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

Reporting to the Business Partnership manager, the market linkage specialist will be responsible for market linkage facilitation for start-up entrepreneurs and/or existing Horticulture value chain actors in the program ACCs woredas. Identify and build linkages between buyers, aggregators, and agro-input suppliers to increase the efficiency of the supply chains. Provide support in conducting and updating market scans and analyses, as well as in the identification of potential strategic partners.

Duties And Responsibilities

• As Market Linkages Specialists, you will be responsible for facilitating linkages for start-up entrepreneurs and/or existing Horticulture value chain actors in the program ACCs woredas.
• As major tasks of the role, are the identification, and building of linkages between buyers, aggregators, and agro-input suppliers to increase the efficiency of the supply chains.
• Provide support in conducting and updating market scans and analyses, as well as in the identification of potential strategic partners.
• Facilitates relationships of each supply chain actor toward creating a more transparent and inclusive sector to ensure sustainable supply chains.
• Coordinate and facilitates training for aggregators on quality standards to ensure buyers source raw materials according to their requirements
• You will closely coordinate and work together with the ATI cluster coordinators, MoA focal persons in the assigned ACCs woredas, Local trade offices, with the guidance of your supervisor to formalize the supply chain.
• Closely work with health and nutrition extension agents to promote horticulture nutrition campaigning and linking local market actors with aggregators
• Nurture and maintain the necessary network in the private sector and among the farming community as well as development projects that support agricultural productivity and marketing
• Develop and keep up-to-date profile of supply and demands / off-takers among buyers and aggregators both for agro-inputs and produce supply
• Identify and undertake thorough and periodic analyses of the demand and supply gap between aggregators and buyers
• Provide technical assistance to agro-dealers, buyers, and aggregators to put together realistic sourcing strategies and plans and build business relations among the supply chain actors
• Organize meetings and group platforms for market linkages to facilitate negotiations and contract agreements between aggregators and buyers/off-takers.
• Organize meetings and group platforms for market linkages to facilitate negotiations and contract agreement between input distributors, local agro dealers & aggregators
• Encourage private sectors/buyers to invest resources in smallholder farm production and logistics to support quality and reliable supply.
• Ensure aggregators understand each buyer’s product requirements.
• Implement techniques and strategies to ensure participation of women-owned and/or led businesses, as well as women SHF benefit from the market linkages, work.

Job requirement:

Education

• Bachelor/Master’s degree in one of the following: Agribusiness; Economics; Business Administration; Horticulture, and/or related field;

Experience

• Minimum of 3/1 years of working experience in developing and facilitating inclusive

Business models ; Working experience in market systems development and facilitation.

Technical & Social Skills

• Able to use and utilize MS office applications.
• Strong analytical and risk assessment skills.
• Serious and hard-working, eager to learn, good feedback mentality, result-oriented, taking responsibility and accountability, good in building and maintaining relations with key partners, and negation skills.
• Flexible and autonomous working, enthusiastic and willing to travel
• Speak one of the regional languages/local languages