplary leadership values and managerial behaviors and reinforce these qualities in Departmental management teams and staff.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrated strong analytical and communication skills and capacity to present convincingly, discuss and negotiate with high level country officials.
• Blend of analytical, observational, organizational and networking skills.
• Good understanding of policy and regulatory issues around public, private partnerships development in developing countries.
• Familiarity with the policies and procedures of multilateral and bilateral institutions.
• Demonstrated commitment to making organizational and corporate decisions.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in a multicultural team environment.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English and French languages is an important requirement for this position.

Qualifications and Experience:

• A post-graduate degree in any Agricultural science discipline from a recognized University.
• At least 20 years of extensive experience related to Agriculture R&D or business development, preferably in developing countries and proven experience in Agricultural R&D and donor funding.
• Experience with the development of policy, legal, and institutional frameworks as well as the financial and technical aspects of projects.
• Working experience with the AfDB or any of the major donor organizations is desirable.

Duty Station: This position shall operate from the AfDB’s Head Quarters in Abidjan. Frequent travel to the Bank Hubs/RMCs and implementing institutions will be part of the job.

General information: The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.

Applications: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be addressed to the Head, Human Resources Service. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/careers.

Closing Date: 23rd April 2020

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.