TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. Founded in 1968, we are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital, and markets. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

About The Project

Horticulture 4 Growth (H4G): An Initiative of the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACCs) is a new $6M, 5-year project being jointly implemented by TechnoServe and the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. H4G will accelerate the transformation of Ethiopia’s horticulture sub-sector by leveraging the power of the private sector to strengthen the link between production and demand and improve the road-to-market for horticultural products through modernized domestic and export market channels. The project will primarily focus on five priority horticulture crops (banana, avocado, tomato, onion, and avocado) sourced from horticulture ACC woredas to transform the relationships of key market actors to be more inclusive and equitable. By the end of five years, a strengthened horticulture market system underpinned by a strong private sector will enable Ethiopian small-scale producers to earn higher, more stable incomes and increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in rural and urban areas.

Position Description

The Stakeholder Platform Specialist will assess horticultural problems and provide appropriate technical or business advice to commercial and public sector clients. Assist H4G market analyst team to advise private companies on business models to increase sourcing and profitability. Deliver short-term technical backstopping for improvements in the implementation of ongoing horticultural market system development. The focus of work will be on improving the use of inputs, production practices, post-harvest, logistics, infrastructure, processing, and marketing priorities through market-driven sustainable approaches.

Duties And Responsibilities

The Stakeholder Platform Specialist’s duties and responsibilities are described below:

Technical

• Structure, design, and bring to life the national platform in coordination with another national platform
• Set and drive agenda with ATI and EPHEA co-chairs based on challenges and investment opportunities
• Oversee ATI work to upgrade aggregation centers and set private-sector-led training curriculum
• Coordinate national-level nursery and aggregation center operating standards and certification
• Coordinate aggregation center’s operational manual and design with ATI
• Preparing, maintaining, and updating horticulture knowledge agenda, capturing lessons learned, stimulating internal and external knowledge exchange;
• Contributing to the collection and dissemination of data and information related to ACC value chain, agro-industries, and food systems trends, approaches, and impacts,
• Assisting analytics team in developing business models for input suppliers, logistics, and postharvest loss to serve farmers,
• Assisting in linking smallholder farmers to markets, finance, inputs, equipment, and information through larger commercial farmers and traders

Relationship :

• Develop and maintain a set of client contacts.
• Building, maintaining and utilizing networks and relationships for ongoing and new opportunities with relevant stakeholders in horticulture e.g. companies, research institutions, universities, donors, etc
• Working with Partnership Manager to identify opportunities in public-private partnerships and others that support an industry-wide vision;

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Extension, Rural Development, Public Relationship (PR), Communication, Marketing, Cooperative Management, MBA and or a Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline,

Experience:

• At least 3 years (for BA) and 1 year (for Masters) of experience in the agriculture/horticulture sector, marketing
• Track record in supervision, advisory work related to horticulture production, supply chain management, private sector development,

Core Competencies:

• Excellent communication (writing and oral) skills,
• Presentation skills with experience in profiling an organization in a national and international setting;
• Entrepreneurial, result-oriented, and a drive for change,
• Experience in Public Private Partnership(PPP)
• Experience high-level events; meetings, training facilitation