Market Development Officer

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

iDE, a global organization that advances market-based approaches in agriculture, finance, and WASH to create income and livelihood opportunities for low-income rural households, is recruiting a Market Development Officer for its Nepal Country Office.

DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION/ REQUIREMENT

Position Title: Market Development Officer

Reference No: II

Duty Station: Kathmandu, with frequent field travel

Job Summary: 

The purpose of this role is to provide innovative and strategic expertise in the field of market system development throughout multiple iDE projects for sustainable agriculture development, and private sector strengthening. S/he will be responsible for the analysis of systemic constraints and opportunities in selected sub-sectors/ cross-sectors, and agriculture market systems, as well as for the design and implementation of interventions in the selected sub-sectors/ cross-sectors.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Provide technical support for the design and implementation of activities using a market systems development approach to drive and deliver the outcomes of multiple iDE projects. 
• Lead diagnostics and assessments to evaluate market opportunities, identify partners, and design project partnerships and activities.
• Identify, develop, and nurture the network of private sector actors within the agriculture value chain, enhancing their capacity, interest, and/or potential to expand business operations, emphasizing end-market dynamics. 
• Identify capacity gaps across private sector actors (i.e. in the supply chain, business operations, finance, etc.), and facilitate capacity building plans and access to training services.
• Liaise closely with financial institutions and identify the bank and non-bank finance solutions and products (including digital banking services and products) for the smallholder farmers and small and medium agribusinesses to expand their output/services and networks. 
• Work with the farmers’ groups (mainly women) to assess entrepreneurial opportunity within the agri-value chain, engage them to establish agri-based enterprises based on the market assessment and demand. 
• Support micro and small enterprise to forge productive alliances with other actors in the value chain; facilitate market integration.
• Build capacity of technical and other project staff, partners, and stakeholders to foster market system upgrading.
• Integrate gender, climate, and digital technologies as cross-cutting areas across the work.

Required qualification, competencies, and attributes: 

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business management, socio-economic development, development planning, financial management, or other related fields with 5 years’ professional work experience in the field of market system development and private sector engagement in the agriculture sector or Master’s degree with 3 years of experience.
• Proven ability to formulate bankable business plans, with strong financial analysis skills.
• Good coaching, mentoring skills, and a track record in designing and rolling out training programs for business development services. 
• Strong communicator with the ability to influence diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proficiency to use standard software at an advanced level; knowledge of common ICTs and their use in agricultural extension systems.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multicultural environment.
• Stakeholders’ management – able to manage a wide range of stakeholders, partners, and private sectors to ensure their cooperation and commitment.

How to Apply 

Submit an updated CV and Photograph mentioning the expected monthly gross salary by 5 PM, August 26, 2022. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further process. No telephone inquiries will be entertained.

As per the gender and workforce diversity policy of iDE, female candidates and/or candidates from disadvantaged communities are highly encouraged to apply. 

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