Programme Officer, Agribusiness and Value Chains Development at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Programme Officer, Agribusiness and Value Chains Development

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Grade: P3 / P4
Status; Permanent
Division: Agriculture
Institution: ECOWAS Commission
Department: Agriculture, Environment And Natural Resources
Directorate: Agriculture And Rural Development
Line Supervisor: Principal Programme Officer Agriculture

Role Overview

• Under the supervision of the Principal Programme Officer, Agriculture, the incumbent shall monitor and coordinate the ECOWAS activities for the creation of an economic, structural and regulatory environment that enable the development of agricultural crop production value chains, the regional market, the Farmers Based organisation, Inter-professional organisation and the Private sectors.

Role and Responsibilities

• Monitor and coordinate the implementation of ECOWAS regulations on seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, SPS standards, etc.
• Participate in the activities of international agricultural regulatory bodies – IPPC, CODEX, EU standards, FAO standards
• Facilitate the analysis and compilation of agrarian systems, agricultural value chains (especially strategic sectors decided by the highest decision-making body of ECOWAS)
• Support the professionalization and structuring of agricultural sectors value chains and related activities in the ECOWAS area (OHADA code versus ECOWAS regulations)
• Support the Development of tools for mastering the technical routes of production and marketing of high value-added agricultural products in the ECOWAS region
• Develop public policy measures and mechanisms to increase market shares for agricultural commodities
• Assist in the development of instruments allowing the labeling of “made in ECOWAS” products (in connection with ETLS and the ECOWAS rules of origin) and support the establishment of ECOWAS rural production certification systems (Fair Trade, Collective Certification in Organic Agriculture, HACCP, GlobalGap, Codes of Good Agricultural Practice, etc.)
• Promote the creation of new outlets, local employment opportunities and promotion of agricultural jobs (reduction of unemployment and the exodus of young people)
• Develop and disseminate tools to increase producers’ incomes by reducing post-harvest losses and the added value of agricultural value chain products
• Create the conditions for the protection of rural workers against the risk of loss of income (unemployment, illness, old age, work accident)
• Develop tools, projects and program combating unemployment by stimulating new vocations among young graduates towards returning to the land creating wealth through jobs and income generated in value chains
• Contribute to the development of a stock exchange for agricultural products;
• Work on the acquisition of knowledge and know-how, the capitalization of knowledge and the transfer of skills on agricultural value chains;
• Facilitate the development of tools, of measurement of public policies contributing to a better empowerment and complication of women, young people in professional agricultural umbrella organizations and in the agricultural value chain circuits;
• Make quantitative and qualitative analyzes of agricultural data and participate in the drafting of capitalization documents;
• Formulate and Develop regional projects and actions on Agri-value development chains to allow Management to mobilize and mobilize international funds;

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Economy, Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Agri-food or related field or any similar field from a recognized University.
• 5 years of professional experiences in the field of Agri-business, development of agricultural sectors
• Demonstrate practical experiences in the development of agricultural sectors and markets, including sanitary and phytosanitary standards, etc.
• Good knowledge of the stakes and problems of the sector of agriculture and food in the ECOWAS area;
• Skills in agricultural policy-making, strategic planning, institutional and regulatory frameworks;
• Applied knowledge of ECOWAS policies on agriculture and rural development which may relate to specific field such as ECOWAS policies and regulations
• Sound knowledge of logical framework methodology, result based management and project

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to persuade / influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices;
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instill a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval;
• Ability to utilize the Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information and resources;
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors, colleagues and the subordinates to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to timeline, quality and quantity;
•  Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions;
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their need, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs;
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established  client service standards;
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness and ability to relate well with people from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race and religion;
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy;
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply judgement, tact and diplomacy;
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes and policies;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals;
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities;
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges and opportunities as it relates to project / programme assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/ information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make recommendations;
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance and performance targets;
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals;
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency using appropriate tools;
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means;
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner;
• Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to develop, implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work goals;
•  Identify, organize and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution;
• Ability to contribute and / or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others to set and meet deadlines;
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators and risks;
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Annual Salary
UA49,106.81, USD77480.72 / UA56,591.37, USD89,289.87

Application Closing Date
10th November, 2020.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the Application Form below, fill it out correctly; attach a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Motivation Letter and send to: [email protected] using the "Job Title" as subject of the email.

Click here to download Application Form (Ms Word)

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