Deputy Chief of Party – AgInvest at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) – We are Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture is an international agricultural development organization that specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable, enterprise-based agricultural initiatives. We work with businesses, foundations, governments, and communities to build customized local and global partnerships that meet the world’s growing demand for food. Since our inception in 1985, we have designed and implemented enterprise-based, agricultural development initiatives to facilitate market access, enhance agribusiness competitiveness, increase productivity, and improve access to inputs and financing in 47 countries around the world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Deputy Chief of Party – AgInvest

Job No.: 367
Location: Nigeria (Primary)
Job Type: Full-time
Category: International
Career Level: Senior Manager
Travel: Up to 25%

Position Description

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) will work closely with and report to the Chief of Party (COP) to provide technical oversight for the Activity.
The DCOP will directly oversee the four technical components of the Activity.
Direct reports include the directors for each component as follows: Component 1 (Improving the Enabling Environment), Component 2 (Access to Finance), Component 3 (Facilitating Agribusiness Investment), and Component 4 (Agribusiness Performance Improvement).
The DCOP will also lead the development of the Activity’s annual work plans, annual and quarterly reports, and other requests that may come from either USAID or CNFA.
The DCOP is responsible for managing short- and long-term technical assistance (STTA), including the development of their scopes of work (SOWs) and ensuring the final reports are accurate, well-written, and meet expectations.
The DCOP, as requested by the COP, will also represent the Activity before a range of audiences and in a variety of platforms, at the national and state levels.
The DCOP will ensure all actions and interventions adhere to USAID and CNFA technical guidance and align with global best practices, including the training of staff as required. Finally, the DCOP will also keep the COP regularly informed on all Activity matters, and assist the COP in meeting various technical, governmental, company, and USAID deliverables as requested.

Program Description

The Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity aims to strengthen the enabling environment for agribusiness finance and investment with a focus focusing on the following five key value chains: rice, cowpea, soy, maize and aquaculture.
The Activity seeks to viably and sustainably link thousands of MSMEs and producer organizations with high-performing commercial actors in the targeted value chain in 7 Nigerian states; namely, Benue, Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi, Delta, Ebonyi, and Cross River.
The overall objective of the Activity is to measurably improve the agribusiness investment climate, which plays a pivotal role in attracting foreign direct and domestic investment, leading to food security and improved nutrition for all Nigerians.
To achieve this goal, the Activity focuses on four interrelated components: (i) improving the enabling environment for agricultural sector growth through legal and regulatory reform; (ii) broadening access to finance by mitigating the credit risks of agribusinesses; (iii) promoting and facilitating investment opportunities for agribusinesses to expand and scale up operations; and (iv) sustainably enhancing the performance of agribusiness micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs). In line with the U.S. and Nigerian governments’ commitment to growing the non-oil-based economy, these efforts will increase the depth, breadth, dynamism, and competitiveness of Nigeria’s agribusiness sector.
Beginning in December 2018 and closing in 2023, this $15.6 million project aims to upgrade and facilitate thousands of linkages between small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including producer organizations, and high-performing commercial actors in the target value chains.
As a result of streamlined regulations, more effective policies, improved production and processing practices, and significantly increased finance and investment flows, the Activity will increase the competitiveness and returns of both large and small sale agricultural enterprises. Employing a value chain approach, the Agribusiness Investment Activity aims to facilitate $100 million in new lending and $100 million in new investment.

Duties and Responsibilities
The main duties of the DCOP are:

Working closely with the Chief of Party to provide technical and managerial oversight for the Activity, including the development and implementation of the Activity’s annual work plans, quarterly and annual reports, and other requests that may come in from USAID and CNFA.
Working closely with other senior managers to ensure that the Activity consistently employs the values of CNFA, ensures the highest ethical standards, emphasizes the importance of communication and team work, promotes collaboration with other donor-funded projects and activities, adheres to USAID and CNFA technical guidance, and directly contributes to the attainment of the Activity’s contractual deliverables;
Managing the development, design, and implementation of all Component-led interventions, taking place in and outside of Abuja, including the seven focal states. This includes taking responsibility for STTA SoWs, supporting the recruitment and selection of STTA consultants, scheduling and mobilization, field implementation, and final acceptance of the work completed; Drafting, editing, and making material contributions to Activity documents, including but not limited to weekly snapshot reports, quarterly and PowerPoint presentations, annual reports, studies, papers, survey instruments, and other operational and MEL-related documentation; Maintaining rigorous focus on the achievement of the Activity’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs);
Managing the implementation and coordination of all events, technical forums, conferences, and roundtables;
Effectively backstopping and supporting long- and short-term consultants;
Representing the Activity and CNFA in meetings with the private and public sector stakeholders as requested by the COP;
Other duties as assigned on an ad hoc basis by the COP.

Job Requirements
Qualifications

Master’s Degree, or higher, in Economics, Business Administration, Public Administration, Agriculture, or a related field.
Minimum of seven (7) years of relevant, progressively responsible management experience; Demonstrated experience and a proven track record of implementing and/or managing activities focused on agricultural development
A combination of technical familiarity and management skills that span the subject areas covered by the Activity; and in-depth experience in at least one of the major areas of project involvement (agricultural finance regulations, agricultural finance services, capacity building for agribusinesses)
An in depth understanding of the public sector organizational and functional structure at the Federal and State levels
A current professional network in the most relevant ministries and offices of Government at the Federal and State levels is an advantage
Demonstrated experience in the following areas:
- Effectively backstopping and supporting long- and short-term consultants;
- Ensuring efficiency across a wide variety of project activities involving economic growth, private sector development, women and youth empowerment, upskilling, business linkages, and job creation; and
- Maintaining rigorous focus on project indicators, results, and more generally supporting the M&E and communications functions.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required, knowledge of local languages is an advantage.