Technical Manager - Horticulture and Market Development

Job Summary

• Technology drive and promoting Good Agricultural Practices to farmers, focusing on optimizing production efficiency, improving crop quality and yield, and ensuring successful adoption of the promoted practices.
  
• Establishing and managing practical learning platforms like Practical Training Centers, Demo plots, Farmer Field Days and Farmer exchange visits. All these must be implemented within the context of ever-changing climate arena.
  
• Collaborate with research institutions, partners, development projects and extension service providers to disseminate innovative technologies and practices to farmers across the value chain.
  
• Establishing and institutionalize a robust, sound and cost-effective extension system
  

Market Access and Business Development Services: Oversee all the Market Access activities and will be overall responsible for.

• Developing and implementing marketing strategies to tap into local, regional and international market opportunities, as well as facilitating value chain actors to access these markets.
  
• Overseeing the collection and analysis of market data, guide the development of market requirements and guidelines, and lead capacity building programs to enhance farmers' productivity and market competitiveness for all the value chain actors.
  
• Ensuring cost effective operationalizing of managed market infrastructures.
  

· Coordinating with financial service providers to develop friendly tailor-made financial products for horticultural value chain actors. Capacitate value chain actors on financial literacy and link them to financial institutions for loans.

·    Ensuring  capacity building on entrepreneurship to value chain actors using Company's approved methodologies including B|U|S

· Identify and evaluate and develop concept notes for funding opportunities to enhance capacity of Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

· Formalize registration of informal Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with respective authorities and regulatory agencies.

Cross cutting issues: we appreciate the importance and positive impact of integrating the cross-cutting themes. These cross-cutting issues are gender, youth, nutrition, food safety and standards, and environment.

• Developing and overseeing the implementation of strategies and policies of company’s cross cutting themes.
  
• Ensuring integration and implementation of cross-cutting themes into operations.
  
• Establishing strategic partnerships for enhanced efficiency and impact in the implementation of company’s cross cutting themes.
  
• Mobilizing resources for execution of cross cutting themes.
  

Team Management

•  Supervising the ground team and ensuring proper management and utilization of assets and resources.
  
• Compiling and monitoring departmental plans and targets and ensuring regular performance evaluation and feedback management.
  
• Ensuring harmony and efficiency in the team, institutionalization of sound operating system, regular capacity checks and team coaching including timely strategic adjustment as you maintain high level of professionalism and timeliness in guiding your supervises.
  
• Identify skills in the team for development as well as emerging challenges and provide guidance in addressing critical team issues.
  
• Create and implement a platform for management discussions and ideas sharing
  

    Reporting

• Ensure quality and timely reports are produced and shared with relevant parties in close collaboration with the Programs and MEAL Departments 
  

Representation

• Represent company and the industry in events related to production and market access as assigned by the CEO.
  
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor
  

• Will require a high level of professionalism, eloquence and trustworthiness.
  
• Maturity in handling the team and partners, a strong focus on strategic relationships and less focus on feelings or instincts.
  
• Ability to create the right environment for success against a backdrop of diverse and often conflicting needs and timelines.
  
• Ability to manage tasks crossing multiple projects or functions
  

• Master's degree in Agriculture general, Horticulture, Agri-business/Economics, Agricultural Marketing or any other related field.
  
•  At least 7 years of experience in senior managerial position.
  
• Demonstrated technical experience in Agriculture/Horticulture sector will be an added advantage.
  

• Strong leadership, management, and goal-oriented skills
  
• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills
  
• Flexible and creative under pressure
  
• Research, multimedia platforms, budgeting, Internet, and computer skills