Agricultural Inputs and Productivity Specialist - ELSA
Land O'Lakes Venture37
Agricultural Inputs and Productivity Specialist
Empowering Local Systems in Agriculture (ELSA)
Beirut, Lebanon
Background:
Land O'Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to helping communities around the world thrive through agriculture. Affiliated with Land O'Lakes, Inc., Venture37 has more than 40 years of experience implementing agricultural development projects in more than 80 countries around the world. Venture37 strengthens economies by improving local agriculture, helping agribusinesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets. It delivers integrated solutions that help build and improve food and agriculture systems through more competitive markets, more resilient systems, healthier and more nutrition-secure communities, and more inclusive societies.
Project Description:
Empowering Local Systems in Agriculture (ELSA) is a 5-year project funded by USAID under Farmer-to-Farmer Leader Award. ELSA aims to establish sustainable local systems that provide affordable and consistently available agricultural inputs and create inclusive market channels in the agricultural sector. To achieve this, ELSA will build implementing partners’ capacity and provide direct technical assistance (TA) to input suppliers to improve input distribution and agribusinesses' market access. Venture37 will supplement this TA with co-investment grants for selected agribusinesses to reduce the risk of their investments.
Position Summary:
The Agriculture Inputs and Productivity Specialist will support and work closely in leading efforts with the Chief of Party and ELSA’s implementing partners, to provide technical assistance and capacity building to agricultural input suppliers and agribusinesses. This role is responsible for supporting sustainable local systems for agriculture, improving input distribution, and expanding market access. The Specialist will collaborate with implementing partners and stakeholders to deliver high-quality technical solutions to deliver project objectives. This position reports to the Chief of Party.
Primary Responsibilities:
The main duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Contribute to the design of yearly work plans through planning technical activities.
- Responsible for the implementation of Annual Work Plan and make adequate revisions on regular basis.
- Responsible of identifying agribusinesses eligible for co-investment grants and coordinate closely with implementing partners to establish the selection criteria for program participants.
- Develop detailed TORs for consultants, and lead, according to USAID rules, their selection and recruitment in coordination with the Grants Specialist and procurement team.
- Identify training needs to be included in the capacity building activities.
- Oversee the technical activities implemented, horticulture nurseries production, agrifood production, ensuring best practices are applied.
- Lead the RFA process and validate the technical specifications of In-kind grants needed to improving agriculture productivity, sustainability, or infrastructure.
- Support the inspection and receipt of in-kind grants to agri-businesses and ensure cost-share conditions.
- Manage all service providers and consultants related to the program activities and ensure logistical support is provided, as well as ensure that they meet the deliverables as set in their Scope of Work. Conduct field monitoring visits to provide support when needed to ensure quality implementation in all areas.
- Coordinate with the MEL specialist to have the project database duly updated with data related to the agriculture inputs component.
- Assist in organizing, preparing and running meetings, workshops, and field demonstrations.
- Contribute to project deliverables like weekly, quarterly, and annual reports; annual work plans, as directed by the Deputy Chief of Party and/or Chief of Party.
- Coordinate and share learning and innovation around ELSA’s agricultural strategy’s cornerstones and success stories
- Communicate feedback from implementing partners, beneficiaries and stakeholders to ELSA’s team and ensure follow up when needed.
- Ensure gender equality approaches are integrated into programming; implement an engendered design,
- Demonstrate the highest degree of integrity throughout all activities and raise any concerns with implementation quality immediately with the Chief of Party.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
Local candidates with the minimum qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:
- Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agronomy or related field;
- Minimum of 5 years of agricultural business development working with commercial businesses, NGOs, associations, or international donors.
- Experience in agricultural value chain and market system development interventions in a development organization. Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations and grant-making process and requirements preferred.
- Superior analytic, communication, and interpersonal skills, including training and facilitation skills and demonstrated experience working with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
- Strong understanding of private sector food and agriculture sectors in Lebanon and the requirements to be competitive in export markets.
- Ability to work independently. Experience collaborating on work teams to achieve project results.
- Fluency in English (written and verbal) language. Demonstrated capability and history producing high-quality, formal written documents and agreements.
Desired Skills and Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in relevant field.
- Experience working in USAID-Funded programs
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. No phone calls will be accepted.
Land O’Lakes never requests money or payment from candidates for any position type. Please report any such requests to Land O’Lakes.
Land O’Lakes Venture37 is an equal opportunity employer and an organization striving to help global communities thrive through agriculture. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, among other factors. Our culture values a diversity of voices. So bring us your unique experiences, your workstyle, and your dreams — they’ll only make us stronger.
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