Propcom Mai-Karfi Job in Nigeria for an Intervention Manager / Business Development Manager

Propcom Mai-Karfi is a six year DFID programme aimed at increasing incomes for the poor in Northern Nigeria through enhanced employment opportunities for increased employment and improved productivity in selected agricultural market systems in Northern Nigeria.

PURPOSE
To design and manage the Propcom Mai-Karfi programme interventions specific market sectors in accordance with the overall programme strategy.

SCOPE OF WORK
The Intervention Manager will lead and manage 2-3 programme interventions. This will involve the design, strategy, planning, communicating, monitoring and reporting on all assigned interventions.  S/he will develop and maintain close relationships with project partners (mostly businesses) while overseeing and coordinating the implementation of project interventions.

Though based in Abuja, this post will require frequent travel to the field.

The Propcom Mai-karfi staff work as an integrated team. The Intervention Manager will be expected to contribute to other aspects of the programme.


Job Title: Intervention Manager / Business Development Manager
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
The Intervention Manager will be responsible for the following:

Research
    Conduct research into relevant market systems and trends to identify opportunities for interventions
    Assist in stakeholder analysis selected commodity chains also identify and establish contact with potential agents of change
     Liaise with the Results Measurement (RM) team on the development of appropriately tailored research tools and methods for the collection and collation of relevant intervention information from the field
    Assist to update and supervise RM aspects of the intervention activities, including establishing baselines, indicators, and results.
    Assist in collecting baseline data related to interventions targeted for study or implementation by the project.

Intervention Management
    Formulate strategies to develop service markets in these commodity chains/rural markets and seek opportunities to work as per sector strategy.
    Identify intervention activities and ensure the appropriate communication of clear intervention guidelines, expected outcomes, timeframe and workplan to all relevant parties
    Refine and adapt the intervention strategies in light of participant and stakeholder requests and changing needs and opportunities, within the overall program of Propcom.
    Help identify market failures and pressure points for addressing them; help identify ways to render a given market more functional and efficient, in a manner that will benefit the poor.
    Refine and adapt the commodity chain intervention strategies in light of participant and stakeholder requests and changing needs, within the overall program:
    Develop intervention strategies and implementation procedures in a participatory manner with key stakeholders.
    Identify priority areas for interventions that will change as opportunities pass or are realized and new ones emerge.
    Provide weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports on programme interventions – including impact assessment reports. Also provide relevant ongoing intervention activity feedback including formal and informal feedback from the field.
    Assist the Market Section Manager in the development of relevant grant agreements, MoUs, ToRs and any other administrative requirement for the interventions
    Conduct regular field visits to ensure proper implementation of activities.
    Remain well aware of developments in the relevant sectors/markets/commodity chains.
    Work with the RM to design appropriate tools for monitoring the progress of interventions within the various market sectors. Also liaise with the RM (working through the Research Officers) on the conduct of impact assessments for ongoing programme interventions


Stakeholder Management
    Represent the programme in selected markets, displaying courtesy, tact, consideration and discretion in all interactions with partners, other members of the programme, and with public.
    Understand how the political economy impacts rural markets, and how changes in the functioning of markets may impact the political economy.
    Maintain contacts with key stakeholders to increase synergies.
    Take part in facilitating and managing the work of partners/co-facilitators/service providers of programme and ensure “value for money” for the tasks given.
    Help supervise/facilitate the identification and development of networks among key stakeholders, helping identify common interests between the networks and Propcom.
    Assist in establishing contacts with national and regional institutions, stakeholders and participants that would contribute to the successful implementation of market activities.

Monitoring
    Support the Communications staff and Results Measurement staff in implementing the project RM system, particularly as it pertains to the markets, systemic change, and gender disaggregated impacts on the poor, as well as other social development issues:
    Assist in providing technical oversight of the market and the fulfillment of its development purpose as expressed in the program action plans and log frames.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
The Intervention Manager will report to the Market Section Manager. S/he will also be expected to work closely with the Results Measurement team of the programme in the design of all information gathering and progress monitoring tools for all interventions. S/he will also be expected to establish and maintain good and effective working relationships with other members of the Propcom-Maikarfi team in particular the programme’s logistics management teams.

The Intervention Manager will work closely with all market partners ensuring that all interests are adequately protected and all interventions have the potential for sustained improvements of the standards of the poor within the market areas. S/he will be required to drive the programme and donor interests within all interventions within the market thereby representing the programme on a strategic level with both the donor and other stakeholders.

COMPETENCIES
Communication: Confidently delivers tailored messages to various audiences using various media   and tools. Asks insightful questions, validates the speaker’s feelings and points, and encourages the speaker; leaves the speaker feeling ‘heard’. Reports concisely and proactively with observations, analysis, and implications of the observations on project work and has the ability to present such findings to a variety of stakeholders in a concise and effective manner.

Relationship Builder: Quickly develops trusting relationships with others; proactively assesses and manages trust with others. Maintains industry, government and corporate networks and consistently forges new business relationships to fit strategic priorities. Identifies shared goals and develops effective strategies around those goals; follows-up on connections to catalyze positive relationships. Demonstrates neutrality and helps parties come to creative agreements and solutions, while keeping ownership with the parties.

Business Person: Understands the idea of the marketing mix (the 5 ‘P’s); can gather market info and give advice on marketing strategy; Advises on building and keeping good customer relations. Keeps records in more complex business environments; Advises on basic finances; Identifies and considers the financial risks of decisions; considers the economic value for the markets before making financial decisions. Delivers training workshops; Advises on selecting and recruiting staff; appreciates the importance of incentives for performance

Coach: Regularly engages with market actors and stakeholders to uncover and identify specific needs; builds desire in the coachee to address the needs. Offers specific, constructive feedback to others; leaves the coachee feeling empowered to improve; actively seeks out feedback to improve; uses feedback in reviewing intervention strategies. Creates buy-in from the coachee to improve; helps develop action plans; provides support, while ensure coachee ownership over the process

Innovator: Tests out new ideas on an ongoing basis; failure encourages greater future effort; often demonstrates creative thinking; uses innovative approaches in the execution of work; actively searches for solutions beyond traditional boundaries. Makes time to reflect and codify learning; seeks out sources of learning; regularly adjusts actions based on comparing expected results against actual results; makes informed decisions based on lessons learnt from other interventions within the sector.  Proactively shares both successful and unsuccessful endeavours; actively identifies issues that may hinder effective collaborations and devises means of minimizing these; takes a leadership role in a team

Political Economist: Critically analyses institutions using a visual model, objectively allocating roles and functions. Can prescribe an agenda to improve the institutional arrangements for the benefit of poor people. Rigorously analyses the way power and politics affects markets and poverty; can model the power relations; and can prescribe improvements for the benefit of poor people.  Collects and arranges complex evidence within an Excel workbook; cost-benefit analysis of economic options; prescription and argument for pro-poor improvements in markets.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

The Intervention Manager should have;

    A Masters degree or similar qualification in Business, Economics or Development Studies;
    Minimum of 3 years’ work experience in activities related to agricultural commodities and rural development, with some experience working with the private sector and confirmed knowledge of the institutions and organizations that provide services to the agricultural sector in Nigeria.;
    Experience in developing simple business plans;
    Experience writing reports
    Ability to influence a range of people including client organisations, government agencies and other key stakeholders by building constructive relationships through clear communication and generate effective discussion and mutual support for plans and ideas.
    Strong project management expertise, exposure to implementing technical assistance projects, and ability to bring together sector stakeholders would be advantageous
    Ability to speak Hausa is desirable

LOCATION OF POST
The post is domiciled in Abuja however incumbent will be required to make frequent travels within Nigeria and particularly to the Northern part of Nigeria.


Method of Application
Please send your CV (maximum of 3 pages) and a 1-page covering letter outlining how your skills and competencies match the requirement of the position to [email protected]