For over 50 years and in 145 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness, financial services, enterprise development, community development and food security in order to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil society.
Techincal Director, Value Chain Development, Ghana
Project Background:
The Ghana Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) II project is a $37.5M USAID-funded project that supports agricultural investments to improve the competitiveness of the maize, rice, and soybean value chains in Ghana. The project adopts a facilitative value chain approach, where smallholder farmers are linked to markets, finance, inputs, equipment, and information through larger commercial farmers and traders who have the capacity and incentive to invest in smallholder production. These linkages build the capacity of smallholder farmers to increase the efficiency of their farm businesses with improved production and post-harvest handling practices. Uniquely, the ADVANCE II model supports emerging commercial agriculture and smallholders simultaneously. The project is targeting 100,000 direct beneficiaries through direct implementation and a network of local and international partner organizations.
Job Summary:
We are currently seeking a Techincal Director of Value Chain Competitiveness and Inclusiveness for the agricultural value chain program in Ghana. This position will use a market facilitation and value chain approach to increase agricultural productivity and market access and trade for rural smallholders and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while strengthening the local capacity for advocacy and implementation.
Techincal Director, Value Chain Development, Ghana
Project Background:
The Ghana Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) II project is a $37.5M USAID-funded project that supports agricultural investments to improve the competitiveness of the maize, rice, and soybean value chains in Ghana. The project adopts a facilitative value chain approach, where smallholder farmers are linked to markets, finance, inputs, equipment, and information through larger commercial farmers and traders who have the capacity and incentive to invest in smallholder production. These linkages build the capacity of smallholder farmers to increase the efficiency of their farm businesses with improved production and post-harvest handling practices. Uniquely, the ADVANCE II model supports emerging commercial agriculture and smallholders simultaneously. The project is targeting 100,000 direct beneficiaries through direct implementation and a network of local and international partner organizations.
Job Summary:
We are currently seeking a Techincal Director of Value Chain Competitiveness and Inclusiveness for the agricultural value chain program in Ghana. This position will use a market facilitation and value chain approach to increase agricultural productivity and market access and trade for rural smallholders and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while strengthening the local capacity for advocacy and implementation.
- Lead the implementation of ongoing value chain upgrading strategies, addressing production, post-harvest, processing and marketing priorities through market driven sustainable approaches.
- Work with value chain networks to identify upgrading opportunities, public-private partnerships and other opportunities that support an industrywide vision.
- Follow up on the implementation of Annual Workplan, observing an adequate use of annual budget for each major activity
- Provide quality control and ensure timeliness of all value chain and other technical program deliverables.
- Ensure effective coordination among component technical leaders and program specialists across all value chain activities.
- Ensure all project staff implement market facilitation and value chain development concepts and approaches in a sustainable manner and are committed to identified value chain upgrading strategies.
- Provide input into the performance monitoring plan to measure success and validate causal model assumptions, and provide oversight of the field-level data collection in close collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert.
- Develop and oversee the performance monitoring plan to measure success and validate causal model assumptions.
- Support in the writing of Quarterly Reports to USAID.
- A Master’s degree in a related field and minimum 7 years’ experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and minimum 10 years’ experience in a mix of economic growth/trade/value chain competitiveness/agriculture development/food security programs.
- Demonstrated success in implementing programs aimed at increasing the competitiveness and inclusiveness of value chains using facilitation approaches.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/best practices in value chain development that reaches women, and the poor, and other vulnerable populations.
- Demonstrated creativity, willingness to innovate, think systemically and design catalytic activities.
- Demonstrated experience in collaborating across projects.
- Previous experience in Ghana or the region is preferred.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential.
Please apply online at www.acdivoca.org.international-jobs. No phone calls please. Only finalists contacted. Women and minorities encouraged to apply. EOE.
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