Reference: DDG-P4D/PC/CP/VCDE/07/23

Description

Background: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Project Coordinator – Cassava Processing and Value Chain Development Expert.

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 the One CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food-secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) seeks to recruit a self-motivated, results driven, dynamic, suitably qualified, competent, and experienced person for the position of the Project Coordinator - Cassava Processing and Value Chain Development Expert to be based in Kinshasa, DR Congo. The position of the Project Coordinator - Project Coordinator - Cassava Processing and Value Chain Development Expert will serve as the key technical lead for the USAID-funded Project ‘Cassava Value Chain Development to Support Food Security and the Bread Industry in DRC’. S/he will lead technical and field-based project activities, including but not limited to market linkages, expansion of production and processing aspects of cassava value chain, engagement of the private sector, and capacity building for local partners. S/he is expected to maintain effective working relationships with other value chain project managers, and those working with other partners. S/he is expected to report to the Director of Central Africa Hub.

Position Responsibilities:

• Serve as the project manager and technical lead for designing, operationalizing, and monitoring cassava value chain, production, processing, and marketing related activities.
• Provide technical support to farmers, private enterprises, community-based organizations, and NGOs working on value chain and market development interventions.
• Coordinate capacity development activities in the areas of organizational development, agribusiness, value chain and marketing development including development of training modules; build capacity of agricultural enterprises to perform market-oriented processing for cassava value addition.
• Support Market-based SME development and establish linkages with business development services; strengthen market linkages through concerted value chain and market analysis.
• Support the development and implementation of cassava quality standard in collaboration with line ministries and other organizations; assist in providing business development services to farmers, food processing groups, associations, cooperatives, and enterprises to ensure they are functional, sustainable, and able to meet food safety and regulatory standards.
• Assist agribusiness entrepreneurs and enterprises, including farmers’ organizations, in identifying and applying appropriate value addition and processing technologies; design activities to increase smallholder agricultural production and market linkages that lead to increased profitability.
• Lead development and implementation of the equitable business models and ensure inclusive and equitable benefits shared among the stakeholders, including women and youth; develop and support strategies to strengthen cassava value chain, engagement, contribution, and execution of support from technical service providers to the cassava value chain.
• Assess the operations of processing facilities to address operational issues and identify opportunities for improving performance; coordinate the implementation of a waste disposal system that will result in energy and cost saving; promote the technology for the processing of cassava wastes into livestock feed ingredients.
• Liaise with other development partners and projects to create leverage for cassava value chain in a coordinated approach.
• Facilitate public and private forums (value chain actors, implementing partners) to address key value chain issues.
• Explore and develop the vital linkages between the established business groups and microfinance institutions to facilitate access to credit and loans to invest in their businesses and livelihoods development.
• Oversee general operations and effective functioning of equipment fabrication centers or units established in the project target areas.
• Improve on post-harvest related activities. This will include training in post-harvest handling and logistics concerned with facilities for transportation, collection centers, packing houses, food drying and processing facilities and decrease post-harvest losses between the farms and the markets.
• Communicate project results through high quality written reports, knowledge products including progress reports, papers for scientific audiences and presentations documenting and analyzing achievements and lessons learned, targeting national, regional, and international audiences.
• Undertake tasks as may be directed by the line manager.

Requirements

Educational Qualifications and Experience

The candidate should have an advanced degree in agribusiness, processing, food safety, preservation and storage, agribusiness with relevant experience in agri-food, agrobusiness and value chain development; proven experience market-based approaches for agribusiness development, supporting/developing agricultural market linkages.

Core Competencies

• Proven expertise in supporting institutional capacity development to improve support service delivery for agribusiness private sector operators.
• A minimum of ten years’ experience required with cassava processing and marketing.
• Entrepreneurial and business-minded approach to development.
• Conversant with modern cassava post-harvest processing techniques and inadequacies in sub-Sahara Africa processing facilities.
• Knowledge of gender integration and social inclusion best practices.
• Relevant experience in writing technical reports and specifications assessments in the fields of agri-food development, agrobusiness and value chain development.
• Experience liaising and networking with a range of private and public stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure but flexible, and creative.
• Ability to work independently, with minimum supervision and across teams.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with fluency in French essential and fluency in English is preferred.

Benefits

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

Applications: Applications must include a cover letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, and 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 of People and Culture.

Please click HERE to learn more and to apply online.

Closing Date: 8th August 2023

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse workforce, particularly welcoming applications from women.

While all applications will be acknowledged, please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.