Scientific Officer (Research Associate) in Market Development at ICRISAT

ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with a wide array of partners throughout the world. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land in 55 countries, the semi-arid tropics is home to over 2 billion people, with 650 million of these being the poorest of the poor. ICRISAT and its partners help empower those living in the semi-arid tropics, especially smallholder farmers, to overcome poverty, hunger, malnutrition and a degraded environment through more efficient and profitable agriculture. ICRISAT, established in 1972, and is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. For more details, see www.icrisat.org.

The Job:

  1. a) Develop and coordinate market development strategy and interventions in the Sorghum sector
  • Support the design of Sorghum sectors market development strategy within the context of ATASP-1 executed in Nigeria
  • Plan and implement Sorghum market development interventions in Sorghum seed systems development, Sorghum inputs and output market sub-sectors
  • Organize capacity building for stakeholders (NARIs staff, extension agents, producers’ groups, seed companies, etc) on Sorghum sector market/ value chain development

  1. b) Support the establishment and strengthen market linkages in Sorghum value chain
  • Support marketing activities for Sorghum value chain actors in Sorghum sectors development hubs in Nigeria
  • Support establishment of contracts with potential partners (e.g. market actors), develop concrete offers for partnership and negotiate agreements between key actors
  • Initiate contract farming arrangement between seed companies and seed out growers and for farmers groups and paddy off-takers based on best practices and trust
  • Organize and implement market exposure visits for Sorghum farmers and processors for learning and awareness creation purposes

Actively participate in monitoring and evaluation of project implementation

Desired Skills and Experience

The Person:

  • A Nigerian National with Degree in Business Administration, Agricultural Economics or related fields, and/or additional training in Agricultural Market Development/ Entrepreneurship Development or a related field
  • Should have a minimum of 5 years working experience with relevance in agriculture and agribusiness;
  • Previous experience with private sector and hands on market linkages will be an added advantage
  • Must be energetic, creative, and willing to learn
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Must have previous experience in agribusiness and be willing to spend long periods travelling and staying in rural areas
  • Computer literacy with proficient knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications
  • Proficiency in English language with excellent communication skills
  • Thorough knowledge of Sorghum market development and information systems particularly within Nigeria

 

The Reward:

 

This is a nationally recruited staff position with an attractive and competitive salary and benefits package payable in US dollars. The position is initially for two years, and extendable depending on performance of the incumbent and funding availability. An attractive compensation will be offered for the right candidate.

How to apply:

 

Applicants should apply on or before 25th May 2015, with a letter of motivation, latest Curriculum Vitae, and names and contact information of three references that are knowledgeable of the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. All applications will be acknowledged, however only short listed candidates will be contacted.

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