Agricultural Technology Transfer and Outreach Expert(Ref: DDG-R4D/TAAT/ATTE/12/17)
Background:The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Agricultural Technology Transfer and Outreach Expert.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.
The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is a program initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative. The main objective of the program is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity, mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing in 18 agricultural value chains within 8 Priority Intervention Areas. The program will be implemented by IITA in close collaboration with other CGIAR Centers, FARA, AGRA, national agricultural research and extension systems and private sector partners. It will involve close partnership between the AfDB and other developmental partners such as the World Bank, BMGF, USAID and others. The Clearinghouse (CH) will be set up to operate as a semi-autonomous component of the Program. The objective of the CH will be to take proven agricultural technologies to scale in a commercially sustainable fashion through the establishment of a mechanism to facilitate partnerships and provide access to expertise required to design, implement, and monitor progress of crop, livestock, and aquaculture campaigns.
Position Responsibilities
The tasks of the Agricultural Technology Transfer and Outreach Expertwill include:
Main Responsibility
- Engage and work closely with the Public and Private partners of the Regional Membership Countries (RMCs) to ensure the profitability and sustainability of the technologies being out-scaled, by encouraging investments of these entities into the TAAT Program. This will be achieved through close and effective linkages with the various TAAT value chain coordinators working with the different RMCs.
Specific Responsibilities
- Review and analyze the current country strategies/programs and policies for each value chain within the RMCs and see how these could be considered by private partners in their country investment plans.
- Identify the key gaps and constraints (socio-economic, institutional and agronomic) in the Agricultural sector, given current government and donor institutions, policies and programs strategies.
- Analyze the capabilities and needs of the various private sectors within value chains and RMCs and engage them to agree on a program of active involvement in TAAT.
- In active engagement of RMC partners, identify where they can contribute to make the best impact on employment creation and poverty reduction under the current circumstances in each RMC.
- Assess labor and employment challenges within RMCs in the agricultural sector, including the role of gender and youth in subsistence and market oriented agricultural activities, and determine what policies are in place at present to help overcome or tackle some of these challenges.
- Identify and support the implementation of innovative farming practices, agricultural inputs, extension services, seed and post-harvest storage, irrigation, water resources and land care, formal and informal marketing of value chain products, including export opportunities that can accelerate Agricultural growth.
- Develop and support the implementation of a risk management plan within each RMC including Climate change adaptation in the Agricultural sector.
- Actively contribute to the Clearinghouse(CH) reporting and progress updates, and document on an RMC basis their Agricultural Transformation Agender performances.
- Work in close partnership with each of the value chains, TAAT Enablers and the PMU.
- Undertake any other duties as may be assigned by the Head of the CH.
Educational Qualifications and Experience
- A post-graduate degree in agricultural extension, agricultural economics, rural development or any other related field within the agricultural R&D outreach.
- A minimum 10 years of professional experience in designing and implementing Agric Extension programs or strategies, 5 of which should have been within the African environment.
Core Competencies
- Good understanding of policy and regulatory issues around Public Private Partnership development in developing countries.
- An excellent knowledge of project development and marketing to diverse stakeholders.
- Proven ability to operate effectively in a multicultural team environment. Demonstrated strong analytical and communication (verbal and writing) skills.
- Fluency in written and spoken English with a good working knowledge of the French language.
Duty Station: Cotonou, Benin Republic
General information:The contract will be for an initial period of three years. IITA offers internationally competitive remuneration package paid in U.S. Dollars.
Applications: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be addressed to the Head, Human Resources Service. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/careers
Closing Date: 25th December 2017
IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women candidates.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
