Market Innovation Officer at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Market Innovation Officer

Job Ref.: IITA-HR-NRS2023-013
Location: Ibadan, Oyo
Recruitment Type: National (2-year renewable contract)

Duties

• Assess needs and expectations of seed users and contribute to a comprehensive long-term innovation framework for establishment of profitable and sustainable seed businesses.
• Develop, strategize, and plan with partners, interventions to drive seed yam innovations and increase uptake and diffusion of clean improved varieties.
• Ensure realization of activities aligned with marketing efficiency and last mile delivery of seed of improved varieties.
• Identify, document, and facilitate scenarios demonstrating the application or uptake of innovations that enhance sustainable yam seed entrepreneurship.
• Engage with internal and external partners and yam stakeholders to enhance innovative thinking and use of appropriate seed delivery models.
• Backstop seed stakeholders on their research and business agenda, costtracking and efficient documentation of expenditure across different seed production classes in support of the market development of seeds of improved varieties.
• Assist with the implementation of annual work plans regarding seed marketing issues and coordinate the flow of information to the M&E system working with partners in Nigeria and Ghana.
• Document success stories, case studies, innovative models, emerging from research work in seed value chain.
• Contribute to publication of research products like manuals, journal articles and research briefs.
• Submit monthly progress report including narrative report of the activities conducted, progress in achieving the set milestone for reporting periods, status report including challenges, deviation, alternate solution, and new initiatives.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Qualifications

• Master's in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Strategy, Agribusiness Management, Marketing or a closely related field with a minimum of four (4) years’ experience working with seed stakeholders in Agribusiness, or market development of seed-related fields or related role in a well-structured organization.

Competencies:
The ideal candidate must:

• Have strong competence for conducting research, including the design, implementation, analysis and write-up of experiments.
• Have demonstrated ability to contribute to scientific publication in recognized journals.
• Have excellent networking, influencing and stakeholder management (external and internal).
• Be self-organized and entrepreneurial thinker.
• Have strong business acumen and presentation skills.
• Have a solid understanding of innovation and how it should be applied in marketing/ business.
• Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Have high ethical and transparent work style.
• Have ability to federate around a common goal and work effectively with team members
• Have ability to work independently, be self motivated and work to tight deadlines.
• Have good knowledge on use of computer applications and ability to conduct data analysis using various methods.

Remuneration
We offer highly competitive salaries with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

Application Closing Date
4th April, 2023.