Trade Development Officer at Gap Recruitment Services Limited

Job Purpose:

 The Trade Development Officer will support the Project Manager in the day-to-day implementation of the Women in Trade programme by preparing project documents, Monthly progress reports, keeping track of output implementation activities and assist in collection and analysis of data.

NOTE: The completion of recruitment for this position and the start date is subject to successful contracting by the donor.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the Project Manager to directly implement activities including managing the recruitment of women/youth sourcing agents, onboarding of companies, capacity gap assessment, and facilitating capacity development interventions to ensure key deliverables are achieved.
• With the support of Project Manager provide guidance to county-level delegates forum on policy dialogue.
• Develop and maintain links with all the MSMEs of the project ensuring continuous communication.
• Profile project MSMEs/Cooperatives/Sourcing agents and ensure needs are clearly identified and are addressed appropriately.
• Support in developing and compiling project progress reports, evaluation reports, photographs, case studies video documentaries, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
• Utilize market facilitation approaches to strengthen input and output market systems through linkages and increase access to and affordability of nutritious food in the markets.
• Develop relationships between project participants and key stakeholders in various value chains that will enable them to access increased opportunities.
• Support co-designing and co-creation of market-based and enterprise-led interventions that value and actively engage a broader set of system actors.
• Facilitate the development of service providers in target value chains, identifying private sector investment and other support to garner sustainable improvements and impact.
• Support capacity strengthening of SMEs and provide technical advisory on areas of business development such as proposal development, business plan and linkages to other additional service providers.
• Develop sustainable market linkages for identified SMEs and facilitate business transactions including signing of trade agreements.
• Provide information on quality, marketing and financial to the participating private sector to facilitate sustainable relationships.
• Provide advisory support on access to credit and other agricultural trade related issues.
• Work with SMEs to facilitate enhanced domestic, cross-border and export marketing through more rigorous food safety systems, packaging, and post-harvest methods.
• Assist primary producers, aggregators and processors to adopt new technologies and techniques to increase the quality and quantity of production.
• Facilitate training of sourcing agents on business modules and linkages to markets and financial service providers.
• Assist the Project Manager in reviewing/documenting field-level assessment reports, baseline studies, and evaluation reports.
• Support Project Manager and M&E Officer to collect and/or assist to collect case stories, best practice documentation, lesson learn; and update and manage that information in project's reports and other knowledge products.
• Assist in developing budgets and work plan for ongoing program activities.
• In coordination with the Project Manager represent SHA at national, regional and international levels, to donors, local and national government authorities, other NGOs, and any other parties under this project.

Key Relationships:

Internal

• The Country Director
• Head of Programmes
• Trade & Enterprise Advisor
• Agriculture & Natural Resource Management Advisor
• Gender and Nutrition Advisor
• Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor

External

• Project SMEs
• County and National Governments (Trade and Agriculture)
• Other Stakeholders including Semi-State Agencies (KEBS, Global GAP, research institutions, financial institutions, Consultants, and donors

Qualification, Knowledge and Experience Required:

• Bachelors degree in Agricultural Sciences, Management Economics, Rural Development, Agribusiness Management, or related field required.
• Strong computer skills especially with MS Word and Excel and other related packages.
• Strong M & E skills.
• At least 3 years experience in the implementation of private sector development approaches and development programs.
• Over 2 years working on agricultural programmes targeting smallholder farmers, aggregators, traders and private sector development and/or trade facilitation.
• Experience in providing advisory and technical expertise in market access, financial access and climate smart/green economy interventions.
• Knowledge and experience in multiple sectors such as agricultural systems; market systems development; commercial proposal writing; Enterprise development; Business Development Services (BDS) approaches and value addition.
• Demonstrated understanding of the private sector development framework and approaches in Kenyan/East Africa Community Context.
• Experience in engaging and networking with the development partners and multi stakeholders including the government departments and private sector agencies.