Nigeria Commercialization Specialist at One Acre Fund

One Acre Fund, founded in 2006, supplies 1 million smallholder farmers with the agricultural services they need to make their farms vastly more productive. Our 8,000+ team is drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. With operations across six core countries in Africa, we make farmers more prosperous by providing quality farm supplies on credit, delivered within walking distance of farmers' homes, and agricultural training to improve harvests. On average, the farmers we serve harvest 50 percent more food after working with One Acre Fund.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Nigeria Commercialization Specialist

Location: Minna, Niger
Employment Type: Full-time
Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Role

• One Acre Fund in Nigeria is growing, increasing the number of clients we serve each year and trialing innovations to boost our impact on farmers each year. We often work in remote environments where local dynamics may affect our ability to serve farmers well.
• We believe that linking our farmers to markets is one of the most important actions we can take to unlock profitability for our clients, promote the use of good agricultural practices and create employment within the value chain in general.
• In your role as the Commercialization Specialist, you will work with the Field Operations Lead and other departments in designing, piloting, evaluating and scaling up projects aimed at improving access to markets and cash crops for farmers.
• You will support strategy development of new services to sustainably improve our impact per farmer, while building a team, together with expertise and capabilities.
• You will report to the Field Operations Associate.

Responsibilities
Lead Strategy:

• With the support of the Field Operations Lead, you will gather evidence and develop a multi-year roadmap detailing the integration of new crops and interventions to target.
• You will conduct primary and secondary research, data analysis on agronomy, value chains, market structures, potential fit within existing One Acre Fund activities for multiple crops and processed products
• You will create recommendations on best bets and possible pathways, and set up feedback loops with country leadership and other internal important partners to ensure agreement
• You will design and conduct pilots to try out new concepts in field conditions, and set up evaluation and learning to improve commercialization activities
• You will develop market access interventions or models for multiple agricultural products (Maize, Groundnut) across multiple states.
• You will conduct background studies, operational and financial estimates and create an impact model for the proposed interventions.
• You will collect data on grains, sales/volumes etc.to analyze markets and market opportunities, be knowledgeable about existing and potential market conditions.
• You will implement a technological innovation for monitoring and evaluation of the commercialization processes.

Lead Execution:

• You will coordinate grain purchases from thousands of smallholder farmers across multiple states.
• You will organize a seamless arrangement with off-takers to guarantee the smallholder farmers the best possible income and impact.
• You will train farmers on proper post-harvest handling, grain quality standards, and warehouse systems process.
• You will support other field operations' projects such as farmers' enrollment and compliance
• You will design Indicators and ensure targets are met

Relationship / Leadership:

• You will manage relationships with important partners to the success of commercialization projects.
• You will create strategy plans in collaboration with other departments, and gather feedback and build agreement from partners and field team members at all stages of the process
• You will support leaders across One Acre Fund in preparing for commercialization, e.g. by writing talking points to farmers
• You will coordinate with partners and buyers, such as the largest mobile money service provider in Nigeria, to ensure farmers are provided with the best service and opportunities
• You will initiate and manage collaborative projects with external partners, which includes drafting MoUs, periodic reporting, and ensuring OAF policies are followed in all communication
• You may directly or indirectly manage staff and partners involved in projects and the activities of the field staff involved in the market access projects.

Career Growth and Development:

• We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people.
• You'll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance.
• We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals.
• You'll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications
Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Educational background; Bachelor's Degree in Agribusiness Management, Business Administration, Environmental Economics, and any related field.
• 4+ years of relevant work experience in a business setting involving sourcing, transformation, and sales of agricultural produce
• Data analysis fluency
• Experience with design of multiple services targeting smallholder farmers
• Leadership experience at work, or outside of work, and enthusiasm for learning.
• Passion for team building and collaboration with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and through multiple media including remote work
• A willingness to commit to living in remote locations

Eligibility:

• This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Nigeria.

Benefits
Health insurance, paid time off.

Application Closing Date
29th November, 2021.