AGRA

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Job Reference: SYM&T/CTE/01/2024

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

Specialist – Youth in Markets & Trade , Job Reference: SYM&T/CTE/01/2024, Based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel, approximately 20% .

This role will promote the development of and implementation support for models of inclusive market and trade to support youth employment opportunities. The role will also have responsibility for the overall coordination, planning, provision of technical and oversight of the youth job creation program in the implementation of Inclusive Markets and Trade related interventions and the successful delivery of this programmatic focus.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contributes to the development of tools and methodologies that relate to market-led development with emphasis on the creation of new decent and productive work opportunities for youth, in coordination with other technical units and AGRA country teams.
• Innovates to create value chain approaches that increase the participation of smallholder farmers, with special attention to women and youth, in local, regional and global trade.
• Leads efforts to facilitate market and trade linkage between off-takers and smallholder farmers with a focus on the youth.
• Leads key initiatives and provides leadership in SME development as per the strategy direction of Inclusive Markets, Trade and Finance.
• Identify and reports key trade and market trends and barriers which inform issues of national trade and market policies and initiatives in the country.
• Lead in development of innovative project concepts and proposals for resource mobilization for future Inclusive Markets, Trade and Finance (IMTF) work in the country. 
• Supports the Head – Markets & Trade and country teams in messaging and engaging with relevant government ministries, departments, and agencies on topics of youth job creation in Inclusive Markets and Trade.
• Conducts in-depth market research and analysis to identify opportunities for expanding youth employment opportunities Inclusive Markets and Trade.
• Support markets and trade policy and regulatory influencing agenda for youth job creation through gathering of evidence, lead engagements and produce knowledge products.
• Contributes to Inclusive Markets, Trade and Finance Strategy development and further execution.
• Participate in advisory missions to countries in multidisciplinary strategy activities of AGRA Country Teams in the areas of youth employment promotion in market and trade.
• Collaborate with State Capability and Policy team to design, backstop, monitor and evaluate development projects for strengthening national capacity in the areas of youth employment policies and programs, particularly policy formulation and implementation, and delivery. 
• Optimizes annual program budgets and program performance management in a way that ensures value for money and demonstrates programmatic impact.
• Managing the project grants in compliance with AGRA Audit requirements. 
• Assist country teams in development of grant proposals in the areas of markets shaping, policy, and resilience with respect to trade.
• Provide technical assistance to grantees and assist in monitoring progress of implementation of youth focused Inclusive Markets & Trade program in the country.
• Provide regular verbal and written updates and briefings on program operations, achievements, and problems to the Country Program Lead and other program staff.

Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, or in a relevant discipline. A PhD’s degree will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English required; ability to communicate in French will be considered an advantage.
• Experience in agricultural development, Inclusive markets and trade, economic agriculture and policy.  
• Strong experience in value chain and private sector development and supporting agro-processing industry.
• Experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to develop agricultural training and dissemination materials.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem solving, programming and decision-making skills.
• Understanding of the relevant national and continental policies, frameworks and pathways for job creation 
• Ability to process multiple tasks at once, and with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to move from program concept to on-the-ground reality in line with AGRA’s mission.
• Ability to develop sound project reports that can be understood by a wider stakeholder audience.
• Sound skills in proposal development and projects management, including consultancy services.

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (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 2nd February 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For more information on the AGRA, visit www.agra.org. 

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer