The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Job Vacancies

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), founded in 2006, is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent's growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa's people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent. To support this transformation from a country perspective, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the role of: Job Title: Program Officer Job Ref: 02/2017 Location: Abuja, Nigeria. The Position

• Reporting to the Regional Head/Head of the Geographic Service Team (GST), the Program Officer will be responsible for executing country strategy through grant-making and stakeholder convening, relevant country government relations and policy development and relevant country business development and resource mobilization.

• Support AGRA's engagement with national government and donors for the design and implementation of appropriate policies and institutions with the aim of creating an enabling environment for investment by smallholder farmers and agribusinesses;
• Identify, develop and maintain strong relationships with other partners who are working to improve food and agricultural policies;
• Manage consortiums;
• Identify potential grantees and work with them to develop impactful interventions
• Liaise with AGRA technical experts to develop appropriate partnerships and design and manage grants;
• Collaborate across AGRA to identify and overcome policy-related constraints on technology development, dissemination and uptake;
• Support efforts to strengthen national capacities for policy design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
• Serve as advisor to the Regional Head on key challenges and opportunities for delivery and execution of the AGRA strategy.
• Engage with private sector to provide market opportunities for producers;
• Provide support to the government in managing input subsidies;
• Work with state governments to create enabling environment for increased investment in the agricultural sector;
• Work with financial institutions to develop financial products that are friendly to smallholder farmer, agro-dealers, input companies, traders and processors;
• Convene stakeholders and promote the agricultural transformation agenda;

• A Master's degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Public Finance, Public Administration, Law or related disciplines
• A relevant Doctorate degree will be an added advantage
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in grant making and in leading policy-related development initiatives primarily in Africa;
• At least three (3) years' Senior-Level experience designing and implementing policy and regulatory reform in public sector;
• Experience managing complex initiatives with proven ability to develop high impact partnerships; and
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a team orientation and strong collaborative skills.

• Reporting to the Program Officer - Nigeria, the Associate Program Officer (APO) will contribute to agricultural transformation by creating partnerships and managing grant making at local level.
• The role will be based in Abuja, Nigeria.

• Work with government at local and national level to design and implement agricultural transformation initiatives.
• Work with private sector at local level to upgrade agricultural value chains and expand market opportunities for smallholder farmers.
• Assist the Program Officer to create road maps documenting the resources and constraints to agricultural transformation.
• Assist in the identification of opportunities for investments via competitive grants.
• Coordinate capacity building of grantees in data capturing, management and reporting.
• Work closely with the Program Officer to jointly design and implement strategies for disseminating improved crop varieties.
• Monitor, evaluate and supervise grantee activities.
• Provide regular periodic reports as may be required.
• Carry out administrative functions such as coordination of periodic audit, stakeholder forums etc.
• Documenting and knowledge-sharing of the success stories, best practices and lessons learnt.
• Coordinate with other players to create synergies between AGRA funded programs and other agricultural initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration with small, medium and large agribusinesses in the geography;

• A Master's Degree in Agriculture or related disciplines with deep knowledge in seed systems, market access or other relevant areas of the agriculture value chain.
• Minimum of 7 years experience in agri-business and development efforts in Africa.
• Experience in managing multinational initiatives in the private and/or public sector with a sound knowledge of, and experience in agricultural trade development at national, regional and/or international level.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a team orientation and strong collaborative skills.

• An attractive remuneration package commensurate with the responsibilities of the position will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

• Reporting to the Vice President for Country Support, Policy & Delivery, the Regional Head will lead the execution and delivery of AGRA country business plans in Ghana and Nigeria.
• He/ She will be responsible for AGRA’s direct country support, engagement with government, donors, and implementing partners, grant making, local policy influence, and overall establishing AGRA locally as a thought leader and go to partner for an inclusive agricultural transformation.  The role is based in Abuja, Nigeria.

• Energize and lead the development and successful implementation of AGRA’s strategy and business plans in Ghana and Nigeria;
• Manage the allocation of AGRA’s human and financial resources at the country level in Ghana and Nigeria to best deliver on the business plans, and manage and report on ongoing results to AGRA management and external donors and partners;
• Support AGRA’s engagement with national governments across the countries in the Region for the design and implementation of appropriate policies with the aim of creating an enabling environment for investment by smallholder farmers and agribusinesses;
• Support analytical and planning capacity of the Ministries of Agriculture and other critical public institutions in the Region;
• Develop strategic linkages with donors and drive mobilization of resources – both to AGRA and to other aligned areas of the agricultural system – so as to support agricultural transformation efforts across the countries;
• Lead the proactive identification of new stakeholders to influence and explore and develop opportunities for impact generation;
• Convene relevant stakeholders and promote agricultural transformation across Nigeria and Ghana;
• Convene and participate in agriculture sector working groups and donor working groups to marshal resources and advance agricultural transformation;
• Oversee the packaging of evidence and lessons learned from work in the country to inform AGRA’s broader thought leadership, partnership development, and resource mobilization across the continent and globally to advance the African agricultural transformation agenda;
• Serve as a spokesperson and thought leader for AGRA in Ghana and Nigeria, as well as requested in other regional and global forums;
• Serve as advisor to the Vice President for Country Support, Policy and Delivery and other members of AGRA’s management team on key challenges and opportunities for execution of the AGRA strategy;
• Mentor and develop direct reports to ensure a healthy talent pipeline.

• A PhD/Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Public Finance, Public Administration, Law or another relevant discipline;
• Minimum of 15 years’ relevant experience with at least eight years’ Senior-Level experience in implementing and managing multi-country strategies and business plans in the agriculture or economic development space;
• Experience managing complex initiatives with proven ability to develop high impact partnerships; and
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a team orientation and strong collaborative skills.