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Malawi: Agribusiness Project Manager - Concern Universal Malawi

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Organization: Concern Universal
Country: Malawi
Closing date: 25 Oct 2016

Agribusiness Project Manager

Background

Concern Universal (CU) Malawi is an international non-governmental organisation working to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,200,000 people a year across Malawi. Globally, we work in nine countries across Africa, Asia and South America, however our Malawi programme is by far and away our largest and most established country programme.

CU Malawi is seeking to recruit an experienced, dynamic and agribusiness Project Manager for an anticipated large-scale European Union (through the National Authorising Office in the Ministry of Finance, Malawi)-funded agribusiness project, called DIVERSIFY (Developing Integrated Value chains to Enhance Rural Smallholders’ Incomes and Food security Year-round).

This anticipated 42-month project is an innovative and pioneering agribusiness NGO-research-technical advisory-private partnership initiative led by CU Malawi, together with the International Potato Centre (CIP) and Imani Development, working with some of the leading baking and agro-processing companies in the country.

The overall objective of this anticipated project is to contribute to poverty reduction in Malawi and improved livelihoods of smallholders, with a focus on women farmers by promoting innovative and transformative pro-poor agribusiness.

The specific objective is to improve the livelihoods of 3,000 rural households in Balaka, Chiradzulu, and Thyolo districts through increased, diversified production, stronger value chains, and better market access. This will be through developing commercially-viable, nutrition-sensitive agribusiness value chains for orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and pigeon pea. The anticipated project will be working all along the respective value chains, and will involve supporting farmer training and organisation (farmer club and association formation), value addition, and the commercial piloting of new mass products, including OFSP-based baked goods through key players in the baking industry. Developing women’s agency and effective gender mainstreaming is a central focus of the project and all interventions are aimed at strengthening women’s economic and social position.

The Project Manager and the whole accompanying team we are recruiting must all be firmly committed to delivering lasting positive improvements to the communities that we serve, and delivering CU’s mission and upholding our values of integrity, dignity, and environmental respect.

The contract will be for approximately 42 months up until around May 2020.

The availability of this position is contingent upon the award and funding to CU Malawi.

Project Manager (Blantyre-based, with extensive regional travel)

Job Purpose:** The Project Manager is accountable for the overall vision and leadership of the project and is accountable for delivering results. S/he will be responsible for the overall planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the project, as well as coordination with all project partners and stakeholders. S/he will manage the human, financial and other resources available to the project and is responsible for creating and nurturing a team that will successfully implement the project.

Key duties and responsibilities:

· Develop, implement and monitor project workplans and budgets, in line with project logical frameworks, agreed deliverables, and resources, in collaboration with partners and stakeholders. This includes ensuring effective project budgetary control and monitoring in line with CU’s financial procedures and guidelines, and fraud and risk management policies.

· Provide leadership and direct line management support to all staff reporting to this project, including coordinating workplans, building team spirit and working, conducting performance appraisals, supporting staff development, etc.

· Deliver expert technical support and guidance in all aspects of project implementation and budgets. This is particularly in terms of formal and informal agribusiness development, farmer mobilization and capacity building, market integration, and gender equality into the implementation of the project.

· Ensure close collaboration and networking with all partners, including government, partners, private companies and communities, as well as other Concern Universal projects, during all stages of project implementation.

· Coordinate the preparation of high-quality, timely and accurate contractual and other reports (as required) for submission to their line manager, as well as the donor.

· Ensure that effective monitoring, accountability, evaluation and learning systems are in place and used by all stakeholders.

· Undertake any other duties that contribute to the sustainability and visibility of the project, including fundraising, networking, and representation at various internal and external fora, including internationally.

The successful candidate will have:

· At least a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (agribusiness, economics, business development, international development), while a Master degree would be advantageous.

· Extensive work experience in areas such as agribusiness, value chain development, inclusive business, farmer-market integration, or market systems approach or similar.

· Significant experience managing programme, financial, and operations of EU or other international donor-funded rural development projects.

· Experience of working in Malawi or southern Africa, strongly preferred.

· Good technical knowledge of roots, tubers and legumes value chains would be advantageous.

· Excellent interpersonal, planning, coordination, and facilitation skills.

· Confidence to develop strong relationships with senior level clients and stakeholders i.e. government officials, donor partners and business executives.

· Fluency in spoken and written English, including excellent English report writing skills and high attention to detail.

· Proven ability to work under pressure and meet tight and competing deadlines.

· Well-refined people management, team working and interpersonal skills.

· Strong respect and empathy for rural communities; a deep personal commitment to promoting women’s rights; as well as an affinity to CU’s mission and values of integrity, dignity, and environmental respect.

· A full clean driving licence and ability to drive a four-wheel drive manual vehicle is preferred.

Terms and conditions: The position will attract a generous benefits packages including a competitive salary, housing allowance, medical, insurance, annual leave, leave grant, etc (negotiable).


How to apply:

To apply for this position, candidates must submit a completed Application Form. Please note that CVs and cover letters will not be accepted. Please visit http://concern-universal.org/who-we-are/vacancies/ to download the Application Form, and then submit the completed form via email to malawi.jobs@concern-universal.org. When submitting, please put YOUR NAME_DIVERSIFY PROJECT MANAGER in the email title.

If you have difficulty accessing the form, then contact us at cublantyre@concern-universal.org

Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is midnight 25th October 2016.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted. For more information about CU, please visit our website at www.concern-universal.org. Concern Universal is an equal opportunity employer, and women are particularly encouraged to apply.


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