SNV is an international not for profit development organisation, funded from public and private sources, working in 38 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. SNV specializes in supporting the resourcefulness of development actors by developing local capacities, improve performance and services, strengthen governance systems, help create access for excluded groups and make markets work for the poor. Our global team of advisors uses their specialist sector and change expertise in Agriculture, Renewable Energy and WASH to facilitate sustainable change in the livelihoods of millions of people living in poverty.

Agriculture is the bulk of SNV’s work globally. In agriculture, SNV aims to increase incomes, employment and food security for millions of poor people, strengthen the environmental sustainability and meet the challenges of a changing climate. By adopting inclusive business and systemic value chain approaches around selected product groups (milk and meat, staple food crops and cash crops), SNV aims to improve productivity, quality and value-added and trigger collaborative relationships that are profitable and mutually beneficial for small holder farmers and their business partners. To this effect SNV is engaged in providing advisory services, knowledge networking and evidence based advocacy.

SNV Netherlands Development Organization is looking for: Global Sector Coordinator AGRICULTURE

OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION

The Global Sector Coordinator Agriculture is responsible for co-leading the development of SNV’s global sector strategy in Agriculture. SNV’s three interlinked thematic areas in its Agriculture sector are; Sustainable Markets, Food Security and Climate Smart Agriculture. This position would lead on ‘Sustainable Markets’ and co-lead on Climate Smart Agriculture. SNV works closely with national and international agribusinesses in all its programmes and a thorough understanding of the workings of key global commodity chains is essential.

This position reports to the Managing Director Agriculture and works in close collaboration with the other Global Sector Coordinator – Agriculture, the Renewable Energy and WASH sector Global Coordinators, Country Directors, Country Sector Leaders and the Sector HR Advisor.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

•   Leads on global sector strategy development in ‘Sustainable Markets’ and co-leads on Climate Smart Agriculture;
•   Initiates and coordinates business development for the sector by providing sector information, market- and donor intelligence, supporting proposal development, and ensuring the quality of project design;
•   Builds, maintains and leverages relationships with relevant global stakeholders and sector institutions to improve SNV’s positioning and profiling in the sector;
•   Identifies and develops innovative knowledge products in collaboration with agriculture staff, country directors and relevant knowledge centers;
•   Stimulates internal and external knowledge exchange, leads on learning towards improving our practice;
•   Formulates sector performance benchmarks and metrics, and initiates activities to ensure high quality of performance of SNV’s agriculture sector;
•   Represents SNV’s Agriculture sector at high level international events;
•   Works closely with the Sector HR Advisor to ensure continuous professional development of staff by providing advice on recruitment, mobility and learning and development plans;

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline e.g. agriculture, agricultural economics, agribusiness, international trade, marketing or any other related field;
•   Over 10 years of experience in the sector in an international, multi country context, including advisory work and knowledge development;
•   Proven experience in Business Development;
•   Extensive network in key global commodity chains and relevant networks and a thorough understanding of its workings;
•   Proven track record in facilitating market linkages between the poor and medium/large private sector companies (inclusive business models);
•   Experience in Climate Smart models relating to CC and commodities;
•   Strong interpersonal and influencing skills; experience of working in a matrix organization;
•   Excellent communication (writing and oral) skills, presentation and debating skills with experience in profiling an organisation in an international setting;
•   Proven experience in learning, innovation and knowledge development;
•   Work experience in West-Africa is a plus;
•   Demonstrated Experience of gender mainstreaming in agriculture projects;
•   Entrepreneurial, result-oriented and driver for change.

Languages: Proficiency in English and fluency in French is required. Working knowledge of Spanish is an advantage

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Interested and qualified candidates should

Click Here To Apply Online

Closing Date: 30 October, 2013