SIPRA Consortium Agricultural Business Advisor (Gedaref) – ZOA International

Job Description

Section/Unit	Program
Supervisor	SIPRA Consortium Program Manager
Duty Station	The initial duty station will be Gedaref, but the long-term duty station remains Country Office /Khartoum
Salary scale	K 6, 2, 168 & K 7 2,280 USD
ClosingDate	30 July 2024

ZOA is an international non-governmental organization with its head office in the Netherlands. ZOA has been working in Sudan since 2004. Its current focus is on post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation and ZOA operates programmes in North Darfur, East Darfur, South Darfur, and Gedaref State, covering the sectors of food security and livelihoods & Economic Development, Integrated Water Resources Management, and Education.

ZOA Sudan is looking for:
Agricultural Business Advisor for SIPRA Consortium Project

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

• The SIPRA Consortium Agricultural Business Advisor will be responsible for the technical design for both the rainfed agricultural approach of the program and the promotion of inclusive partnerships between smallholder producers and agri-businesses.
• The technical design should contribute to the increase in production and income of smallholder producers.
  S/he will ensure the capacity of smallholder farmers and agro-MSMEs is developed and learning mechanisms are established that guide field activities, facilitate evidence-based adaptive programming, and contribute to good practice and policy recommendations on building food systems resilience through the development of inclusive, equitable, and nutrition-sensitive food systems.
• The Agricultural Business Advisor builds up and maintains a strong network with the private sector and other stakeholders.
• The SIPRA Consortium Agricultural Business Advisor will be responsible for providing technical support to farmer-led enterprises in terms of leveraging their capacities to become business enterprises. S/he will support Producer Associations and farmers-led enterprises to improve business planning and entrepreneurial skills. The role will ensure connections and partnerships between farmer groups, the private sector, and other stakeholders within the selected value chain with the use of a Challenge Fund to facilitate the process.
• The SIPRA Consortium Agricultural Business Advisor will work closely with a yet-to-be-named Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) to provide advice on Challenge Fund Management, business planning, financial management, governance, and day-to-day management of agro-enterprises.
• This is a hands-on advisory role in which the Agricultural Business Advisor works closely together with the team members during implementation.

Duties and responsibilities:

Provide technical guidance to program staff and consortium partners, ensuring that the program’s technical approach, methodologies, and activities are technically sound, feasible and contribute to the success of the program
• Develop or adapt practical training manuals (in collaboration with research stations, climate-smart centers, research and learning institutions, etc.) to fit the context and scope of the SIPRA project on climate-smart agriculture, agricultural Value chain and natural resource management
• Provides and facilitates training to programme staff and partners staff on food system resilience, good agricultural production practices with a focus on Climate smart agriculture, agricultural Value chain development, market information systems and natural resource management
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with all consortium partners staff, national and local authorities, international and national organizations as well as technical focal points in food security and agriculture business
• Responsible for establishing and supporting Business 2 Business platforms, facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues and strengthen relationships with relevant stakeholders
• Provide advice and technical support to smallholder farmers and agro-MSME’s on business planning, routine operational and financial management
• Conduct forums to engage with business owners’ representatives, producer associations, government policymakers to deliberate on how to make the policy environment more conducive for collaboration with smallholder farmers and agro-MSME’s
• Engage with Food Security and Livelihoods Coordinators of all consortium partners, donors and other agencies to ensure consistency with cluster priorities and for effective collaboration
• Contribute to the national food systems dialogue in Sudan and lobby for the establishment of a dedicated Multistakeholder Platform for Food System Resilience
• Provide business coaching and mentoring to the Challenge Fund grantees and assess and monitor field reports on their progress
• Contribute to the technical review, presentation, and active dissemination of SIPRA knowledge products through relevant fora and events
• Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure that FSL-relevant indicators are tracked and accurately reported
• Support in the technical tools’ development for project monitoring as well as actively engage in supportive field morning and joint monitoring with partners and relevant government stakeholders
• Contribute to and review project reports
• Engage with other organizations (NGOs, UN agencies, businesses, etc.) about agriculture and private sector engagement

AUTHORITY:
The Agricultural Business Advisor is authorized within the limits of an agreed Annual Plan. (S)He is technically accountable to the SIPRA Programme Manager.

SUPERVISES:

• Inclusive Business Officer – (Roving)
• Provides technical support to SIPRA Consortium partners particularly the Area-Based Organization (ABOs).

CONTACTS:
Internal:

• Team members from the program department of ZOA and the program offices
• ZOA Headquarters personnel as required
• Operational staff (finance, HR, etc) in Gedaref & Country Office / Khartoum

Minimum Qualification, Skills and Experience Required:

Competencies:
Identity
• The Agricultural Business Advisor is expected to support the identity, vision, and mission of ZOA
• Minimum Qualification, Skills, and Experience Required:
• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture science, Economics, or any related field from an internationally recognized University; Master’s degree preferred
• At least 5 years of experience working on international development programs to improve production and incomes
• Demonstrated experience in the rainfed agriculture value chain development, private sector engagement, and Markets for Poor (MP4) approach in the Sudan context
• Demonstrated experience in successfully linking smallholder farmers and agro-SMEs to private and public sector actors and markets
• Demonstrated experience in developing the capacity of staff and partner
• Proven experience in coaching and mentoring agricultural businesses
• Good facilitation skills in training, workshops including developing and delivering training and group consensus-building
• Good command of English and Arabic is essential 
• Expertise in managing a team.
• Experience with key donors such as MOFA The Netherlands, EU, SIDA, GIZ, and UNHCR is a benefit.

Skills:
• Advanced MS Office skills
• Ability to work with program staff of different backgrounds and skills in a productive and cordial manner
• Ability to communicate lessons learned and findings in a constructive manner
• Being able to work under pressure and meeting deadlines
• Independent, self-starter; makes informed decisions without constant direction
• High accuracy and attention to detail
• Able to report good quality report

Attitude:
• Being flexible to adjust to different contexts and requirements
• Advisory and participatory attitude
• A highly ethical work standard
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural and multi-religious setting.

Special Working Conditions:

Up to 50% of the time required to travel to program locations in Sudan (including those of the consortium partners) security conditions permitting.
The candidate will be subject to Member check /COTER procedure, which is against Government Sanction lists to verify that the candidate is not on any of these lists. This counter-terrorism check is a requirement of Donor and Government Regulations and therefore, an important part of an employee’s ability to fulfill his/her employment requirements before signing the Employment Contract with the Organization.

As a part of its recruitment process, ZOA conducts comprehensive background and reference checks for all candidates. These checks include looking into government sanction lists and possibly criminal records. ZOA also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, which involves sending a written questionnaire called the “Statement of Conduct” to past employers to inquire about any misconduct such as sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment.

How to apply

Full applications must include the following:
• Application Letter
• Motivation letter stating the reasons for applying.
• CV including educational, professional training, and work experience.
WE OFFER: The salary scale for this position is  ranged between K 6, 2, 168 & K 7 2,280 USD basic salary per month, based on experience and qualifications.

Do you need more information:
For more information contact Joseph Ashong – ZOA Sudan: [email protected] and please make sure that you mention the job title in the email.

Interested and you want to apply:
Applicants should submit full documents before 30/7/2024 to the HAC Labour Office at Gedaref

ATTENTION:
1. Females and persons living with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
2. High flexibility to work on weekends, holidays, and after office hours when required.
3. This position is for one year subject to renewal based on performance and availability of funding.
    This position is only for Sudanese.