Market Linkages and Financial Service Specialist - AINFP (Maternity Cover)

1. TechnoServe Background:

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing...when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off. 

1. Program Description:

TechnoServe collaborates with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS), a non-profit organization that aggregates and links the corporate volunteer expertise of leading food companies - General Mills, Cargill, Buhler, DSM, Hershey, Ardent Mills and Smucker’s - with promising food industry entrepreneurs in Africa.

Under the USAID-funded Alliance for Inclusive and Nutritious Food Project, TechnoServe works alongside PFS to engage local food companies, identify their growth challenges, and link them with volunteer experts from PFS corporate partners. The project will build the efficiency and inclusiveness of food processors, improving production and profitability, increasing linkages with smallholder farmers, and growing distribution channels to better reach Base of the Pyramid (BoP) markets. The project is anticipated to run until March 2024.

• Position Description:

The Market Linkage and Financial Service Specialist will facilitate upstream and downstream relationships for processors of nutritious foods, toward creating a more inclusive sector. Specifically, s/he will be the driving force behind assisting selected project-supported food processors in four key areas:

1. Identification and building of linkage opportunities between assisted processors and smallholder farmer suppliers of raw material. Expected outcomes will include: increased effectiveness and efficiency of processor’s supply chains; increased consistency and quality of raw material sourced in accordance with the processor’s requirements; establishment of more longer-term trading relationships between smallholder farmer suppliers and selected processors.
2. Provide support to processors to develop sales and distribution channels for nutritious food products to low-income and vulnerable population markets. Expected outcomes will include: improved availability of safe, nutritious food products for low-income consumers; increased sales of nutritious food products by targeted AINFP-supported enterprise created job-creation including in the informal retail sector; lower transaction costs and reduced price of nutritious products for poorer consumers.

• Support to processors to develop sales and distribution channels to high-end markets including Ethiopian Airlines. Expected outcomes include: the identification of opportunities for linkage to high-end markets; increased sales volumes of nutritious food products by targeted AINFP-supported enterprises to these markets.

1. Responsible for providing technical expertise and overall management of the access to finance component of the AINFP program.

Specific Responsibilities Include:

Smallholder Supply Chains:

• In collaboration with the Senior Business and Market Linkages Manager (SBMM), develop strategy to achieve AINFP targets for linking smallholder farmers (SHF) and food processors.
• Nurture and maintain the necessary network in the food processing sector and among the farming community as well as development projects that support agricultural production
• Develop and keep up-to-date profile of demands / off-takers among food processors in the country
• Develop and keep up-to-date profile of potential SHF suppliers such as individual farmers, groups, primary cooperatives, farmers’ unions etc  
• Identify and undertake thorough and periodic analyses of demand and supply gap between smallholder farmers and food processors
• Make a compelling business case to processors to integrate smallholder farmers into their supply chain.
• Provide technical assistance to processors to put together realistic sourcing strategy and plans and build business relations with suppliers
• Organize one to one and group platforms for market linkages to facilitate negotiations between suppliers and off takers.   
• Facilitate purchase agreements between processors and smallholder farmer groups/cooperatives. Encourage processors to invest resources in smallholder farm production to support quality and reliable supply.
• Ensure smallholder farmer groups/cooperatives understand processor product requirements.

• Implement techniques and strategies to ensure participation of women-owned and/or led businesses, as well as women SHF, benefit from the market linkages work.

Low Income / Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) Markets:

• Under the leadership of SBMM, develop a strategy for enhancing linkages between food processors and BOP market towards the increasing reach of nutritious products to BOP market
• Explore innovative approaches such as digital opportunities for BOP market expansion
• Through both secondary and primary information gathering, develop an understanding of and document low-income market channels, behavior and preferences etc
• Develop and keep a roster of key BOP market players and build a network
• Identify food processors with products that are relevant to the BOP market, keep roster and build the relationship

• Identify strategies to deepen penetration of BoP markets with nutritious foods, including new product development, packaging, pricing and promotion, and development of new distribution channels.

• Make business cases to demonstrate to processors the potential of BOP market opportunities
• Identification and mobilization of innovative distribution channels, building on existing structures where feasible, e.g. informal retailers, community-based distributors, consumer associations etc.

• Coordinate with SBMM and the entire team to facilitate processor access to appropriate technical assistance and business finance.
• Build relationship and seal deals between food processors and BOP market distributors through facilitating B2B meetings or other forms of market linkage platforms
• Support food processors and BOP market distributors in contracting and contract negotiations as required by clients
• Follow up and record implementation of contracts and assist to navigate challenges if any

High End Market:

• Under leadership of the SBMM, co-create with AINFP team a strategy to enhance linkages between food processors and the high end market
• Identify and keep profile of potential high end market buyers that can source local processors’ food
• Identify and keep profile of potential food processors that seek and are able to supply to high end market
• Undertake thorough and regular analyses of high end market buyers, channel, behaviors and preferences
• Support the AINFP team to plan and provide technical assistance to food processors to meet market demands of high-end buyers
• Support the SBMM in planning and organizing platforms to initiate discussions, and business negotiations between high end buyers and food processors
• Assist in contracts development between buyers and processors
• Follow up implementation of contracts and navigate in case of challenges  

Financial linkage:

In collaboration with ISF A2F Manager:

• Work with ISF to improve access to finance for food processors;
• Work with AINFP team and stakeholders to establish a revolving fund scheme for input supply to food processing industry;

Establish and run the AINFP innovation grant; Serve as the local principal to support ISF to liaison between AINFP and food processors as well as financial institutions, including banks, micro-finance institutions, impact investors, and other financial service providers

• Identify/determine high potential business cases for inclusive access to finance for food processors in Ethiopia
• Identify and document financial constraints in agribusiness clusters and value chain and develop strategies to address them
• Work with commercial banks, Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), impact investors etc and nurture relationships with food processors
• Under the guidance of the SBMM, provide technical support and guidance to food processors to make an evidence-based decision about their company’s financial needs, have appropriate business plans to seek finances
• Create opportunities and facilitate linkages between financers and food processors
• Undertake program and sector analyses within the scope of AINFP and develop guideline for the establishment and management of AINFP innovation grant
• Manage the overall process of solicitation, award and implementation of the innovation grant
• Ensure documentation of lessons and learnings in access to finance portfolio of AINFP program
• Collaborate with industry stakeholders and identify need for revolving fund established for input supplies (such as micro-nutrients premix) for production of nutritious food
• Map alternatives/options for revolving fund establishment and develop a business model and management guideline for effective utilization of revolving fund
• Present the revolving fund scheme and its model to stakeholders and get it validated Provide all necessary technical support to establish the fund
• Ensure proper utilization of the revolving fund by the food processors
• Documentation of lessons and learnings from the management of revolving fund
• Support organization, undertaking and implementation of sector wide trainings related to access to finances as needed
• Support the SBMM in compiling data and writing up reports, case studies and other
• M&E purposes
• Support the team I undertaking any finance related analytics as needed.
• Ensure that at least 40% of processors that use AINFP A2F services are women or women led/owned organizations.
• Additional responsibilities:
• • Sector Wide Training: In collaboration with the Capacity Development Lead/Training Officer, provide technical input on needs identification and organizing and facilitating SWT related to market linkages

   

  • Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Support the SBMM in complying with data collection and reporting requirements as related to business and market linkages portfolio of the program

   

  • Gender Integration: Understand all gender integration requirements (donor as well as internal to TechnoServe); Review gender targets and progress and make suggestions for course correction to SBMM

   

   

• Bachelor’s degree with 5-7 years; Master’s Degree with 3-5 years in Economics, Business Management, Marketing, or related area, or equivalent experience in food market systems. Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 3-5 years’ professional experience in food market systems, including experience working in the private sector.
• Experience in banking or financial services out of which at least two years shall be on facilitating access to finance for business
• Successful experience linking smallholder farmers with buyers, particularly processors.
• Proven experience working with BOP and High End Markets

• Demonstrated understanding of gender issues in agriculture or market systems.
• Experience with agricultural commodities/product pricing and contract structures preferred.

• Strong analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills and good computer skills in business software (Excel, MS Project and PowerPoint).
• Excellent verbal and written English language skills.