Market System and Technical Advisor

  • Full-time
  • Contract type: National employment contract

Company Description

SNV’s mission is to support people to pursue their own sustainable development, where we leave no one behind. To do so sustainably, we need to address systemic issues that trap people into poverty and marginalization. Using a systems perspective means we seek to find ways of changing the underlying structures and dynamics to sustain access to services and income generation over time and grow them further. Attention to systems change, including power dynamics and mental models, can increase the quality, depth, and sustainability of results as well as their continued growth.

In its new Strategic Plan period (2019 – 2022), SNV will more explicitly aim for systems change during project preparation and implementation - by strengthening institutions and kick-starting markets that help many more to escape poverty beyond our projects. We will continue to position ourselves as a premium organisation and invest in making knowledge flow to and from the frontline.

SNV, Netherlands Development Organization, is operating in Ethiopia since the 1970s. Currently, SNV is working in eight regional states and the two city administrations of Ethiopia, providing technical assistance and program implementation in Agriculture, WASH, and Energy Sectors. SNV is an open and learning organization that focuses on improving the lives of Ethiopian through a market-based approach inclusive of women and youth. In its new Strategic Plan period (2019 – 2022), SNV will more explicitly aim for systems change including strengthening institutions and kick-starting markets that help many more to escape poverty beyond our projects.

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

Context and Purpose of the job:

SNV is partnering with Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to implement the Market-based Innovation for Nutrition in Ethiopia (MINE) project. The overall objective of this project is to contribute to reducing stunting in children in the target areas through increasing children’s and pregnant and lactating women’s consumption to at least one egg every other day. This project aims to improve the children’s dietary diversity and malnutrition by significantly and sustainably increasing supply and consumption of eggs.  It uses an innovative model that will strengthen the capacity of small-holder farmers to transition to commercial poultry farming, hence significantly increasing egg supply and making eggs affordable to rural communities. In the first three years, SNV will pilot the project in Bishoftu, Oromia and then scale up to other regions in the subsequent years based on the lessons learned from the pilot project.   

The Market system and technical Advisor reports to the project manager (PM). The post holder will collaborate with the technical partner and provide technical insights and advisory services on egg production, consumption and marketing interventions to the project team, private partners and egg farms in order to meet the agreed objectives and realize successful interventions. The Advisor identifies opportunities and areas for improvement to ensure quality delivery and closing of project activities within the budget, timeline and acceptable quality levels along the commitments specified in the contracts signed with the donor and other relevant stakeholders. He/she maintains relationships with other stakeholders to the effective implementation of the project. The advisor will represent SNV in relation to his/her assignment and provide adequate technical input to partners.

Job Description

Advisory Services

  • Acts as technical expert for the project and aims to create an enabling environment (by sharing knowledge, understanding stakeholders and environment) for the implementation of egg hub model interventions (input supply, business development, stakeholders’ coordination and market linkages).
  • Ensures, monitors progress and reviews quality of own expertise and ensures client support and satisfaction.
  • Support egg hub operator and egg farms identification and hubs establishment,
  • Technical support to hub operators to manage the hubs and provide training and follow up of farmers
  • Facilitate business linkages among private sectors, cooperatives, unions and farmers groups that contribute to increasing production, income and employment;
  • Work closely with partner organizations to update market system interventions and propose market-based solutions;
  • Propose and implement business models with partners and share successes with other stakeholders
  • Facilitate the strengthening of egg hub model by introducing and promoting new technologies, productivity improvement trainings and engagement of private sector in the provision of embedded services.
  • Contribute to the implementation of demand creation and social marketing,
  • Support identifying channels, establish partnerships for provide free & subsidized eggs
  • Support the annual reviews, midterm assessments and final evaluations.
  • Ensure implementation of the project activities according to approved plans.
  • Ensure strong communication of market system and agricultural marketing concepts and procedures with partners and other stakeholders

Knowledge Development

  • Contributes to internal and external knowledge development,
  • Ensures lessons learned are shared with relevant stakeholders
  • Initiates/ coordinates the review process and evaluation of advisory services to collect lessons learned, proposes corrective measures, and ensures identification of follow up assignments.  
  • Participates in knowledge development/expertise groups and in internal and external networks.

Project and process development

  • Identifies and proposes technical process improvements that increase egg production and demand creation for egg consumption and enable farmers benefit from egg production.
  • Acts on improvement areas within the project and the organisation and gives feedback.
  • Ensures lessons learned are applied to improve egg hub model in all the project areas.

People Management

  •  Steers (functionally) colleagues and coaches associated partners/ external stakeholders on quality within the context of assignments.
  • Acts as a technical expert in the project, applies process improvements in projects and coaches colleagues and associated partners both professionally as operationally on quality of context within projects.   

Positioning

  •  Identifies and analyses market opportunities and threats and ensures that project team and target households are informed.
  • Actively participates in strategic positioning meetings and acts as a knowledgeable face of the SNV organisation to the client.
  • Analyses, understands and develops (local) networks with relevant stakeholders, identifies new clients.

Business Development

  • Builds, maintains and utilises relationships with stakeholders, represents SNV and identifies opportunities for Business Development policies and procedures.  
  • Initiates assignments on project/organizational level, supports proposals and develops technical processes during the inception phase of projects.

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Agribusiness, agricultural marketing, agricultural economics, agricultural livelihoods (crop/livestock) and related fields and 6 or more years experience in poultry value chain development project implementation in public and private sector
  • Sound knowledge of market systems analysis and experience in facilitating and supporting pro poor value chain development
  • Knowledge of local and national poultry/egg value chain trade systems and market linkages for the advantage of the poor in practice;
  • Familiar with agricultural sector policies and national strategies, functioning of government/ public sector, private sector and farmers organizations;
  • Experience working for NGOs and similar projects and programs

Additional Information

Contract Type: National

Expected start date: As soon as possible

Duty Station:  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contract Duration: one year with the possibility of extension based on performance and budget availability. 

Working at SNV 

SNV offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package; for internationals, we offer an international benefits package and to Ethiopian nationals, we offer a competitive national package. We also offer a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from, and contribute to, an internal global network of experts. 

How to Apply

Please apply by clicking on the I'm Interested button and complete your application in our in-house recruitment system before or on 03 July 2022.

All information will be in the strictest confidence and in accordance with GDPR.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We will require that you provide us with the full details of three people who are willing to act as a referee.  We will not contact these referees without your explicit permission.

Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

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