Systems Consultant/Engineering Director jobs in Nebraska

Program Description

The USAID Yalwa Activity is a 5-year $29.15 million-dollar project implemented by CNFA in the Tillaberi, Maradi, and Zinder regions of Niger. As a key part of the second phase of USAID’s Regional Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) Initiative, Yalwa will strengthen market systems to sustainably improve household incomes and nutritional status. To achieve this goal, Yalwa will implement interventions across the following mutually reinforcing result areas: 1) enhanced performance of commodity market systems; 2) increased utilization of quality inputs and services; and 3) increased local consumption of nutritious, safe food. While predominantly focusing on the cowpea, small ruminants and poultry value chains, interventions will address barriers and constraints to progress across the broader market system, while also integrating market-based strategies to promote consumption of nutritious, safe foods. Taken together, these efforts will improve the resilience of market systems by establishing profitable linkages between producers and buyers, with a particular emphasis on women and youth.

Offices are  located in Niamey (national office), Maradi (covering 18 communes), Tillabéri (covering 13 communes), and Zinder (covering 28 communes). CNFA’s implementing partners are Helen Keller International, AREN, and Karkara.        

Duties and Responsibilities

The Activity Market Systems Development Director will play a leadership role in strengthening target market actors’ resilience to market shocks through implementation of innovative market systems and capacity building, both on supply and demand sides. Main duties include but not limited to the following:

•  Provide effective overall leadership in the implementation and management of MSD interventions. This includes closely monitoring the progress of the intervention portfolio, mitigating risks and adapting interventions as needed.
• Provide technical leadership in the Activity’s multi-stakeholder engagement and system-level strategies development and implementation.
• Facilitate the development of tools and processes that empower local entities to lead interventions and shared learning across the Yalwa targeted value chains.
• Provide technical leadership in the Activity’s analyses and assessments to ensure meaningful participation and positive impacts for gender and youth, as well as the integration of conflict and resilience concerns.
• Provide technical leadership in  identifting innovative and adaptable market systems by the Activity team in collaboration with target actors operating in various segments of commodity markets.
• Provide technical leadership in the Activity’s capacity building of target commodity market actors in a tailored way to ensure they respond to changes in market trends and risks and have access to much-needed financial services and products that help them respond effectively.
• Facilitate vertical and horizontal business linkages among target commodity market actors for increased opportunities for trade of products and services;
• Provide technical leadership on the Activity facilitation of access of target smallholder farmers (SHFs) to quality and affordable agricultural inputs and advisory services by improving supply services/networks for increased farm-level productivity and income.
• Play a leadership role in ensuring that market systems’ technical approach, methodologies and activities are technically sound,  and relevant to the success of the program.
•  Take a leading role in the development of relevant components of the annual work plans per the requirements of the donor, in alignment and coordination with the process set out by the Technical DCOP and in collaboration with the program teams to ensure contribution to the overall strategic objectives of the program and targets through the MSD modality.
• Play a leadership role in the development and monitoring of the budget of the activities implemented by the Yalwa team under your supervision.
• Take a leading role in the documentation of learning and other market systems development related achievements successes
• Lead and coordinate the drafting of terms of reference (TOR) and scopes of work (SOW) for local consultancy services needed for activities implemented by Yalwa team members under your supervision.
• Ensure the Activity technical team has adequate capability to facilitate improvements and changes in the market system.
• Provide regular coaching to enhance strategic collaborations and effectively facilitate behavior change among market actors.
• Provide technical leadership for the market systems team to stay abreast of market changes, trends and risks.
• Foster good working relationships with other agencies and individuals working on market systems issues and gender, maximizing visibility and learning;
• Be principal point of contact with other agencies and individuals working on related issues.
• Contribute to any ad hoc report as requested by USAID and the Government of Niger.
• Undertake any other tasks as assigned by the COP and DCOP to ensure that Activity objectives are met

Qualifications

• A master’s degree and at least eight years of technical experience designing, implementing, and managing agro-input and market system activities in Niger, or a bachelor’s degree with four additional years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating linkages with key stakeholders across the agricultural input supply chain, including suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, and farmers.
• Demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking, presentation, interpersonal, and supervisory skills
• Demonstrated experience and technical knowledge in gender and development, particularly related to food security, agricultural value chains/market systems, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
• Demonstrated experience in creating and maintaining effective working relationships that foster collaborative learning.
• At least five years of experience working in related fields in Africa, preferably in West Africa
• Fluency in English required. Additional fluency in French is strongly desired.

CNFA IS PROUD TO BE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER It is the policy of CNFA to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, veteran status, or on the basis of personal favoritism or other non-merit factors, except where otherwise provided by law. 

REASONABLE ACCOMODATION & CONTACT INFORMATION CNFA provides a reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please contact the CNFA Home Office Human Resources Department via email at accomodation@cnfa.org or via phone at 202-296-3920 if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job with us.