REGIONAL VALUE CHAIN COORDINATOR

Ruhengeri, Rwanda

Full-time

Contract type: National employment contract

Company Description

Background

SNV the Netherlands Development Organization is an international not-for-profit development organisation working in over 26 developing countries for more than 50 years. In Rwanda SNV has been working for more than 30 years to improve people’s livelihoods by strengthening the capacities of public and private sector organisations. SNV works in full alignment with Rwanda’s development agenda. It does so by helping to realise the national development goals in three sectors: Agriculture; Renewable Energy; and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. SNV supports development in these sectors by working with government, civil society, and private sector organisations. It does so by providing three types of interrelated services: capacity development, knowledge development, and supporting evidence based policy dialogue by national stakeholders.

Background and Purpose.

SNV Rwanda in Dutch consortia led by BMB Mott MacDonald, and the Chief Skills Office of the Rwanda Development Board are implementing the project “Strengthening Education for Agricultural Development” (SEAD), contributing to sustainable food security in Rwanda (running until mid-2021). The project is funded through a grant from the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the NICHE 2 program (Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education) which is managed by NUFFIC. The primary beneficiaries of SEAD project are the relevant universities of Rwanda and polytechnics/IPRCs and, ultimately, the private sector (farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses).

The Regional Value Chain Coordinator (RVC), will support the project management team in Kigali and plays an important role in the decentralised project coordination and implementation as well as in strengthening linkages between the stakeholders within the Irish Potato and Dairy value chains, bringing together all direct and indirect stakeholders in the SEAD project. The Irish Potato (Musanze, Rubavu, Burera) and Dairy Value Chains (Niyabihu, Gicumbi, Burera) are located in the Northern Province.

This job position is fulltime, requires stationing in the region where the project has main activities and fall under joint supervision of the Program Manager of RDB and the international project coordinator of BMB Mott MacDonald, hereinafter referred to as the SEAD Project Management Team.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Under the general guidance and immediate supervision of the SEAD Project Management Team, the regional value chain coordinator will:

•                     Take overall responsibilities for initiating and coordinating the implementation of SEAD project activities in the selected regions of the potato & dairy chains.

•                     Support the project team with planning, organizing and monitoring all activities within the respective value chain.

•                     Facilitate and submit, for their respective regions/value chain(s), monthly and quarterly activity reports, share success stories through the project’s communication channels and provide updates (telephone, e-mail) on capacity building/knowledge transfer to RDB.

•                     Support the SEAD project team in ensuring monitoring and evaluation of the project’s activities, delivering clear results and impact based on robust data.

•                     Establish, maintain and expand the relationship between the Value Chain stakeholders:

o   Education & training institutions

o   Private Sector (farmers, cooperatives, agribusinesses, relevant federations & associations

o   Public Sector, including but not limited to local authorities (i.e. districts & sectors), RAB, FFS promoters.

•                     Establish, maintain and expand the relationship with (senior) management of the project’s partner institutions

•                     Work closely with local project coordinators within the beneficiary institutions.

•                     Play a central role in advising, guiding and identifying strategic networks within value chain regions

•                     Actively support the establishment of the Service Training & Innovation Centres for Potato and Dairy in which UR/CAVM has a leading role

•                     Provide secretarial & logistical support to meetings of the SEAD project including but not limited to PMT meetings, Value Chain technical meetings, SEAD workshops & training events.

•                     Provide technical reports on all project activities and interventions, in accordance with PMT and RDB requirements

•                     Play an active role in the preparation and facilitation of workshops and training of the SEAD project.

•                     Provide relevant recommendations to SEAD project team on spending of SEAD resources, and suggestions for effective and efficient use of the project resources.

Provide timely justification of project expenditures, including but not limited to allowance administration, cost of venue and out of pocket expenses.

Qualifications

Candidate Profile

•                     At least a Bachelor’s degree related to the following fields: Agriculture, animal sciences, Veterinary medicine, Agribusiness/economics, Economics, Management)

•                     3-5 years’ work experience relevant to the scope of the SEAD project (e.g. as project manager in the agricultural/education sector, within both public and private sector domain)

•                     Good knowledge of the SEAD project value chains, especially those in Irish potatoes and Dairy. Experience with (agricultural) value chain management is an asset.

•                     The position requires high levels of proactiveness, initiative the ability to work under minimal supervision

•                     Experience working in skills development projects and familiar with the competency-based education & training concept

•                     Understanding of the education sector in Rwanda, preferably evidenced through working experience in TVET and/or Universities.

•                     Experience in working with farmers, cooperatives and farmer field schools is an added advantage

•                     Experience in project management, coordinating project components and/or programme management

•                     Experience in Monitoring & Evaluation activities, the use of data bases for M&E purposes

•                     Excellent communications skills in English (both oral and written); command of the French language is an asset

•                     Strong interpersonal skills, Problem solving and analytical skills

•                     Strong presentation and computer skills including use of Microsoft office applications

•                     Clean driving license is mandatory, due to frequent travels in the region

•                     Living in, or willing to locate to, the Northern Province, preferably near UR/CAVM campus in Busogo.

Additional Information

Duration

The duration of this position is one-year renewable and conditional to performance and availability of funds.

How to apply

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to directly submit your motivation letter and CV (both in English) to the Country Director of SNV Rwanda by 10th October 2019  23:59 Kigali Time. Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please submit your application letter and CV that contains three referees

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted