Engagement Consultant at Digital Green

Digital Green is a global development organization that empowers small-holder farmers to lift themselves out of poverty by harnessing the collective power of technology and grassroots-level partnerships. We join forces with governments, private agencies and, most importantly, rural communities themselves to co-create digital solutions that are of the community and for the community. When farmers have the tools they need to connect with one another, they’re far more likely to apply what they’ve learned on their farms and in their households–improving their own livelihoods and those of others in their community, in a manner that’s nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient, and inclusive.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Engagement Consultant

Location: Abuja or Lagos

Assignment Summary

• The Engagement Consultant will play a critical role in establishing Digital Green’s presence in Nigeria, designing and implementing solutions, conducting field research, managing partner relationships, and representing the organization in the country.
• S/he will also be a critical part of the team implementing the USAID-funded Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project and supporting multiple activities as they get underway.
• S/he will be able to contextualize technology and agriculture solutions and demonstrate impact to improve livelihoods and health of rural communities.
• Working closely with DLEC and Digital Green colleagues, s/he will serve as point of contact for all activities in the country. S/he will be able to effectively track and coordinate multiple activities simultaneously.
• The job requires multiple skill sets, including implementing private sector-based agriculture solutions, ICT4D approaches and tools, and an understanding of rural farming communities, best practices in agricultural extension.
• The role also requires the representation and diplomatic skills necessary to meet with Government and USAID representatives; communication skills necessary to communicate progress and flag potential trouble spots; project management skills necessary to set priorities, stick to agreed timelines, and follow up.
• The position will report to the Deputy Director of the DLEC project based in Washington, DC and work closely with DLEC program manager based in San Francisco as well as the larger DLEC team. The position is expected to be based in Abuja or Lagos.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as Digital Green’s and DLEC’s representative in Nigeria by participating in agricultural extension-related events and identify opportunities to present DLEC findings and results at such events
• Scope, set up and implement DLEC in-country engagement
• Create linkages between and maintain contact with experts, donors, partners, stakeholders within the country to establish collaborative working relationships between national and international partners
• Develop an in-country community of practice to translate learnings from the engagement to wider systemic change in EAS
• Monitor ongoing activities including conducting site visits, regular meetings with partners to ensure the activity is on-track, delivering results and impact
• Lead financial planning and oversight for the in-country engagement and other DLEC or Digital Green initiatives in Nigeria as needed
• Anticipate challenges in advance and prepare to address them
• Share information and requirements for formal registration in Nigeria and work with Digital Green to plan and carry out necessary administrative and operational steps to complete registration in country.
• Support in-country recruitment of partners and other team members / consultants
• Coordinate closely and communicate regularly with the DLEC team to communicate progress and challenges
• Share updates on activities with Communications Manager relevant for outreach materials, and success stories
• Communicate updates on activities with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager relevant for MEL and reporting materials
• Liaise with the broader Digital Green team based in India and Ethiopia to coordinate their involvement on the in-country engagement
• Support visits by DLEC and Digital Green staff by arranging meetings, planning training sessions, and helping with logistics and travel
• Track progress on multiple streams of work
• Prepare annual, occasional, and ad-hoc summaries and reports on the project as required
• Prepare progress reports and other deliverables of Digital Green project/s.
• Leverage in-country and international network to identify business development opportunities for DLEC and Digital Green
• Travel to rural areas to meet with farmers and other partners, as needed

Qualifications and Experiences

• Bachelor's Degree required in International Development, Agriculture or related field
• Experience in setting up an enterprise, business or project
• 4 years of program management experience with international development projects, preferably in the area of agriculture, food security, or nutrition preferred
• Previous USAID project implementation experience preferred
• Experience working in private extension, value chain development or ICT-related agricultural interventions
• Hands-on experience working with rural farming communities

Skills, Competencies and Attitudes:

• Demonstrable analytical, organizational and written communication skills in English.
• Self starter with an entrepreneurial spirit and approach to forming partnerships, designing programs, and problem-solving
• Demonstrated programmatic, management, and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with other professionals
• Skills in managing projects in compliance with US Government contracts and agreements
• Willing and able to work in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
• Flexible attitude towards changing priorities and ability to multi-task
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Ability to act with urgency for continuous improvement and with a bias towards action, promote development of breakthrough solutions, and embrace innovations that improve results
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple processes at once
• To be successful as a member of the Digital Green team, you will also:
• Have a passion for the Digital Green mission and a strong desire to impact an up-and-coming non-profit organization
• Be an innovative and creative thinker – you are not afraid to try something new and inspire others to do so
• Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
• Have a strong work ethic, take initiative, and require minimal direction
• Work well independently as well as part of a team
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Compensation

• Digital Green is a great place to work and prides itself on offering a competitive compensation package. This opportunity is on a contractual basis and has a fixed duration, with a potential for extension/renewal based on organizational needs.
• The hired consultant would be categorized as an Independent Contractor working with Digital Green. Digital Green is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Closing Date 
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Resume and Cover letters to: [email protected] with the title "Engagement Consultant - Nigeria" in the subject line.

Note

• Due to the high volume of applicant response, not all applicants may receive a response from Digital Green.
• Digital Green is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.