Cooperative Advisor

About Agriterra

Agriterra is the world’s leading not-for-profit agri-agency from-and-for agricultural cooperatives and farmer organisations. Our mission is to strengthen organised farmers in developing and emerging countries, given the importance of effectively organised farmers to sustainably address food security, economic development, climate adaptation and mitigation. We are financed and work via donor granted projects and programs. These long-lasting strategic partnerships with a variety of donors are key for us in our day-today work. For more information, visit our website www.agriterra.org. 

About the job

The Project “Acting Now for Food Security and Resilient Food Systems” has the objective to sustainably increase food production and food security by farmer organizations through the introduction and dissemination of sustainable production methods, inputs, and practices that lead to sustainable and climate-resilient production and resilient food systems in Ethiopia. The project started in January 2023 and will last until December 2025.

The successful candidate will be responsible in the successfull implementation of the project “Acting Now for Food Security and Resilient Food Systems” in the Silte Zone, SNNP region, covering three woredas (Mito, Dalocha, and Lanforo) and in Awi zone, Amhara region covering four woredas (Dangila, Guagusa Shekudad, Ayew Guagusa, and Banja).

As Cooperative Advisor, you will provide expert advice, coordinate advisory trajectories with reputable cooperatives and farmer organizations, and have an advisory and broker role in closing business deals aimed at building well-organized and operational cooperatives and farmer organizations.

To achieve this, you initiate and maintain a network including cooperatives and farmer organizations, financial institutions, traders, service providers, and other stakeholders in the value chain. You succesfully initiate and guide change trajectories with clients, lobby, mediate, support negotiation processes, and prepare business deals. This is, therefore, a nice dream job for a real pioneer.

Duties

• Help develop financially sustainable structures within cooperatives and farmer organizations to enhance their service provision and agricultural extension to their members. This includes direct implementation and technical support/backstopping of Cooperatives staff.
• Investigate opportunities to finance business plans of cooperatives, support the establishment of contacts, and negotiate business agreements with banks, investors, and other financiers (governments and the business sector).
• Provide cooperatives with guidance relating to change trajectories to promote the interests of farmers and cooperatives while strengthening the co-financing strategy and focusing on investments necessary to deliver the project's outcomes.
• Collect and systematize information about clients and advisory processes, such as financial reports and annual overviews.
• Build expertise in a specific area of interest (for example, governance, financial management, sustainable services, climate, youth) and/or on a specific subject or subject of current interest, with a focus on product development, in which he/she will act as the expert point of reference, both within and outside the organization.
• Facilitate/support collaboration and cross-learning among participating Cooperatives in Act Now and other Agriterra projects & partners through information sharing, exposure visits, and active partner participation in Agriterra platforms/forums Participate in field project monitoring learning and reflections for purposes of sharing experiences.
• Ensure collection, consolidation, and review of project data and Key Performance Indicators in accordance with Agriterra’s monitoring and evaluation guidelines.
• Develop regular progress reports in accordance with Agriterra internal procedures and perform any other responsibilities as determined and assigned by the Project Manager from time to time.

What we have to offer 

• This position that requires you to be highly self-reliant and passionate to thrive and operate in a dynamic cooperative sector in close cooperation with the agricultural business sector.
• At Agriterra Ethiopia, the work environment is collegial and ambitious, and the focus is on achieving results. As a cooperative advisor, you will be working in close collaboration with the team in Ethiopia and other cooperative advisors of team in East Africa.
• Agriterra is offering a full-time position for a period of one year, with the intention of extending the contract. The working conditions and additional benefits are good. The salary offered is competitive and will be based on qualifications and experience.

Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agriculture Education & Extension, Agronomy, or any relevant qualification (a good combination of crop & animal husbandry skills is preferred.)
• Technical skills and hands-on experience in food security, nutrition, and resilience-building programming (preferably working with food crops and horticultural crops– working knowledge of the project areas is an added advantage).
• Extensive experience of more than 3 years working with cooperatives and farmer organizations.
• Knowledge of one or more of the fields in which Agriterra achieves results, such as cooperative business development, market development, agricultural service provision, entrepreneurship, governance, and financial management.
• High level of proficiency in Amharic and English is a must (knowing the project area local knowledge is appreciated).
• Enthusiastic, focused on results and service, and with adequate advisory or training skills.
• Having a motorbike driving technical skill and a motorbike driving license is advantageous