3 Job Positions at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Hinga Weze Activity: (Deadline 10 February 2023)

3 Job Positions at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Hinga Weze Activity: (Deadline 10 February 2023)

Environmental Advisor at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Hinga Weze Activity: (Deadline 10 February 2023)

USAID/Rwanda Modernizing Agriculture Activity

Environmental Advisor

CNFA

CNFA is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to stimulating economic growth in the agricultural sector by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise, and market linkages. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investments in training, new technologies and marketing as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains and rural development, to increase people’s incomes, to develop skills in the rural workforce, and to facilitate exports.

Program Description USAID/Rwanda Modernizing Agriculture Activity

The purpose of the Modernizing Agriculture Activity is to support increased agriculture productivity and income, access to finance and markets, and access and consumption of nutritious food products in Rwanda, while increasing the resilience of the agriculture and food systems to the changing climate. To achieve this goal, the Activity will sustainably increase agricultural productivity, increase access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses, improve producers’ market outcomes, and strengthen the enabling environment to foster market-driven outcomes in agriculture.

Position Description

Reporting to the MEL Director, the Environmental Advisor will ensure environmental compliance with USAID (in particular 22 CFR 216) and GoR environmental regulations, and adherence with the relevant IEE. S/he will also oversee the process of assisting grantees and ModAg beneficiaries with environmentally-friendly and climate-smart practices. Generally, s/he will be responsible for ensuring compliance on all environmental-related project activities. The Environmental Advisor is based in Kigali.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main duties of the Environmental Advisor include, but are not limited to:

• Update on a regular basis and implement the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) in accordance with USAID rules and regulations, and CNFA guidelines;
• Lead the monitoring and evaluation team in assessing the environmental impact of project activities;
• Provide regular updates to Chief of Party (COP), DCOP, and Component Leads on the environmental implications of project activities;
• Responsible for ensuring environmental compliance and leading administration of compliance measures for all grant and Catalytic Service Provider activities
• Ensure project’s activities are in compliance with the relevant PERSUAP, IEE, EMMP and USAID and GOR environmental regulations;
• Contribute technical guidance to the design and implementation of activities related to agricultural production, climate smart agriculture techniques, improved access to agro-inputs, etc.
• Ensure activities are developed and implemented in alignment with the USAID Climate Strategy (2022-2030)
• Develop a Climate risks adaptation/management plan as part of the EMMP showing how the climate change risks to the activity will be addressed
• Coordinate with relevant technical leads to ensure smooth implementation of environmental compliance activities and administration of Environmental Review Checklists (ERCs), as needed.
• Produce, train staff on, and administer environmental review forms and mitigation plans for project-use, and as required by USAID or GOR regulations;
• Conduct environmental training and ensure relevant records, reports, and audits are effectively implemented and accounted for;
• Responsible for contributing to training modules related to safe use of pesticides and other agrochemicals;
• Facilitate capacity building support for private sector actors on climate-smart agriculture in collaboration with the Nutrition and Market Development team
• Ensure that private and public sector partners understand and build their capacity to market/promote the safe use of pesticides and other agrochemicals;
• Coordinate with the Social Inclusion Advisor to ensure all interventions support the Activity’s inclusion goals;
• Contribute as appropriate to periodic report preparation, and participate and assist in the project’s workshops and seminars as needed;
• Undertake other assignments or tasks at the request of the Chief of Party.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resources Management, Agronomy, or relevant field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years working in natural resource management, resilience, environment, environmental compliance, or a combination of the above on donor-funded projects.
• Demonstrated ability to advise on the environmental implications of development activities.
• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proven knowledge of USAID regulations regarding environmental monitoring and mitigation is strongly preferred, including proficiency in 22 CFR 216
• Experience advising on environmental compliance for private sector driven programming (market systems) preferred
• Experience with climate risk management strongly preferred
• Experience ensuring environmental compliance on grants program strongly preferred
• Advanced oral and written communication skills in English required; Kinyarwanda and French considered an asset.
• Ability to comply with deadlines, work independently and as part of a team.

Application Instructions

• All interested and qualified Candidate can send their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references) documents to: ModAg@cnfarwanda.org not later than 10th February 2023 at 6:00 PM. Please quote the job title in the subject.  Only candidates selected for interview will be notified.

Trade and Market Access Advisor at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Hinga Weze Activity: (Deadline 10 February 2023)

USAID/Rwanda Modernizing Agriculture Activity

Trade and Market Access Advisor

CNFA

CNFA is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to stimulating economic growth in the agricultural sector by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise, and market linkages. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investments in training, new technologies and marketing as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains and rural development, to increase people’s incomes, to develop skills in the rural workforce, and to facilitate exports.

Program Description USAID/Rwanda Modernizing Agriculture Activity

The purpose of the Modernizing Agriculture Activity is to support increased agriculture productivity and income, access to finance and markets, and access and consumption of nutritious food products in Rwanda, while increasing the resilience of the agriculture and food systems to the changing climate. To achieve this goal, the Activity will sustainably increase agricultural productivity, increase access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses, improve producers’ nutrition and market outcomes, and strengthen the enabling environment to foster market-driven outcomes in agriculture.

Position Description

Reporting to the Nutrition and Market Development Director, the Trade and Market Access Advisor is responsible for supporting and strengthening the private-sector oriented market systems in key agricultural high value and nutritious commodities, as well as value chain strategy development, facilitating the creation of horizontal and vertical linkages along the value chains, and building the technical capacity of the targeted value chain actors, stakeholders, and project staff. The Trade and Market Access Advisor will also provide strategic vision, leadership and technical assistance in the select value chains to expand local and export market opportunities, with an emphasis on promoting nutritious and safe foods and developing market places and platforms where market actors (buyers and sellers) can meet to facilitate exchange or transaction of goods and services The Trade and Market Access Advisor is based in Kigali.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main duties of the Trade and Market Access Advisor include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinate with private sector actors such as major processing operations, small and medium sized firms, cooperatives, lenders and farmer groups to implement market access and value chain upgrading-related activities for firms, farmers and households at the National, provincial and district levels;
• Facilitate capacity building of cooperatives and other value chain actors to improve their ability to access markets for their products, while also facilitating their access to additional resources (e.g., working capital, post-harvest facilities, irrigation equipment, and digital technologies) to service these markets;
• Develop strategies and interventions to increase and strengthen market linkages and trust between market actors and reduce market access barriers for farmers;
• Coordinate with ModAg grantees and sub-contractors to effectively roll out the digital market information systems for both inputs and output products as well coordinating “pitch fairs” to generate competitive submission of innovations for grant and subcontract funding for partners;
• Interface and collaborate with the project’s targeted value chain stakeholders, including Government of Rwanda officials, grantees and subcontractors to advance program objectives and activities especially in areas of market development and market access for smallholders;
• Identify and lead the development of innovation and partnership opportunities for the project with a focus on nutrient dense foods, ensuring coherence of approaches within the Nutrition and Market Development component;
• Collaborate with the Finance and Investment team to facilitate access to finance for partner market actors, enabling them to meet market demand;
• Collaborate with productivity and nutrition teams to develop the key nutritious foods to promote in available in target markets at affordable prices in the Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI), at key times throughout the year.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to increase market access for women, youth and disabled farmers and women- and youth-led agribusinesses and increase their productive economic resources;
• Participate actively in the Private sector and Market access working groups to advocate for private sector engagement.
• Contribute to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework (including reporting), in close collaboration with the Nutrition and Market Development Director and the MEL Director;
• Coordinate with relevant technical leads in the field and the Kigali-based technical and administrative management units to ensure smooth implementation of market development activities;
• Undertake other assignments or tasks at the request of the Nutrition and Market Development Director, the DCOP and/or the Chief of Party.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural economics, Agriculture, Business Administration or a related field;
• At least five years of progressively responsible work experience in sustainable private sector and rural development approaches for complex donor-funded project(s) related to agricultural finance, value chain development, agricultural investment, private sector investment management and/or access to finance;
• At least 3-5 years in a supervisory capacity or experience managing teams of direct reports, experience in coordinating field teams, grantees and service providers is a plus;
• Proven experience and understanding of innovative market development approaches including inclusive aggregation models, market incentives such as certification and the use of digital tools in market development is a plus;
• Demonstrated ability to interact and communicate with wide range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing, creating effective value chain analyses and powerful client reporting,
• Effective at collaboration; willingness to innovate and ability to think systematically;
• Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining quality of deliverables within deadlines;
• Advanced oral and written communication skills in English and Kinyarwanda required, French considered an asset.

Application Instructions

• All interested and qualified Candidate can send their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references) documents to: ModAg@cnfarwanda.org not later than 10th February 2023 at 6:00 PM. Please quote the job title in the subject.  Only candidates selected for interview will be notified.

Input Supply Advisor at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Hinga Weze Activity: (Deadline 10 February 2023)

USAID/Rwanda Modernizing Agriculture Activity

Input Supply Advisor

CNFA

CNFA is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to stimulating economic growth in the agricultural sector by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise, and market linkages. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investments in training, new technologies and marketing as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains and rural development, to increase people’s incomes, to develop skills in the rural workforce, and to facilitate exports.

Program Description USAID/Rwanda Modernizing Agriculture Activity

The purpose of the Modernizing Agriculture Activity is to support increased agriculture productivity and income, access to finance and markets, and access and consumption of nutritious food products in Rwanda, while increasing the resilience of the agriculture and food systems to the changing climate. To achieve this goal, the Activity will sustainably increase agricultural productivity, increase access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses, improve producers’ market outcomes, and strengthen the enabling environment to foster market-driven outcomes in agriculture.

Position Description

Reporting to the Director of Agriculture Productivity, the Input Supply Advisor is responsible for collaborating with and strengthening input supply companies and agro-dealers to effectively promote the appropriate use of agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers, with a focus on women and youth. The Input Supply Advisor will coordinate extensively with input supply companies, especially to secure their participation in ModAg market systems interventions. The Input Supply Advisor is based in Kigali.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main duties of the Input Supply Advisor include, but are not limited to:

• Build capacity of agro-dealers on agriculture inputs product knowledge, business management, effective use of climate smart agriculture inputs, and best practices regarding service provision;
• Interface and collaborate with the project’s targeted input supply stakeholders, including Government of Rwanda officials, seed companies, importers, and cooperatives to advance program objectives and activities and facilitate discussions on input supply policy-related issues;
• Lead the rollout of CNFA’s “Farm Service Center” model as well as its hub-and-spoke agrodealer strategy to increase the quality, quantity and private-sector oriented provision of inputs to farmers.
• Coordinate with relevant technical leads in the field and the Kigali-based Agriculture Productivity team and ModAg provincial offices to ensure smooth implementation of input supply-focused activities;
• Facilitate agro-dealers to meet quality standards and certification requirements set out by Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA);
• Facilitate input suppliers to create sustainable linkages with farmers for increased supply of quality inputs;
• Lead outreach to Agro-Processing Trust Corporation (APTC) agents and other Rwandan stakeholders to ensure proper coordination between ModAg and GOR activities;
• In coordination with the Gender Advisor, recruit and train women to become certified agrodealers and provide grants to help them meet storage and other standards of the decree as well as provide extension, machine-leasing, and marketing services;
• Identify and lead the development of innovation and partnership opportunities for the project;
• Examine models of input financing and propose appropriate interventions within ModAg to increase provision of such financing models;
• Undertake other assignments or tasks at the request of the Component Lead, the DCOP and/or the Chief of Party.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Value Chain Provision/Financing, International Development, Development Studies, Rural Development or a related field;
• At least five years of progressively responsible work experience leading capacity building activities to facilitate sustainable input supply systems for smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and input dealers;
• In depth knowledge and experience with Rwandan input supply systems;
• Demonstrated experience working with complex donor-funded project(s) related to agricultural finance, value chain development, private sector investment management and/or access to finance;
• Technical experience with NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and NGO procedures;
• Demonstrated ability to interact and effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing;
• Effective at collaboration; willingness to innovate and ability to think systematically;
• Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining quality of deliverables within deadlines;
• Advanced Kinyarwanda as well as oral and written communication skills in English required; French considered an asset.

Application Instructions

• All interested and qualified Candidate can send their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references) documents to: ModAg@cnfarwanda.org not later than 10th February 2023 at 6:00 PM. Please quote the job title in the subject.  Only candidates selected for interview will be notified.