Vacancies at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

The Position

Advocacy Officer Job Reference: AO/COMMS/02/2024

The Advocacy Officer will collaborate with internal teams and external partners to effectively engage key stakeholders around institutional advocacy themes, mobilize support, and achieve a shared position in line with continental food systems agenda. Reporting to the Head – Advocacy and external Engagements and in close coordination with the Policy and Advocacy Unit, the ideal candidate will support AGRA’s engagements and ambitions in the countries where we work and at regional level and also work closely with Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge Management teams to amplify AGRA’s, advocacy agenda in line with the country and continental vision 2065.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify and share best practices and case studies for effective advocacy work to ensure AGRA is continuously positioning right in the countries where we work.
• Support the generation and execution of advocacy campaigns with key internal and external stakeholders and agencies.
• Build and maintain a database of relevant institutional stakeholders to foster collaboration and support for advocacy initiatives across key strategic themes that will accelerate progress toward advocacy goals
• Develop and implement engagement strategies to effectively promote the organization’s mission and initiatives.
• Facilitate advocacy training materials for AGRA staff to ensure capacity to execute.
• Organize and coordinate advocacy events, workshops, and campaigns to facilitate dialogue and drive measurable action.
• Working with other teams, develop and coordinate the production of compelling communication materials, including, reports, press releases, articles, and social media content to enhance engagement efforts.
• cross-functional projects and initiatives that require advocacy and engagement expertise.
• Support the Unit and Division to execute advocacy communication plans that would trigger a Foods Systems transformation at the country and regional level. This will involve working with advocacy experts in government, non-state actors (especially civil society farmers’ organizations, and the private sector), with a focus to communications and engagements and development partners to stimulate dialogue and action in service of the African Food System.
• Working with Country Plans to support critical stakeholders to lead and leverage the communications advocacy agenda for select priority.
• Develop monthly content plans targeted to key audiences and support country teams to execute plans.
• Establish & track/report on relevant metrics and tools to monitor and evaluate the impact of advocacy and engagement strategies.

Key Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Master’s degree in international relations, Political Science, Economics, Development Studies, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.
• Knowledge and experience in project management and report writing.
• Ability to translate program-based concepts into effective innovative solutions.
• Multi-media experience and working knowledge of digital platforms.
• Ability to translate program-based concepts into effective innovative solutions.
• Senior-level management experience in advocacy or public relations with solid expertise in working with proven stakeholder engagement tools and practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of Africa’s policy and political economy landscape as it relates to agriculture and food systems.
• Must be great at execution with international expertise.
• Knowledge of working with or in multi-lateral or bilateral organizations.

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The Position

Brand & Innovations Officer Job Reference: BIO/COMMS/02/2024

The Brand & Innovations Officer contributes to AGRA’s Brand & Innovation function focusing on the management and favorable customer experiences through management of AGRA’s brand and sub brands. 

The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally to support consistent messaging and communication of the corporate brand through the development and execution of brand strategies and oversee the consistent application of approved brand identity through applied elements, deliverables, and processes within AGRA 3.0 Strategy. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Formulate multiple brand strategies and collaborate on multi-media strategy design and implementation.
• Enhance brand identity through the creation and dissemination of brand personas and positioning.
• Define core brand messaging framework.
• Develop stakeholder Persona’s and create brand processes and systems across multi-media.
• Author key content deliverables including strategic Point of View (POVs), audits, content matrices, content models, journey maps, and taxonomies.
• Create and maintain an effective content calendar.
• Monitor web/analytics and content trends in service of Communications & Advocacy objectives.
• Advise and respond to organization brand management requests establishing an effective traffic management system.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure efficient delivery of tasks.
• Monitor competitive landscape for gaps.
• Transform data into insights to continuously evolve and refine brand strategies.
• Enhance the growth of online community by tracking brand voices tone.
• Monitor online brand experiences and report on favorable and unfavorable experiences.

Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Degree in Marketing, CIM, Business or any related field. 
• Professional qualifications in Digital Media Communications, or project management will be an added advantage.
• Experience using latest technology tools to measure brand equity.
• Must possess working knowledge of new media.
• Adept and in-tune with new media tools and technologies with experience on digital management systems and various online measurement platforms and tools.
• Extensive expertise in Digital marketing.
• Demonstrated ability to work in close collaboration with staff and partners from multicultural backgrounds.
• Must be results-oriented, accountable, proactive, and able to work on behalf of AGRA with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Must possess knowledge on big data management with analytical skills and attention to micro details.
• Demonstrate ability to translate program-based concepts into effective innovative solutions.
• Must be agile, flexible with entrepreneurial mindset.
• Possession of knowledge of Food systems transformation and or economic development pillars will be desired.

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The Position

Corporate Affairs Specialist Job Reference: CAS/COMMS/02/2024

The Corporate Affairs specialist will be responsible for the delivery of corporate communication plans for the Presidency, Board, and other key stakeholders. 

The ideal candidate will serve as the primary assistant on communications and strategic engagements for the President, Board, and key staff. The role holder will be responsible for developing and implementing key communications and external engagement plans across multi-media platforms to achieve favorable reach and engagement. He/she will be required to deeply collaborate with teams to develop impactful content, talking points, speeches, and internal and external communications, in service of the organization’s strategy.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Execute comprehensive corporate communication plans that align with the organization’s strategic objectives and effectively communicate key messages to stakeholders.
• Create compelling and impactful content, including speeches, sound bites, quotes, and articles, that align with AGRA’s objectives and resonate with target audiences. Ensure consistent messaging across different communication channels and platforms.
• Create and curate engaging content for social media platforms and coordinate strategic media engagements with relevant stakeholders, including the media, partners, and the public.
• Support crisis communications by coordinating and tracking the work of the reputation management committee and support the coordination of the committee’s mandate and work plan.
• Research and analyze industry trends, public opinion, and stakeholder feedback to inform communication strategies and identify opportunities for engagement.
• In collaboration with the Communication, Innovations, Engagement, and Advocacy strategy relevant units, develop and implement the presidency’s communications plan, including an annual content plan of internal and external engagements.
• Conduct media training and guide senior leaders and spokespersons to enhance their speech-writing skills.
• Continuously evaluate and enhance processes, tools, and systems to streamline operations and improve efficiency in delivering key deliverables for the Presidency and board.
• Maintain an updated stakeholder database and events calendar that amplifies AGRA’s engagements and partner relationships and alliances.
• Oversee and build positive relationships with external stakeholders, including media outlets, industry influencers, government agencies, and community organizations.
• Perform archiving, database updates, and management to ensure updates.
• Oversee the digital presence, including website content, social media platforms, and email marketing campaigns, ensuring consistent messaging and engaging content for the Presidency and other key stakeholders.
• Develop and prepare speeches for the presidency, board, and key personnel.
• Develop and maintain a strong network of senior media contacts and proactively build relations and pitch stories and press releases to secure positive media coverage of the Presidency and board.
• Monitor media coverage and public sentiment related to the organization and provide timely insights, updates, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Key Qualifications and Experience Required:

• A master’s degree in communications, Media and Public Relations, or Journalism is ideal, or a bachelor’s degree in markets.
• Professional qualifications in Communications and Journalism will be an added advantage.
• Experience at a Senior Officer level in an international development or corporate organization is desired.
• Fluency in English; Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be an advantage.
• Must have experience in speech writing.
• Knowledge of food systems and landscapes is desirable.
• Must demonstrate excellent Communication Skills, strong speech writing abilities and experience, and strong project management skills. 
• Must be culturally sensitive with a good understanding of global media platforms.
• Strong administrative skills, and digital marketing skills with excellent media relations globally.

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The Position

External Engagement Officer – Partners Job Reference: EEO/COMMS/02/2024

The External Engagement Officer – Partners contributes to AGRA’s efforts to position & implement the Division’s strategy that focuses on AGRA’s external engagement efforts with partners at regional and continental levels. The ideal candidate is expected to bring in seasoned marketing and relationship-building expertise, significantly contributing to the development and delivery of the division’s strategy to achieve institutional positioning ambitions and engagement efforts.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of a robust partner engagement plan.
• Identify new complimentary opportunities for AGRA’s partners, programs & partners (PPP) engagement.
• Identify and generate strategic ideas that favorably improve AGRA’s and its partner’s experience and engagement experience.
• Develop partner-related content, including partner announcements, signature publications and reports, feature articles, and partner videos.
• Develop and lead engagement initiatives to ensure alignment on deliverables with partnership teams.
• Conceptualize and assist in the production of communications materials and reports for partners.
• Build favorable brand association and familiarity with key stakeholders.
• Responsible for content planning management dissemination.
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders to ensure alignment in all related communications materials.
• Increase and measure the visibility of the different partner’s work.
• Collaborate with multiple stakeholders and train partners to showcase partners’ work to key stakeholders.
• Oversee external vendors and ensure compliance with contractual obligations while building long-term cooperation agreements.
• Scope and prioritize activities and ensure timely & quality delivery of outputs.
• Drive and collaborate on AGRA and Partner events working with other teams and partners to ensure optimal outcomes for partners.
• Support in reviewing and editing partner releases, toolkits, and other engagement-related materials as necessary.
• Build and regularly update Partners database for engagement and communication purposes.
• Synthesize complex material into structured, readable documentation for targeted audiences.
• Respond to requests for information from donor, media, government, and the public regarding the programs, provide them with relevant and/or facilitate their access to relevant information sources and technical staff.
• Contribute to the other units’ requirements for building a robust market intelligence system and tools.
• Monitor, track, and report on PPP performance against agreed KPIs on time.

Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Degree in Business or related studies. Professional qualifications in CIM, Communications, or project management are an advantage.
• Must be able to work in close collaboration with staff and partners from multicultural backgrounds.
• Results-oriented, focused, accountable, proactive, good writer and communicator, and able to work with a wide range of partners.
• Ability to work effectively within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Deep understanding and knowledge of key issues relevant to development and program or product development.
• Extensive experience working with multinationals, continental frameworks, and or Global Alliances.
• Experience developing written materials and audiovisual production.
• Must be familiar with Advocacy tools of Engagement at a global level especially Europe and North America.
• relations and mid-high-level stakeholder engagement.
• Possess a solid working knowledge of social media strategy, planning, and implementation.
• Demonstrate ability to develop & execute strong social media campaigns.
• Experience in digital storytelling in multiple channels.
• Fluency in English.

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The Position

Senior Specialist – Brand and Innovation Job Reference: SSB/COMMS/02/2024

The Senior Specialist – Brand and Innovations plays a critical role in supporting the development and management of AGRA’s brands and sub-brands while nurturing an innovative culture within AGRA. 

Reporting to the Director of communications, Innovations, Advocacy, and External Relations, the Senior Specialist – Brand and Innovations will work closely with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders to gather insights, manage the brand health, and develop actionable brand key performance metrics and insights for timely decision making. 

The overall purpose of this role is to safeguard AGRA’s brand health, identify unique positioning opportunities for the corporate and sub-brands, and lead the identification of innovative growth opportunities. The ideal candidate will aim to support AGRA build positive brand affinity, and resonance as a leading institution in Food Systems transformation in Africa. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the development/ use of rigorous analytical data and visualization to guide decision-making processes and enhance brand investments at AGRA.
• Identify, cultivate, and monitor, key strategic brand elements to support AGRA’s overall brand strategy implementation as an African Institution.
• Assess and identify strategic positioning opportunities for AGRA’s brand and sub-brands.
• Oversee the development and management of the Brand Strategy and brand identity application for the corporate brand and all related sub-brands.
• Conduct in-depth research to understand target audiences, industry trends, and stakeholder needs, providing insights for brand communication and advocacy and external engagement plans.
• Track and report AGRA’s presence and differentiation across multimedia platforms.
• Track and report the performance of AGRA brands across platforms and generate strategic insights and quarterly management reports.
• Foster a culture of innovation within AGRA, encouraging creative thinking and identifying opportunities for innovative initiatives and new product development processes.
• Leverage new and existing data to generate compelling data insights that will drive corporate communications, advocacy, and external engagement efforts.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners to gather and build stakeholder databases and lead efforts to increase usage of this data in program design, engagement, and communication efforts to build favorable brand advocacy.
• Develop measurable KPIs to assess AGRA’s brand health, reputation, and stakeholder perception across business lines and country programs.
• Work closely with the communication, advocacy, and external relations team, strategy and business line teams, and partners, to assess and identify strategic positioning opportunities to strengthen and differentiate AGRA in the food system transformation agenda.
• Conduct audience surveys, sentiment analysis, and perception studies to evaluate the effectiveness of AGRA’s investments and engagement efforts.
• Research emerging industry trends, stakeholder needs, and technological advancements and generate insights into audience behavior that will support teams to generate innovative ideas and evaluate their viability for product and brand enhancement.
• Work closely with partners to identify insights that would validate the food systems agenda and track the effectiveness of AGRA’s brand, program, communication, external engagements, and advocacy initiatives. Identify and recommend key strategic partners, innovation, Agricultural technical experts, alliances, and communities of practice to achieve brand goals.
• Collaborate with funding and implementing partners monitoring and evaluating data sets to identify learning and engagement opportunities or initiatives.
• Develop and monitor the implementation of approved brand guidelines and policies to ensure adherence to brand manuals, and hymn books for internal and external audiences.
• Track and evaluate AGRA’s brand presence through monitoring of own communications and other voices for reputation and enhanced visibility.
• Monitor key performance indicators and brand health metrics, track negative sentiments globally, and make recommendations for improvement.
• Implement data governance procedures and frameworks to ensure compliance and proper management of communications data, images, and beneficiaries.
• Generate timely reports on brand performance, innovation impact, reputation, and audience insights to inform decision-making.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to brand differentiation, visibility, audience insights, innovation impact, and brand.
• Conduct in-depth research to understand AGRA’s core and secondary target audiences, consumer touch points, and industry trends.
• Develop measurable indicators that can allow for monitoring, assessing, and tracking the contribution of AGRA’s external engagement, communication and advocacy investments, and efforts in achieving strategic institutional.
• Identify key data point partners to collaborate with and develop measurable key performance indicators to measure and report AGRA’s brand health.
• Track and develop detailed Net Promoter Score reports for timely decision-making.
• Provide support and advice to teams to develop appropriate policies and guidelines that ensure adherence to mandatory brand health guidelines for AGRA and its partners.

Key Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Master’s degree in data science / MSc in Data Analytics, marketing, communications, business administration, or a related field is required. A postgraduate degree or specialization in brand management, innovation, CIM, or market research is an added advantage.
• Proficiency in market research methodologies, data analysis, and interpretation. Experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research, customer segmentation, and competitive analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to build and implement a culture of innovation, creative thinking, and project implementation. Experience in design thinking or other innovation frameworks is advantageous.
• Skills in Data visualization with Power BI and Artificial intelligence (AI).
• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities to gather and interpret big data, derive actionable insights and make data-driven recommendations. Proficiency in data management and analysis tools and techniques is desirable.
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships with cross-functional teams, external partners, and stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills, negotiation abilities, and the capability to influence and align stakeholders toward common goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey insights, recommendations, and strategies to diverse stakeholders. Experience in creating compelling technical and story-based presentations and reports.
• Comfort and proficiency in working with technology tools and platforms related to big-data analysis, market research, brand management, and brand communications. Experience and knowledge of digital marketing tools like SEO, email management audience listening tools, and analytics is mandatory.
• Project management proficiency and expert use of MS project mandatory.
• Experience leading innovation or R&D teams in complex organizations or projects.
• Strong knowledge and experience in strategic brand management, including brand positioning, brand differentiation, brand equity, and brand communication strategies.
• Familiarity with economic development models, inclusive agriculture transformation, and food systems in Africa. Understanding of the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the agricultural landscape.
• Capacity to think strategically, identify trends, and propose innovative solutions aligned with AGRA’s goals and objectives. The ability to understand the broader context of the organization’s mission and vision.
• Fluency in English; Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be an advantage.

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The Position

Partnership Officer – Deal Room Job Reference: PO/PD/02/2024

The Partnership Officer, Deal Room will build and manage relationships with predominantly private sector partners to scale AGRA’s existing investments (institutional investors, pensions funds, equity funds, guarantees, , identify new opportunities for investments, adopt innovative approaches and develop opportunities to leverage additional resources (i.e., catalytic co-investment) for transformation. Create bridges with national, regional and global financing platforms to improve access to affordable financing. 

The ideal candidate will lead the execution of the Agribusiness Deal Room as a year-round engagement with the aim to increase investment into African agriculture and food systems and to position AGRF partners including AGRA as a preferred partner for private sector-led agriculture development and food systems transformation, and a leading initiator, convener and catalyst of multi-stakeholder partnerships that drive transformation.

Reporting to the Head – Private Sector Partnerships, the Partnership Officer – Deal Room will work closely with relevant staff in various teams across AGRA to strengthen and grow the Partners Group identify, disseminate information, and deliver on partnership and private sector led opportunities that scale AGRA’s efforts. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Drive pipeline development and matchmaking of high potential SMEs with investors and Business Advisory Services.
• Develop new partnerships with companies and institutions whose core objective align with AGRA (i.e., value chains, type of intervention, regions, systems change, etc.
• Create linkages between Agribusiness Deal Room SMEs and AGRA and other donor programs to continue driving investments into the SMEs.
• Develop Deal Room related grants and provide technical assistance to the grantees.
• Represent AGRF at agribusiness forums and alliances to contribute strategically and showcase AGRF’s work and seek opportunities for new partnerships.
• Develop knowledge products i.e. case studies, blogs etc.
• Support the design of Dealroom partnership governance structures and frameworks.
• Work closely with AGRA countries to support government investor engagement through need prioritization and a country partnership framework for partner coordination.
• Work closely with investors to ensure optimization of the Agribusiness Deal Room opportunities.
• Build and support relationship management and coordination of Deal Room network of partners and manage the Deal Room contact databases.
• Disseminate information on key private sector and partnership development and opportunities within AGRA and across relevant stakeholder groups.
• Plan and ensure timely execution of the year-round Agribusiness Deal Room workplan and deliverables.
• Manage and oversee relevant grants and consultancies that are critical to the delivery of AGRA’s mandate and the Agribusiness Deal Room.
• Manage the staging of the Deal Room at the AGRF including all elements of the event’s project management.
• Manage the tracking and reporting of the Agribusiness Deal Room events and activities.

Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Master’s degree in business administration (strategic analysis focus), International Relations, Public Relations, Marketing, Advertising, Social Entrepreneurship, Education, or related field.
• Must possess knowledge of the agriculture sector and exposure to private sector investment processes and policies in Africa.
• Should have experience working in agriculture development in Africa, including strategic partnership/relationship management, public-private partnerships, agribusiness.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a team orientation and strong collaborative skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with donors as well as manage and build strategic donor relations; sound understanding of the donor financing landscape and processes.
• Experience working multiple actors of partners in the private and public partnership landscape is required.
• Experience working with a large multinational development agency in a coordination role will be critical to have.
• Must demonstrate outstanding people skills and a demonstrated ability to influence a wide range of individuals from different backgrounds and at different levels.
• Display social and humanitarian awareness and diplomacy.