Market and Value Chain Development Expert

Verdens Skove (Forests of the World) is an international NGO founded in Denmark in 1983 working within developmental and environmental issues and with the objective to conserve and manage the world’s forests in a sustainable way. In 2017, FoW began interventions in Ethiopia and Uganda and the East Africa Hub was registered as a foreign charity in Addis Ababa in February 2021 to closely work with local implementing partners.

Job Summary:

The jobholder will become part of the Verdens Skove East Africa Hub team working closely with implementing partners and target groups in Ethiopia and Uganda. He/she will work under the overall supervision of the Hub Manager and Advisors at Verdens Skove headquarters in Denmark. He/she will be expected to lead the market and value chain components of the interventions in collaboration with the team in Addis and Denmark. Based on his/her expertise and experience, he/she will develop and coordinate effective timber and non-timber forest/agriculture products value chain schemes by interacting with farmer cooperatives/unions, exporters (buyers) and agro-processors, public and private sector institutions.

Tasks and responsibilities:

The key tasks and responsibilities involve, among others:

• Develop and implement interventions in East Africa aimed at strengthening timber and non-timber forest product/agricultural value chains and enhancing rural livelihoods contributing to forest conservation;
• Lead efforts of designing, implementing and monitoring all value chain and marketing activities of the projects.
• Facilitate and collaborate with relevant partners including private sector, government structures, community-based organizations and CSO working on the same thematic areas to leverage project resources, avoid duplication of efforts and ensure complementarities;
• Regularly monitor the market and value chain components of the projects progress at all its phases;
• Prepare detailed annual work plans and progress reports on value chain components.
• Closely work with a program team of partner organizations, and Hub staff and advisors in Denmark to map value chain including main actors, flow of products, infrastructure and services, financial institutions and other supporting institutions.
• Conduct market and value chain assessments to identify gaps and develop recommendations on how to improve the selected value chains and maximize the impact.
• Provide technical support for the establishment and/or strengthening of target groups/farmers’ cooperatives or unions.
• Provides capacity building trainings and technical inputs in the areas of agribusiness, value chain and marketing development to partners and target groups.
• Gather data and information needed to undertake an effective monitoring and evaluation of activities related to market and value chain;
• Supervise and monitor implementation of value chain activities with a focus on improving timber and non-timber forest products, productivity processing and input-output market enhancement.
• Contribute to the development of concept notes and project proposals on Verdens Skove’s thematic areas;
• Perform other related duties as requested.

Term of Employment: One year, with a possibility of extension based on performance

Duty Station: Addis Ababa with frequent field visits in Ethiopia and Uganda as well as possible occasional travels to Europe or Latin America

Required Number: One

• Bachelor’s and/or Master degree level or equivalent in value chain and marketing, enterprise and business development, agricultural economics, agribusiness, commerce or related fields;
• A minimum of five years of relevant experience in livelihood diversification, value chain, rural business development and agricultural marketing projects preferably in East Africa;
• Experience in designing and implementing projects aimed at improving agricultural value chains and linkage with markets;
• Proficient in the use of MS Word, Excel, Access, Power-point, and internet communication;
• Good report writing and proposal development skills;
• Strong interpersonal, communication and networking skills;
• High level of demonstrated competency in developing and implementing effective strategies, and business plans;
• Demonstrated ability to nature and/or build effective partnerships with different partners;
• Fluency in English and Amharic and familiarity with other local languages, especially working knowledge of Affan Oromo and Kafi noono will have an added advantage;
• Use of ICT for exploiting opportunities and address constraints to value chain growth and competitiveness;
• Demonstrate capacities to establish and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with government structures, local organizations, communities and other stakeholders.