Job Summary:
The Agribusiness Market Linkages Officer will be tasked with supervision and capacity building of Market Facilitators, senior-level engagement with private sector businesses including in Kampala and elsewhere in Uganda as needed. The Agribusiness Market Linkages Officer will coordinate and support linkage between farmers and the market. The coordinator will identify right market for the products of the farmers and help them set up their businesses and through mentoring focus on developing commercial capacities of the farmers towards becoming professional business entrepreneurs. He/she will discover opportunities for contract farming or linkage of farmers with BDS providers, processors and exporting companies. The coordinator will work directly and closely with the Senior Project Officer, Technical coordinator Livelihood, Project Manager and project officers, District Local Government, (District Commercial Officer and Community Development Officers), local NGOs and other stakeholders.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
General;
Work with buyers to clarify their specific needs and help farmers to communicate with these buyers to plan concrete and successful completion of transaction
Work with quality input suppliers to clarify their specific procedures of procurements and help farmers to communicate with these input suppliers to plan and concrete successful completion of transaction
Work with banks and MFIs to clarify specific requirement for loan/financial services and help farmers to communicate with these buyers to plan and concrete successful completion of transactions
Producer’s Associations:
Find markets and buyers for commodity produced by POs
Facilitate transactions and signing of contracts between PAs and private sector
Support the flow of commodities to aggregation centers and develop PAs bulking systems
Support farmers to buy and bulk inputs from licensed input suppliers
Help PAs develop a sound business system including setting up of financial records, bulking and sales records, warehouse records and sound governance (meeting, election etc) and financial viability (revenue generating systems)
Ensure PAs have a viable business plan
Conduct value-chain studies for PA’s commodities and work to remove constraints to link PAs to market
Work towards ensuring PAs have access to formal loan
Develop sustainability plan for PAs
Compile reports on bulking and collective sales
Increase PAs to meet high quality and quantity products including linkage to contract farming
Support PAs to be connected to regional or national networks
Develop and maintain a database of key market actors that can be used to further transactions
Competitive Support:
Find market for products by the farmers including contract farming
Increase the capacity of the farmers to adopt high value, export standard and space saving enterprises
Provide consistent and regular business support, mentoring and follow up to enterprises including production support to ensure a successful enterprise
Support successful business set up including setting up financial records, business plan, dividend policy and profit and loss statement
Conduct regular scoping of business, identify gaps and take measures to fill the gaps to reduce business mortality
Support enterprises to have access to loan to ensure expansion or diversification
Support enterprises to have access to input
Identify opportunities for farm based value addition of products and provide instant training to farmers
Work-planning and reporting:
Actively facilitate the translation of intervention strategies into action plans with concrete activities targets and timeframes
Work closely with the Livelihood Coordinator; support the project teams to prepare realistic annual and quarterly work plan output
Work in liaison with Livelihood Coordinator, compile and submit timely quarterly and annual reports on Local Seed Business development
Child Protection and Wellbeing
Monitor the wellbeing and child abuse cases and report any incidents in line with child protection policy and guidelines
Work with local leaders to protect children from child violations and abuses
Sensitize children including most vulnerable, guardians/parents and other stakeholders about children’s rights and responsibilities.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
The applicant for the World Vision Agribusiness Market Linkages Officer job placement should preferably hold a degree in Agribusiness, Business/Agricultural Marketing, Market Research or relevant field.
At least three years of professional work experience in livelihood humanitarian/ development work including in displacement setting.
Previous experience in project managing and coordinating people from a variety of backgrounds.
Have excellent research, data collecting, and analytical skills.
Have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Madi local language spoken in the area.
Must have proficiency in computers, email, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Have excellent time management and organizational skills; ability to prioritize and execute.
Possess skills or openness to working with others from different cultures.
Must be self-motivated and have the ability to work and communicate well in a team
Have knowledge of or desire to learn about permaculture and agro ecology
Competence in agro business planning, development and profitability analysis
Ability to work in a harsh working environment
Sensitivity towards emerging conflict in refugee settings
Good communication, writing, negotiation and facilitation skills
Good computer skills: Ms Excel, Ms Word
Self-motivator, having the ability to work with limited supervision
Ability to work in an innovative environment where plans are developed fast and open for change
Ability and skills to support activities where both refugee and host communities are involved
Able to ride a motorcycle with a valid driving/riding license
Preferably knowledge of Madi, Arabic or other relevant local language
Computer literacy skills
Practicing accountability and integrity.
Communicating information effectively
Thinking clearly, deeply and broadly.
Understanding the Humanitarian Industry.
Practicing innovation and change
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