Job Opening at DAI Global

Background and objectives of the hub:

The East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) is the U.S. Government’s flagship project under the presidential Trade Africa initiative, launched in 2013 to boost trade and investment with and within Africa. The Hub partners with East African and U.S. businesses to attract investment needed to transform the East African private sector into vibrant global trading partners.

The goals of the Hub are to deepen regional integration, increase the competitiveness of select regional agricultural value chains, promote two-way trade with the U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and facilitate investment and technology to drive trade growth intra-regionally and to global markets. The project achieves these ends by working with the private sector and local governments to find practical solutions for trade and investment constraints that lead to a pro-investment environment. It also builds awareness of opportunities for African and U.S. firms to increase trade, expand business partnerships, and invest in East Africa.

In support of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future, the Hub looks to increase access, availability and utilization of East African-grown staple foods in the region. It supports regional initiatives that improve market information, increase access to inputs, and reduce non-tariff barriers that can hinder trade across borders.

Scope of Work:

The Hub is seeking applications from experienced value chain experts for Value Chain Development Specialist position under the Hub’s Agriculture and Agribusiness team, focusing on priority value chains under the USAID/East Africa Regional Feed the Future (FtF) strategy. Priority value chains under FtF include maize and other grains, beans and legumes, fruits and vegetables, and livestock. The Agriculture and Agribusiness team complements a number of activities and programs that are designed to: 1) support private sector investment in agriculture; 2) assess the legal, regulatory, and institutional agribusiness enabling environment in order to diagnose constraints to economic growth; 3) and build sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) capacity in the region.

Specific Tasks:

• Advises on the design of strategies and policies related to agricultural marketing and inclusive and sustainable agri-food value chain development;
• Develops concepts, methodologies, guidelines and indicators for agricultural marketing and inclusive and sustainable agri-food value chain development;
• Advises EAC partner states through reviews and the provision of technical advice and capacity development on agricultural marketing and agri-food value chains development:
• Performs the analysis of selected agricultural sectors/food chains, including food security and food safety issues and assesses the feasibility of agribusiness investment projects;
• Analyses the constraints and opportunities related to agribusiness investment options with emphasis on the functionality of markets, support services, trade policies, market institutions and organizations, risk management systems and private sector engagement;
• Organizes and facilitates discussions on agribusiness investment-related policy issues involving representatives of the private and public sector, with a view to reach consensus on improved policies;
• Provides technical assistance and advice to agribusiness investment projects in the field of marketing;
• Provides technical assistance to EAC and EAC partner states with respect to: agricultural value chain development, agricultural supply chain management, private sector development, business development services and marketing;
• Analyses and provides technical advice on regional and international trade facilitation and policy and investment promotion;
• Develops and maintains strong partnerships with private sector organizations, cooperatives, partners, collaborators and financial institutions;
• Draft concept notes, various memos and reports for internal and external consumption;
• Assist with development of SOW for short term technical assistance (STTA), supervision of consultants and quality assurance of products of STTA; and,
• Represent the Hub in meetings, presentations, and other dialogues with Governments, RECs, other partners, collaborators and donors organizations

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

• Advanced university degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics or other relevant discipline related to Agricultural or Agribusiness Development
• Five to seven years of relevant experience in the areas of agro-industry systems development, agri-food industry economics and management or related field
• A good knowledge of international and regional trade, and/or regional integration, preferably in the Eastern Africa region;
• Extensive relevant experience working in similar donor funded regional projects, preferably USAID-funded projects, in the Eastern and Southern Africa region;
• Extensive relevant knowledge of value added transformation and technologies of food and agricultural materials through processing, packaging, handling and storage, including product quality aspects within food and commodity chains;
• Extensive relevant experience in working collaboratively with institutional and private sector partners and stakeholders in a multi-country setting;
• Extensive relevant experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses in the technical general area of agro-industries development;
• Extensive knowledge in strengthening women’s and youth participation in regional staple foods value chains;
• Excellent English writing and communication skills; and,
• Ability to use the latest ICT technology and computer software programs.

Reporting:

The Value Chain Development Specialist Country (VCDS) will report directly to the Director of Agriculture and Agribusiness but will work closely with the other component Directors.

Supervisory responsibilities:

• None. There is significant communication and interaction with partners.

Base of operations:

• Nairobi, Kenya with some travel to Eastern African Countries.