Provincial Manager at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Modernizing Agriculture Activity: (Deadline 7 March 2023)

Provincial Manager at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Modernizing Agriculture Activity: (Deadline 7 March 2023)

USAID/Hinga Wunguke

Provincial Manager 

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 Hinga Wunguke 

The purpose of the Feed the Future Rwanda Hinga Wunguke Activity (Hinga Wunguke) 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 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 DCOP or his/her designee, the Provincial Manager will be entrepreneurial, with strong business acumen. He/she will be analytical, creative thinker and be keen to expand their first-hand experience working with public and private stakeholders and international organizations. He/she will be responsible for managing relationships with stakeholders at province and district levels and  advancing market systems development efforts of Hinga Wunguke in its targeted value chains in the covered districts. S/he will work with private and public market actors to conduct market research, identify and develop innovative business opportunities and be involved in partnership management, using business analytics to optimize growth as well as to create social impact on smallholder farmers in the Hinga Wunguke target districts and the wider market system in Rwanda. The Provincial Manager is based in either Nyamagabe, Kigali, Musanze, Kayonza or Karongi.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Leadership and Coordination

• Manage and oversee the technical implementation of Hinga Wunguke activities at Provincial-level office having approximately four staff members.
• Manage and supervise the following Provincial staff: Provincial Intervention Officer (2); Provincial Finance Officer; and Provincial Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
• Liaise with local government to discuss how the above-mentioned technical staff is involved in the implementation of the Hinga Wunguke activities at the provincial level.
• Assure that project activities align with the project implementation plans and calendar.
• Liaise with each relevant district and provincial coordination authorities to ensure that Hinga Wunguke activities align with the mission and development objectives of the district and the province.
• Supervise respective Hinga Wunguke provincial level staff and ensure that they liaise with district and provincial authorities to coordinate activities and work planning, by participating in Joint Action Development Forums and in the elaboration of district and  Provincial Development Plans, and other district and  provincial-level planning activities with national and international donors, as appropriate, to ensure an integrated approach between Hinga Wunguke activities and those at the local level.
• Collaborate with district and provincial authorities and other stakeholders for smooth implementation of Hinga Wunguke.
• Provide technical support to provincial staff and make sure they are following Hinga Wunguke guidelines for implementation of activities and personally visit sites where the program activities are being implemented on regular basis.
• Collaborate with the Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor to ensure activities are inclusive of women, youth, people with disabilities, and other groups.

1. Market systems and CIF activities

• Assist Provincial Intervention Officers to identify system constraints inhibiting development of well-functioning market system for Hinga Wunguke target value chains and co-develop with market actors innovative intervention ideas to attain the Activity’s objectives.
• Support the intervention officers to identify specific market actors that can address the constraints identified in the selected value chains.
• Contribute to the analysis of constraints that private sector face and support in designing of project intervention strategies to address them.
• In collaboration with component leads and intervention officers, support in designing inclusive business model and strategies for the Activity.
• Work with Provincial Intervention Officers to monitor progress of the implementation plan with the partner if located in the province, and report field findings to the team and propose how to adjust the intervention strategies based on field findings and evidence.
• Oversee regular monitoring and evaluation of partnerships.

1. Result measurement and communication

• In collaboration with the Provincial MEL Officer, the Provincial Manager should critically analyze reports of local staff to ensure that they are meeting quality standards and contributing to achieving Hinga Wunguke objectives and targets.
• Coordinate regular impact projections for on-going and pipeline interventions at the provincial level.
• Coordinate drafting of monthly, quarterly, and annual work plans.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and other reports as needed.
• Support the development of communication products where needed.

Qualifications

• At least a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Business Administration Agribusiness, Agriculture, Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, Rural Development, Development Studies or similar fields. Master’s Degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in project planning, project implementation, and/or project monitoring and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience in improving farmers’ income, access to markets and finance, collaborating with the private sector and local financial institutions; and integration of nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
• Experience in collaborating with provincial and district stakeholders.
• At least five years of experience in international NGOs, with at least 2 years’ experience in managerial positions.
• Attitude for out of the box thinking.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Solid interpersonal skills to be able to work with diverse stakeholders at local/ national level.
• Ability and experience in business plan development.
• Willingness to learn from mistakes.
• Demonstrated ability to interact and communicate with wide range of stakeholders both verbally and in writing.
• Effective collaboration: willingness to innovate and ability to think systematically.
• Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining quality of deliverables within deadlines.
• Possessing a motorcycle driving license would be a proven advantage.
• Fluency in Kinyarwanda and English. Working French is an added value.

Application and Job location

All interested and qualified candidates can send their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references) documents to: ModAg@cnfarwanda.org not later than 7 April 2023 at 5 PM GMT. Please quote the job title in the subject line of the email submission and label your CV with your name and applied-for position.

Only candidates selected for interview will be notified.

The Provincial Managers will be based in either Nyamagabe, Kigali, Musanze, Kayonza or Karongi (please state your preference, if you have one, in your cover letter).