Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Driven by local needs, our programs provide communities in the world’s toughest places with the tools and support they need to turn the crises they confront into the opportunities they deserve. Mercy Corps is looking for committed and dynamic individuals to take up the following position.
Agriculture Manager – Nairobi, Kenya
This position is based on an award of funding.
Program Summary: The AgriFin Accelerate program will operate in three African countries (Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia) utilizing a market ecosystem approach, working with carefully selected partners to build sustainable models, where farm and crop management tools and financial services are "bundled" in affordable, unified platforms on mobile phone channels to promote mass uptake commercially.
The program involves three interrelated components that seek to address low farmer productivity and capability, and improve institutional ability to deliver appropriate products and build ecosystems to drive scale. We work with farmers, banks, mobile network operators, MFIs, financial service providers, research institutes and other ecosystem players in well-defined partnerships to sustainably bundle services, leveraging the offer and outreach of all partners, while increasing the range of services, access points and value for farmers. The program works with partners to identify, prototype, test and scale successful mobile-enabled services for smallholders, with a key focus on expanding access to financial services, using a rapid iteration approach to product development and client-centric design techniques.
General Position Summary: The Agriculture Manager (AM) will provide technical support and direction on all technical assistance and partner engagement related to agriculture with AgriFin Accelerate program partners across all three countries, including banks, MFIs, insurance companies, mobile-network operators, and agribusinesses. The AM will assist with new mobile-enabled product development and delivery designed to enhance the financial inclusion of small-holder farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia, working to the fullest extent possible to reinforce digital payment streams across agricultural value chains for selected crops. These products can include payment systems, mobile-enabled insurance, savings and lending, as well as mobile applications providing value added services, including market linkages, elearning, business process support and data collection. Working under the direct supervision of the Deputy Program Director and closely with the Program Director, Country Managers, and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager, the AM will tailor technical assistance to the needs of each Agrifin Accelerate partner engagement based on program strategies and partner roadmaps, ensuring their specific needs are met; identify and support external consultants as needed; and work specifically with the Digital Farmer Capability Hub manager to support the development of applicable capacity building plans across the program partners.Lead program learning in best practices and innovation in agricultural services to ensure that the full program teams across all countries are informed and working optimally.Support the external learning and communications agendas around technology-enabled financial and value added services, particularly around innovations for partners and ecosystem players.Support the development of more efficient agricultural value chains and electronic payments.Conduct regular desk review of global best practice as well as ongoing learning meetings with program stakeholders related to agricultural issues, working in coordination with country managers.Prepare field reports and blogs for mass communication regarding the agriculture-related aspects of the program.Support for Product, Service and Channel Development for Small Holder Farmers (SHF):Engage in the development of all partner relationships and product planning roadmaps related to financial services and channel development.Provide technical agricultural support to these engagements across all program countries, liaising directly with the Deputy Program and Country directors.Inform commercial service delivery models that work for small holder farmers, marketing and product development strategies for small holder farmers and rural markets.Review product development and M&E survey questionnaires and reports and relevant business models under development to serve SHF.Identify buyers and suppliers that are interested and available to join the partnership models, assisting with the development of relevant business models and work plans.Support Country Managers to identify technical consultants as needed in this area and provide support and oversight for consultants as required.Support all MEL activities related to agricultural technical issues.Support the work of the Digital Farmer Capability Lab Manager in all efforts to develop financial and technical capability building materials for SHF related to the delivery of financial services and channels, ensuring the highest standards of technical information are incorporated.Technical Support for Market Assessments, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning:Work with country managers to structure and implement market assessments to drive meaningful product and service development for SHF.Lead targeting of specific crop groups for program focus in each country to best improve SHF income, inclusion and productivity.Ensure that market assessments focus on the “pain points” of small holder farmers to guide product design and service development to overcome the barriers for the small holder farmers so they can increase their access, usage and utility of services to increase farm productivity and income.Ensure that solid market research targets leading and alternative agricultural institutions to provide and enhance services to smallholder farmers.Advise on potential agricultural service partners and products in target countries and on appropriate agricultural extension services and value-chain/market analysis.Support the work of the Research Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (RMEL) Manager around implementation of the RMEL agenda related to the delivery of agricultural technical advisory, market linkage, informational and other services for SHF. Support the initiative to identify alternative data sources to drive the development and expansion of products and services, including conducting research, identifying and selecting prospective data partners and framing and implementing pilot tests of alternative data with partners.Program Representation and Stakeholder Engagement:Serve as a representative for the program in matters related to technical agriculture-related services for SHF.Proactively engage with program stakeholders to inform coordination and collaboration, including value chain actors, research institutes, rural advisory services, commodity exchanges, Ministries of Agriculture, and commodity working groups.Actively support program planning and reporting efforts related to agriculture-related service delivery for SHF.Provide partnership recommendations with existing agricultural development projects.Ensure that programming works within Mercy Corps’ M4P rubric for agricultural programming. Provide technical leadership within the team in the agricultural service sector, including regular trips to the radial offices to support Country Managers and Program Officers to build their capacity in the sector.Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.Direct supervision of: N/AReports Directly To: Deputy Program DirectorWorks Directly With: Technical teams, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Manager, Digital Farmer Capability Lab Manager, Communications Manager, Finance staff.MA/S or equivalent in agricultural-related field of study10 years’ experience working with in agbusiness, associations, think tanks universities, at the global level and/or Kenya, Tanzania or Zambian levelStrong agriculture extension experienceStrong experience in understanding and working with agricultural value chains and payment flowsExperience around use of communications technology with ag (apps, SMS, radio, mobile, digital literacy, market access)Experience in agricultural financial services for SHFExperience in SHF capability buildingExperience and ability to make technical recommendations around agricultural market developmentAbility to advise on research program development and review/analysis of resultsStrong written and oral communication skills in English, including report development, writing and editingExperience in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia preferredThe ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the three diverse countries which Agrifin Accelerate operates.S/he will be an excellent communicator, multi-tasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. S/he will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures.S/he will be a team-player with a positive attitude toward problem solving and conflict resolution.Commitment to learning, open communications, impeccable professional standards of ethics and ability to manage successful partner relationships are essential.The successful candidate will be focused on team-building and open collaboration; be a strategic thinker and maintain a sense of humor.The AM must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hr@ke.mercycorps.org. The email subject line must clearly show the job title and location they are applying for. Applications without the right subject heading will be automatically disqualified. Please do not attach any certificates.
(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We will only get in touch with shortlisted candidates.)
NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
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