The Opportunity
Director – Inclusive Markets, Trade & Finance
Role Purpose
The Director of Inclusive Markets, Trade & Finance is a senior member of the Center of Technical Expertise Division. S/He will be responsible for providing leadership to 3 Technical Heads and their respective agricultural technical teams namely 1) Head – Regional Food Trade 2) Head – Markets & Post Harvest t3) Head – Inclusive Finance. S/He is responsible for consistency in program development, implementation, and monitoring of impact in all countries where AGRA operates. The role is key in ensuring collaboration between Inclusive Markets, Trade & Finance (IMTF) teams with a focus on enhancing the capacity of agricultural MSMEs that source and trade smallholder produce in collaboration with other technical areas and program delivery areas. The role drives coherence in the design and oversight of all elements of AGRA’s technical programs and strategy under Inclusive Markets, Trade & Finance.
Role Summary
S/he will provide technical guidance on agricultural Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development in an integrated manner, tackling systemic gaps of access to finance and on strengthening market and trade institutions, platforms, and actors. This is with the aim of driving inclusive markets and trade at domestic, regional, and continental levels – ensuring that increased on-farm productivity is matched by post-harvest “pull” opportunities for aggregators, traders, and processors. The Director – Inclusive Markets, Trade & Finance will, in collaboration with Heads of Units, constantly mine the realm of innovations and business models that are adoptable in AGRA programs through partners and platforms. S/he will ensure that the program delivery teams get more appropriate, relevant, and timely inputs from the IMTF business line heads and that they deliver on associated IMTF key performance indicators.
Key Measures of Performance
The performance of this role holder will be assessed on the basis of the achievements made on:
- Delivering on select drivers of systems transformation as defined by the Theory of Change and Theory of Action of the IMTF business line. This includes functioning services markets for Micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), reduced trade barriers and enhanced sourcing of produce from smallholder farmers across value chains.
- Growth of IMTF portfolio in terms of geographical scope, value of transactions, farmers reached and number of private sector participants (mainly Agri-SMEs).
- Number of partnerships with Governments, Multilateral Development Bank (MDBs) and financial sector players to develop and implement blended finance models for the agricultural sector.
- Measurable impact on adoption of innovations under output market linkages, post-harvest and value addition, Agri-Small and medium enterprises (SME) competitiveness, food trade policies and trade corridors, and access to finance.
- Collaboration with other AGRA business lines to ensure a coherent and integrated approach to delivering enhanced capacity to agricultural MSMEs and their services provision to smallholder farmers transformation.
- Level of integration of AGRA’s cross-cutting areas into IMTF program design and implementation.
Key Responsibilities
Purpose – Transform
- Strategizes and directs the technical teams within the function and lead systems development activities across the three areas under IMTF.
- Recommends deployment & utilization of new products, creates enticing product claims, and identifies cost saving opportunities.
- Builds partnerships that advance trade, markets and better blended financial flows.
- Provides leadership to technical teams within their function overseeing their general management, including program development, delivery, and evaluation, as well as fundraising, budget setting, knowledge management, and all external relationship management.
- Support teams in analytical capability, and associated modelling to inform models, trends, and predictions; and support countries, regional and continental partners to address Trade, Inclusive Markets and Finance challenges and opportunities.
- Promotes scaling of platforms, coalitions, cooperatives etc Including digital platforms to improve access to finance, market, and trade information and opportunities.
Engagement – Compel
- Collaborates closely with other colleagues and teams, especially within technical expertise, to ensure alignment on project goals, effective use of resources and explore innovation possibilities.
- Nurtures and develops professional relationships with various finance, market, and trade institutions as well as industry associations through electronic and oral communications and by attending and/or participating in professional meetings and platforms.
- Ensures strategic engagement at regional, continental, and global levels in shaping the future of African food systems through markets, trade, and flow of private sector investment.
- Inspires and grows teamwork, partnership, and collaboration among the product development team to raise overall team contributions and performance.
- Enables talent management and development of existing IMTF staff, acquiring of new staff as necessary and manages team dynamics to ensure high-performance and positive employee experience.
- Directs and provides coaching to technical and administrative staff within the function.
Delivery – Define Program Cycle
- Reviews project standards and goals, directs execution of projects where required and evaluates progress through regular performance reviews.
- Reviews scope of work, provides input, and evaluates proposals for funding.
- Takes a lead in ensuring the team supports institution processes that require teamwork and collaborative engagement across teams in Operations, Human Resources and Technical areas.
- Ensure engagement and collaboration with the rest of the institution while planning, executing, tracking, and evaluating impact.
Model the IRISE Values & Be a Culture Carrier
- Integrity
- Respect
- Innovation
- Stewardship
- Equity
Requirements
Academic and Professional Qualifications
- PhD or MSc in Economic, Agricultural Economic, Finance or any other related area with experience working in agriculture/related work, significant demonstrated industry experience in analytical capability, relevant product development, deployment, report development and communications.
- Fluency in English required; the ability to communicate in French will be considered an asset.
Required Skills/Abilities
- Demonstrated industry experience in areas of agricultural markets, food trade and finance.
- Strong analytical skills in market and trade analysis, as well as deal-making to leverage financing from private and public sector.
- Deep understanding of market systems development approach and the policy and regulatory enabling environment for functional markets and trade.
- Understanding of capability requirements for market, trade and finance systems reform and implementation.
- Familiarity working with private sector in structuring of deals around sourcing and financing from smallholder farmers, geographical expansion, and development of digitization tools in relevant IMTF areas.
- Familiarity with the continental integration agenda including but not limited to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
- Familiarity with food systems components, typology of partners, range of technologies and practices for agricultural transformation.
- Deep knowledge of the basic tenets of agricultural systems across the food chain, both internationally and within the African context.
- Strong verbal and written communications skills, and ability to speak & communicate effectively in front of large groups in lecture and field settings.
Relevant Experience
- Experience in areas of market development, food trade and inclusive finance or related fields.
- Experience working with multinational agriculture development agencies in Africa.
Key Competencies
- Leadership
- Grantees and Market Orientation
- Achieving Results Effectively
- Managing & Sharing Knowledge
- Adaptability
- Technical Competencies for the position
- Stakeholder Focus/Partnerships
- Effective Leadership
- Diversity & Inclusion
Terms of Appointment
3 Years Fixed Term (Consideration for renewal will be made subject to AGRA’s needs, available funding and performance).
Location
Based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel, approximately 40% per month/year.
