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

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.