Senior Technical Advisor, Agricultural Inputs at Palladium International

Purpose of Position

The Component 2 Lead will lead implementation of all activities aimed at achieving Component 2 goals of improved regional agricultural inputs to facilitate access to modern, innovative agricultural technologies and increase production throughout the region.

Duration: 4- 5 years

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

• Provide technical and managerial support to develop and implement innovative strategies to accelerate use of agricultural inputs in selected cross-border value chains, including fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation, feed, vaccines, and improved technology.
• Provide technical support to improve access to finance for farmers, traders, distributors and other actors along the value chain to strengthen and promote adoption of high-quality inputs and new technologies.
• Improve the distribution and availability of agriculture inputs through the development of agro-dealerships, cross-border agro-dealership associations, and other private sector networks.
• Improve the availability of regional access to improved seed inputs, and support regional government institutions and the private sector to increase their capacity to produce and distribute high quality seeds.
• Promote cross-border investments in the agricultural input sector.
• Facilitate the interconnectedness of cross-border agricultural input market systems, scaling new technologies to increase adoption in the region, and promote policies with stakeholders across borders that will improve regional input distribution, input availability and adoption.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in business, agriculture, economics, international development or other closely related field.
• Experience working with agro-input market systems.
• Fluency in English and a local East African language required.
• At least five years' experience in agribusiness in the East Africa region.
• At least three years' experience on donor-funded projects for agriculture and agribusiness.
• Experience working directly to target vulnerable groups and sustainably integrate them into market opportunities.
• Preference will be given to local East Africa country candidates.