Vacancies at The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

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The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public international organization addressing critical issues such as international food security, the alleviation of global hunger and poverty, environmental protection and the promotion of economic development and self-sufficiency. IFDC focuses on increasing productivity across the agricultural value chain in developing countries. This is achieved by the creation and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise. We are recruiting to fill the below positions below:   Job Title: Value Chain (VC) Advisor Tracking Code: 20120312 Location: Northern Nigeria Job Description

• The VC Advisor will provide strategic leadership in market systems performance and facilitation, The VC Advisor will provide effective management and oversight of the portfolio of interventions within the selected market sectors.
• The VC Advisor will manage a team of staff who will identify constrains to growth in the selected sectors and identify leverage points to facilitate change in how these markets can function effectively and serve as one of the drivers for economic and social resilience.
• The VC Advisor will work directly with the Deputy Chief of Party and project leads to implement resilience sensitive value chain activities in northern Nigeria.
• The VC Advisor will provide technical support to clients and partners; plus support project staff in achieving value chain development goals. The VC Advisor will contribute to the overall success of the implementation of value chain grants.

Required Skills

• A minimum of a Master's Degree in a relevant discipline or a Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field with an additional 7 years' experience to the required minimum above. Fields of discipline and experience will be from area such as Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Business Management, and/or Entrepreneurship Development.
• Minimum of 10 years of regional/ international experience in implementing large donor-funded agricultural value chain activities, economic growth, trade, value chain competitiveness, resilience, crop/agricultural development, and/or food security programs. Preference will be given to those with considerable working experience in rural agricultural areas in West Africa, notably northern Nigeria and the Sahel.
• Demonstrated success in implementing programs aimed at increasing the competitiveness and inclusiveness of value chains using facilitation approaches and incorporating the strengthening of the resilience of smallholder farmers and livestock keepers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in value chain development (i.e., USAID’s value chain and facilitation approach) that support farmers and reaches women, youth, and the poor, creativity, willingness to innovate, think systemically and design catalytic.
• Track record of project design and project implementation capacity building working with host governments, local private sector, and other related players.
• Experience coordinating with subcontractors or multiple interests to achieve common goals.
• At least five years of progressively responsible and supervisory experience.
• Ability to interact regularly and professionally with senior host-government and community level counterparts on activity selection, planning, and field implementation.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and strong track record in meeting deliverables and deadlines.
• Required oral and written communication and presentations skills in English.
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating across projects.
• Strong background in gender integration and women empowerment.

    Job Title: Chief of Party (COP) Tracking Code: 20120311 Location: Northern Nigeria Job Description

• The COP is responsible for providing overall vision, leadership and guidance of the project internally with project staff and externally with USAID, project communities, host governments (both Federal and at State level), other donors and stakeholders.
• The COP will lead the IFDC’s team and serve as the primary point of contact with USAID with regard to day-to-day activity implementation and management matters relating to the contract.
• The main duties of the COP will be overall project planning, implementation and management.
• The COP must ensure the smooth functioning and coordination of all project functions: program quality development and implementation; project finances and administration, outreach and reporting, monitoring and evaluation.
• The COP will seek to ensure the technical quality and appropriateness of the technical services provided through the project and the quality of the results generated.
• The COP will have technical and management responsibility for all project personnel and be the IFDC representative to USAID, relevant ministries of the Federal Government of Nigeria and State Governments, other donor, private companies, technical agencies and other participating organizations as required.
• Given the need to establish overarching relevance of innovative community-based resilience building and household food and nutrition security both for conflict-affected states, the COP is expected to deploy relevant knowledge and skills-set that will increase this project’s sphere of influence to enable it have a systemic impact on food security and agriculture value-chains in ways that contribute to building the social protection and safety nets of vulnerable households and enhances their resettlement and reintegration in affected communities.
• The COP will have overall responsibility for assuring that all assistance provided under the cooperative agreement, whether by international or local experts/personnel, is technically sound and appropriate for the needs to be addressed; and for adequately managing and supervising the work of all experts/personnel provided under the agreement.
• The COP will be the primary point of contact for information on the progress and current status of all activities under the contract and will establish appropriate mechanisms to ensure that activity progress and specific implementation concerns are regularly and promptly reported.
• The COP will manage the preparation and presentation of proposed implementation plans and all reports.

Required Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• At least 10 years of experience successfully managing complex, results based, international rural agricultural development and resilience programs (implementation, logistics, budget, staffing) funded by USAID or other international donors.
• At least 5 years of prior USAID-COP experience on complex projects is required.
• Experience working in West Africa preferably Nigeria and other parts of the Sahel strongly desired.
• Master’s degree in agriculture or related field required.
• Demonstrated ability in the concepts, principles, methods and techniques of delivering training, technical assistance and extension services for resilience, rural development and social protection.
• Demonstrated skills in effectively collaborating with host governments, regional institutions, donors, UN agencies, other USAID projects, local organizations, private companies and other partners.
• Ability to successfully manage and develop staff in a multi-state setting as demonstrated by past experience.
• Ability to manage cooperative agreements, contracts and grant making programs with all required reporting requirements.
• Ability to perform internal control functions to manage day to day operations of the project.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally in small audience and large audience settings.
• Fluency in written and spoken English. basic language skills in the local languages will be an advantage
• Ability to travel extensively in Northern Nigeria States

    Job Title: Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) Tracking Code: 20120310 Location: Nigeria Job Description

•  The DCOP will support the Chief of Party in managing staff and providing technical leadership in the design and implementation of resilience and rural development activities.
• We seek an individual with significant broad and proven expertise in rural resilience, agricultural development in a developing country context, preferably Nigeria and the Soudano-Sahel region.
• The DCOP will complement the Chief of Party with experience in facilitation and systems approaches, comprehensive and integrated food security and nutrition, and able to bring lessons learned from past resilience interventions in the diverse environments.
• The DCOP will ensure that the project meets all USAID environmental requirements and complies with USAID environmental policies and regulations.

Responsibilities Key responsibilities include:

• Overall program responsibility;
• Ability to manage toward maximum effectiveness, efficiency and output;
• Apply a facilitation approach to implementation;
• Represent the program to donors, key stakeholders and host country government counterparts by assuming primary responsibility in negotiating terms and conditions of the program.

Required Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in a relevant field or a Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum 5 years of work experience as Deputy Chief of Party, Senior Program Manager or an equivalent position managing large, complex agricultural development and resilience programs preferably within West Africa. Experience working in Nigeria and the Soudano –Sahel region are preferred.
• Experience in building capacity of public agency personnel to more effectively meet the requirements of their position.
• Experience in the environmental compliance on projects and working with host country agencies.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in strategic thinking and policy analysis and able to dialogue with host country government.
• Demonstrated ability to be collaborative across projects, flexible and creative.
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills with evidence of ability to productively interact with a wide range and levels of organizations (government, private sector, NGOs, research institutions.
• Oral and written communication and presentations skills in English.

  How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply

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