AGRA and its Work

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income.

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets.

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

1. Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation.
2. Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes.
3. Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation.
4. Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers, and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

People are the heart of our organization and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact.

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our commitment to a call to action goes beyond ourselves as we arise to catalyze African Food Systems transformation by being Deeply collaborative, Executing Excellently, Sincerely Constructive and Increasingly Entrepreneurial aligned with our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity).

We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

The Position

Associate Program Officer Job Reference: IMTF/PD/TZ/03/2024

The Associate Program Officer – Inclusive Markets Trade and Finance will be responsible for the overall coordination, planning, provision of technical support and oversight of the country program in the implementation of Inclusive Markets, Trade and Finance related interventions and the successful delivery of this programmatic focus.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contributes to the development of analytical tools and methodologies that relate to inclusive finance and market-led development.
• Implement and scale-up value chain approaches that increase the participation of smallholder farmers, with special attention to women and youth, in local, regional and global markets and trade.
• Support in the design and implementation of grant-making activities that address constraints to farmer knowledge, practices and behavior change, which apply new ideas to the extension of improved access to finance.
• Facilitate access to finance deals between off-takers and smallholder farmers at the county and national level.
• Lead key initiatives and provide leadership in country inclusive finance development as per the strategy direction of Inclusive Markets Trade and Finance.
• Identify and report key access to finance, trade and market trends and barriers which inform issues of national trade and market policies and initiatives in the Country.
• Conduct in-depth market research and analysis to identify opportunities for expanding Inclusive Markets and Trade.
• Support markets and trade policy and regulatory influencing agenda through gathering of evidence, lead engagements with key stakeholders and produce knowledge products or other forms of collateral.
• Contribute to Inclusive Markets, Trade and Finance Strategy development and further execution.
• Support the Food Trade Coalition's work and IMTF’s other strategic initiatives at the country level.
• Builds and supports multi-disciplinary networks of individuals and organizations that promote linking smallholder farmers to markets.
• Managing the project grants in compliance with AGRA, grant, and Audit requirements.
• Assist in collecting and sharing data to the center of technical expertise for the program’s Food Security Monitor and other knowledge management products.
• Assist country teams in development of grant proposals in the areas of market shaping, policy, and resilience with respect to trade.
• Provide technical assistance to grantees and assist in monitoring the progress of the implementation of Inclusive Finance Markets & Trade program in the country.

Key Qualifications and Experience Required:

• A bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Development, Economics, agribusiness, rural finance, or related disciplines with deep knowledge in inclusive finance, market access, or other relevant areas of the agriculture value chain.
• Professional experience in agri-business and development efforts in Africa
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in agricultural development, Inclusive markets, trade, finance and economic policy.
• Understanding of agricultural finance barriers and solutions.
• Experience in grant-making and in leading policy-related development initiatives.

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV in English (including your e-mail and telephone contacts) to recruit@agra.org. Please quote the job reference number in the subject line of the application e-mail.

Applications must be received on or before 29 March 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer