Cashew Value Chain Technical Expert / Specialist at Rossland Screening Solutions

Rossland Group since the year 2000 provides market research and management consulting services to clients in the private and public sectors within and outside Nigeria. In 2013, it expanded the scope of its services to include Professional Background Screening and Business Brokerage. In 2015 and 2016, it added franchise consulting and recruitment services respectively.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Cashew Value Chain Technical Expert / Specialist - Cashew Association Secretariat Support

Location: Gwarinpa, Abuja (FCT)
Job Type: Full Time

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight and leadership to facilitate the development and implementation of cashew value chain projects (such as capacity building for cashew farmers via extension programmes, cashew development plan, expanded trade and competitiveness across all segments of the value chain) as stipulated in the Terms of Reference;
• Engage actively with stakeholders in the cashew value chain program, including donor-funded partners, cashew associations, farmers, cashew processing companies, professional associations, NGOs, government agencies, universities, research organizations, other value chain actors, and strategic partners to achieve stipulated goals and objectives according to work-plan agreed in the Terms of Reference;
• Facilitate identification of training needs, prepare training materials, and deliver training for trainers (ToT), demonstration plot conduct assessment and other services to cashew farmers, associations/cooperatives ;
• Identify promising areas for interventions that improve productivity in the cashew value chain and mobilize specialized consultants to address constraints, propose pilot interventions, develop training programs and to propose promising public-private partnership opportunities in the cashew sector;
• Ensure that activities integrate gender, youth and vulnerable populations;
• Work closely and in synergy with all other members of the project team;
• Where necessary during the implementation of the project, depending on the realities on the ground and the capacities of the entire program team, the Terms of Reference could be reviewed and adapted jointly with the stakeholders.
• Contribute to project M & E activities, including data collection and reporting in coordination with the M&E team.
• Provide status reports and technical reports as required by management on weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual and annual basis
• Provide remote administrative work like, a) biweekly newsletter development (compilation of stories, articles, news and updates) to members of the cashew association, b) membership recruitment and drive, c) other related activities in furtherance of the Secretariat administration.

Job Requirements

• Minimum of an M.Sc in Agriculture or any other related courses
• Expert in cashew value chain and must have minimum of 10 years working experience especially working with cashew farmers in at least 3 to 4 years experience in the following areas:
  • Varietal selection
  • Seedling development
  • Cashew farm renovation and refurbishment
  • Improved pre and post-harvest practices
  • Drying techniques
  • Community development
  • Farmer-field schools
  • Working with government extension agents
  • Field data generation,
  • Inter-croping with cashew
  • New technologies in cashew farming
  • New field development
  • Aggregation
  • Financial literacy for cashew farmers
  • Farming as a business
  • Youth and women involvement, etc;
• Minimum of 10 years experience in consultancy / technical services to cashew business owners and donor-funded projects.
• Experience in managing donor-funded projects, development programs or research/development of development programs;
• Secretariat administration for cashew association.

Application Closing Date
31st October, 2020.