SNV Ghana: Senior Advisor in Agriculture

SNV is a Dutch Based International Development Organisation that provides Capacity Development Services to local institutions and organizations in more than 30 developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Present in Ghana since 1992, SNV is committed to the reduction of poverty, and works to achieve this in line with national poverty reduction strategies.

Our strategic choices are Agriculture, Renewable energy and Water and sanitation (WASH).

SNV’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa (SNV WCA Office) is located in Ouagadougou.

Partnership & Resources Mobilization has become SNV’s main priority, this is to build up its financial capacities and diversify its funding sources. In this light SNV aims to strengthen its partnerships and mobilize resources at national, regional & international level.

Job Description

SNV Ghana is looking for a Senior Advisor in Agriculture. Based in Tamale, Ghana

Introductory text:
SNV Netherlands Development Organisation is dedicated to a society where all people enjoy the freedom to pursue their own development. It contributes to poverty alleviation through (1) increasing Production, Income and Employment (PIE) and (2) increasing access to Quality Basic Services (BASE).

SNV Ghana Country Sector Programmes provide a framework for delivery of capacity development services for impact. The programmes are aligned to Ghana’s national development priorities and targets and the SNV global strategy for the period 2007- 2015 “Local Impact Global Presence”. The overall objective of the sector programmes is to work together with strategic partners to deliver comprehensive integrated packages of services to groups of clients.

SNV Ghana seeks to influence a positive and long lasting improvement of poor people’s livelihoods through the development of market value chains in agriculture and sub sectors

SNV Ghana is seeking to employ a Senior Advisor (advisor level III) with a strong professional background mainly in Agronomy, Agro Produce Marketing and Business Development. This advisor will be based in SNV Ghana Tamale office.

Responsibilities:

• Identify key stakeholders, actors and Local Capacity Builders (LCB) in value chain and support initiatives to establish market linkages, networks and partnerships between them
• Identify the areas of support that would maximise local added value and creation of income and employment opportunities in the Agriculture sector in Ghana ;
• Identify areas with Inclusive Business potential to establish market linkages, networks and win-win partnerships between small local stakeholders and large or international business
• Ensure updated information about trends, market developments and market requirements (regulations, quality standards, trade conditions) in sub-sectors
• Identify and analyse national and international market opportunities for SNV clients
• Identify leverage points and design intervention strategies for value chains development including the enabling environment. Support the actors/stakeholders in the selected value chains through participatory processes and by providing advisory services
• Initiate and contribute to national activities within the agriculture sector ;
• Stimulate and develop synergies among sectors such as Renewable Energy, and WASH
• Establish networks and where possible collaborative partnerships with similar and complementary initiatives, undertaken by other organizations, institutions or programs
• Contribute to the SNV team to further develop and fine-tune the value chain development concept, give strategic direction to the scaling up of the program activities, give technical backstopping and guidance to the SNV-Ghana teams, provide on-the-job support and coaching of Advisors and LCB on the above mentioned issues
• Supports programme teams in donor relation management
• Assures successful stewardship of relationships with both current and potential donors in the government, foundations, corporate sectors, as well as with private donors, and will lead efforts to identify and pursue new opportunities.
• Liaises with Donors to initiate business development
• Supports Business Development teams from a content perspective
• Lead the development of proposals. This can include one or more of the following: (a) Writing the proposal (b) Managing a proposal team composed of internal and external experts (c) Drafting a monitoring and evaluation plan and/or log frame (d) Identifying and securing local, regional and international organizations to partner with (e) Collecting baseline/background to complete a project budget (f) Reviewing draft concept notes and proposals and providing feedback via proposal scorecard (g) working with a budget office

Required Skills or Experience

Candidate profile:

• The ideal candidate must possess a first degree in Agronomy or crop production
• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field (Agriculture, natural resources, economics, etc.);
• Experience in performance  management
• Extensive experience in extension services
• Well-grounded in farmer  organisations development
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant working experience in a developing countries, preferably in Africa;
• Proven track record of working in pro-poor growth approaches taking into consideration social inclusion and gender, sustainability and governance related issues in a development context;
• Strong (state of the art) knowledge of the agriculture sector in Ghana and/or Africa;
• Proven knowledge on value chain approach and implementation in the agriculture sector
• Proven track record in capacity building, process facilitation, sector development and resource mobilization;
• Very good analytical skills combined with a practical and pragmatic approach oriented towards lasting results;
• Knowledge of and experience with participatory techniques, coaching, networking, learning, alliance building and team building;
• Broad experience in capacity building, facilitation of multi-stakeholder processes, product development, organisational learning, change processes, and strategy formulation;

How To Apply

Please send a detailed copy of your most recent CV to

The Human Resource Advisor
SNV Ghana
P O BOX KIA 30284
Accra 6 Mankata close
Airport Residential Area, Accra

Or drop it at our office airport residential area (behind NSS)

Tel: 0302-776198/775240.  Or Email: [email protected]. Also visit our website, www.snvworld.org

Offer valid till: 30 Mar, 2012