Horticulture Market Specialist at Connexus Corporation

Connexus Corporation is an international development consulting firm that provides consulting services in the areas of finance and enterprise development. Connexus’ mission is to provide high quality global consulting services to transform international development and build local capacity. Connexus is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Horticulture Market Specialist

Location: Abuja (FCT), Nigeria

About the Opportunity

• We are seeking qualified candidates for the position of Horticulture Market Specialist for the anticipated USAID/Nigeria Value Chain Activity. The Horticulture Market Specialist will be responsible for providing technical expertise and leadership in the development and strengthening of horticulture market systems, including working with stakeholders across the market to identify opportunities, address challenges, and implement strategies to enhance the productivity, quality, and market access for horticultural products.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of horticulture market development strategies and interventions within the Activity framework.
• Provide subject matter and local smallholder knowledge expertise in climate smart horticultural production and marketing, including knowledge of key stakeholders such as anchor firms, agro-dealers, processors, and aggregators. Provide best practices knowledge for climate smart horticultural production, use of improved horticultural techniques, crop treatments, efficient irrigation and water management, food safety, improved post-harvest handling, logistics and storage techniques, and crop cleaning, sorting, grading practices.
• Identify and analyze opportunities for the capacity building and integration of climate smart smallholder horticultural producers in Nigeria, especially women and youth.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity building support to climate smart smallholder farmers and other value chain actors to improve production techniques, post-harvest handling, and quality control measures.
• Contribute to knowledge management activities by documenting best practices, lessons learned, and success stories for the Activity’s interventions in horticulture market development.
• Coordinate with other technical specialists on the Activity to ensure the integration of horticulture market systems development strategies across all project components.
• Stay abreast of latest developments, research findings, techniques, and innovations in climate smart horticultural market development and adapt approaches, as necessary, to reflect newest and most relevant innovations and technologies.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Agronomy, Agriculture Economics, Environmental Sciences, or another relevant field with a minimum of 9 years of professional experience, preferably for USAID or another donor-funded project; or Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Agriculture Economics, Environmental Sciences, or another relevant field with a minimum 11 years of experience, preferably for USAID or another donor-funded project.
• Strong understanding of value chain analysis, market systems development, and agronomic practices related to various horticultural crops.
• Knowledge of agriculture value chain development and market systems approaches to international development projects, especially USAID funded activities.
• Excellent written communication skills, including ability to contribute to high-quality project reports.
• Fluency in English required and other local languages desired.
• Must be authorized to work in Nigeria.

Application Closing Date
30th April, 2024.