Junior Cooperative Advisor (40h)

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 programmes. 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 Project

Agriterra is identifying potential candidates for a project being developed in response to a call for proposals from Danida Green Business Partnerships (DGBP), a program of the Danish Government. The project, titled Accelerating Climate Resilient Food Systems in Ethiopia (ACRFE), aims to strengthen the resilience of maize and soya bean farmers against climate shocks and contribute to the development of more resilient food systems in Ethiopia.

The ACRFE project will engage 10 cooperatives and 2 farmer groups, ultimately benefiting 10,000 maize and soya farmers. Its focus will be on regenerative farming practices, local manufacturing, and the distribution of maize- and soya-based food to supply local markets and schools. The project will leverage the existing factory infrastructure of our commercial partner to produce nutritious soya pieces as a healthier, affordable alternative to meat. Additionally, it will establish two new production lines for vitamin-enriched corn-soya blends and a biochar unit to convert maize and soya waste into carbon-rich organic fertilizer, which will be supplied back to farmers.

Agriterra has already received pre-approval for this project and is now in the process of developing the full proposal. If all goes according to plan, the project is expected to launch in April 2025. It will run for 3.5 years.

About the Position

Agriterra is looking for a Junior Cooperative Advisor who can work at the targeted project locations in Ethiopia namely: Worabie or Jimma Towns. 

As a Junior Cooperative Advisor, your role involves offering expert advice, managing advisory trajectories with cooperatives, and playing an advisory and intermediary role in finalizing business deals aimed at building efficient and well-structured cooperatives. You will report directly to the Senior Project Manager of ACRFSE and support him/her in the cooperative development trajectories implemented as part of the project. 

To achieve this, you initiate and maintain a network including cooperatives, financial institutions, processors, service providers, and other stakeholders in the maize and soyabean value chain. You successfully initiate and guide change trajectories with clients, lobby, mediate, support negotiation processes, and prepare business deals.

 Tasks and Responsibilities 

• Assessment: perform detailed assessments, evaluating financial management, governance practices, business potential, climate change impact, and member commitment. 

• Cooperative advisory services: provide continuous advisory services to cooperatives, addressing specific challenges in production, finance, and marketing. Mobilize peer support through the Agripool network, offering specialized expertise and guidance to cooperatives.

• Training and Capacity Building: organize and deliver tailored training programs focusing on governance, financial management, and business planning to cooperatives and farmer groups. Facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges and field visits to exemplary cooperatives, fostering learning and adoption of best practices.

• Develop sustainable financial structures: build suitable financial structure within cooperatives to enhance their service provision and agricultural extension to their members. This includes direct implementation and technical support/backstopping of Cooperatives staff.

• Representation: represent Agriterra in stakeholder meetings and forums.

• Planning and reporting: develop and implement comprehensive project plans in accordance with Agriterra’s standards and donor requirements; regularly report on project progresses, financial performance, and adherence to the targets.

• Workplan development, implementation, monitoring and reporting: translate project objectives into actionable tasks and oversee their execution; prepare ToRs and client projects and contracts, harvest results and align client project and assignment objectives with the overall projects’ results framework. Critically review project drafts, validate key result areas, and enhance project strategies.

• Business development: build and maintain effective relationships with donors, partners, and other stakeholders; identify and act on opportunities for project upscaling and innovation.

• Facilitate/support collaboration and cross-learning among participating Cooperatives in ACRFSE with the consortium partners through, information sharing, exposure visits, and active partner participation in Agriterra platforms/forums.

Monitoring and Evaluation: collect, consolidate, and review project data and KPIs in accordance with Agriterra’s PMEL guidelines; provide insights and recommendations for improving project outcomes and perform any other responsibilities as determined and assigned by the Project Manager of ACRFSE from time to time.

What do we offer? 

• An international, collegial, ambitious, and impact-oriented work environment.
• Developmental opportunities (e.g., yearly educational fund).
• In this position you get the responsibility but also the freedom to use your skills to operate in dynamic international markets and see and realize opportunities.
• Wonderful workplace & great colleagues!
• Additional benefits respecting the country’s legislation and Agriterra’s HR policies and frameworks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agriculture education & extension, agronomy, or similar field.
   
• Over 2 years of experience in working with agricultural cooperatives.
   
• Demonstrated experience in working on sustainable agriculture and resilience-building programmes, with a focus on maize and soyabean crops (familiarity with the project areas is a bonus).
   
• Knowledge of Agriterra and its key result areas, including cooperative business development, market development, agricultural service provision, entrepreneurship, governance, and financial management.
   
• Fluent in English (speaking and writing) and in Oromiffa (for the Jimma post), and Amharic/Silt’e (for the Worabie post).
   
• Excellent communication, organisational, and networking skills. 
   
• Enthusiastic, entrepreneurial, result-oriented and service-driven, with strong advisory and training skills.

How To Apply

Are you interested in this position and believe you fit the profile? Please apply by sending a cover letter and curriculum vitae via email to ethiopia@agriterra.org, addressed to Habtamu Mekonnen, Country Representative of Agriterra in Ethiopia by February 26, 2025. Make sure to mention the job position or location you are applying for in your cover letter.