The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:      Market Linkages Assistant

Organization: Adventist
Development and Relief Agency – (ADRA)

Duty Station:
Uganda

About US:

The Adventist
Development and Relief Agency – (ADRA) is the humanitarian organisation of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church tasked to serve humanity so all may live as God
intended. Working at ADRA is more than just a job—it’s an opportunity to be a
part of something bigger. Our work is making a difference in the lives of thousands
of people in Uganda. Through hard work, perseverance, and deep commitment we
turn limited resources into life-changing solutions.

Job Summary:
The Market Linkages Assistant will be tasked with the supervision and capacity
building of Collective Marketing enterprises of smallholder farmers, linking
smallholder farmers organizations with private sector businesses including
Kyegegwa district and elsewhere in Uganda as needed. The MLA will coordinate
and support linkage between smallholder farmers and the market, identify the
right markets for the products of the smallholder farmers and help them set up
their collective businesses and, through mentoring and coaching, focus on
developing commercial capacities of the smallholder farmers towards becoming formal
business entities. He/she will discover opportunities for contract linkage of
smallholder farmers with agribusiness development services (BDS) providers,
traders, processors and procurement companies. The MLA will work directly and
closely with the Project Manager and Project Officers, District Local
Government Officers, WFP, local NGOs and other stakeholders.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

·       
Work
with buyers to clarify their specific needs and requirements and help farmers
organizations (FO & RPO) to communicate with these buyers to plan concrete
and successful completion of transactions.

·       
Work
with quality input suppliers to clarify their specific procedures of
procurements and help farmers organizations (FO & RPO) to communicate with
these input suppliers to plan and concrete successful completion of the
transaction.

·       
Work
with agricultural value chain financing to clarify specific requirements for
financial services and help farmers organizations (FO & RPO) to communicate
with these financiers to plan and complete transactions.

·       
Work
with District Commercial Office and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS)
to ensure that smallholder farmers are enlightened on existing Uganda Standards
and market requirements for priority agricultural commodities on demand.

·       
FO and
RPO Support: Conduct value-chain analysis for priority commodities of the AMS
program.

·       
Find
current opportunities for smallholder farmers to sell their surpluses.

·       
Research,
analyze, package and distribute current market and price information on
commodities demanded in the WFP-CBT-linked markets within refugee settlements
and the community at large.

·       
Help
smallholder farmers, through their associations (FO / RPO), develop sound
business systems including setting up financial records, bulking and sales
records, warehouse records and sound governance and financial viability
(revenue-generating systems), acceptable accounting systems

·       
Help FO
/ RPO to write a viable business plan.

·       
Arrange
formal meetings for FO / RPO business managers to engage identified licensed
buyers.

·       
Facilitate
contract negotiations and the signing of contracts between FO / RPO and
identified registered buyers.

·       
Support
and monitor the flow of quality farm commodities from smallholder farmers to
registered collective aggregation / bulking centres

·       
Support
RPOs established by smallholder farmers for collective marketing to stock and
sell inputs from licensed private sector manufacturers and suppliers.

·       
Identify
sources of financing for smallholder farmers and guide FOs and RPOs on how to
access them.

·       
Compile
and submit timely reports on smallholder farmers’ collective marketing and
sales.

·       
Support
FO / RPO to be connected to business mentoring and coaching networks.

·       
Facilitate
the development and maintenance of a database of key market actors that can be
used to further transactions.

·       
Competitive
Support: Find a market for products by the smallholder farmers, including
WFP-CBT-linked markets in the refugee settlement.

·       
Increase
the capacity of the smallholder farmers to adopt high value, market standards
and ethical business practices.

·       
Provide
consistent and regular business support, mentoring/coaching and follow up to
smallholder farmers enterprises, including collective bulking/aggregation
support to ensure successful enterprises.

·       
Support
successful business set up, including setting up financial records, business
plan, dividend policy and profit and loss statement.

·       
Conduct
regular scoping of business, identify gaps and take measures to fill the gaps
to reduce agribusiness business mortality.

·       
Support
smallholder farmers enterprises to have access to agricultural value chain
finance to ensure expansion or diversification

·       
Support
FO / FO enterprises to have access to inputs for developing effective
post-harvest systems

·       
Identify
opportunities for farm-based value addition of products and provide instant
training to farmers

·       
Work-Planning
and Reporting: Actively facilitate the translation of intervention strategies
into action plans with concrete activities targets and timeframes.

·       
Work
closely with the project manager and project teams to prepare a realistic work
plan output.

·       
Work in
liaison with Project Manager, compile and submit timely reports on smallholder
farmers Collective Marketing Business development.

·       
Monitor
the market trends and prices and inform FOs and RPOs in line with child
protection policy and guidelines

·       
Work
with local leaders to protect smallholder farmers against abuses

·       
Sensitize
the FO / RPO managers and other stakeholders about farmer’s rights and
responsibilities.

·       
Liaise with
District Commercial Office to organize exhibitions, smallholder farmer
promotion weeks, trade missions, field tours and exchange visits for
smallholder farmers and other value chain actors to interact and sell to each
other.

·       
Participate
in the Joint Monitoring and Supervision of the AMS programme progress based on
the developed work plan and propose a necessary modification in the project
design in coordination with the Project Manager

·       
Perform
any other related tasks assigned by her/his supervisor.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

·       
The
applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration,
Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, Marketing or related field.

·       
At least
five years’ experience in coaching and Mentoring, of which three must be in the
marketing of products in a reputable organization and minimum two years of
international experience in relief or development programmes

·       
Active
membership and Certification from a recognized marketing professional body

·       
Must be
conversant with creating a marketing campaign, marketing strategy and marketing
plan.

·       
Position
requires cross-cultural experience, understanding and sensitivity

·       
Proven
broad-based experience in leadership, understanding of public relations and
must have advanced communication skills

·       
Experience
with digital Marketing Forms such as social media marketing

·       
Proven
marketing campaigning experience

·       
Excellent
interpersonal written and oral communication skills

·       
Good
interpersonal relation skills

·       
Competence
with Microsoft Applications including Word, Excel and Out Look

·       
Position
requires cross-cultural expertise, understanding and sensitivity.

·       
Complete
compatibility with ADRA’s Mission Statement, policies and core values.

How to Apply:

All candidates
should apply online at the link below.

Click
Here

Deadline: 19th April 2020

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