Business Advisor Job Vacancy at BRiTEN

Who we are;

BRiTEN (Building Rural Incomes Through Entrepreneurship is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing about a paradigm shift among the rural communities in conceiving of their livelihoods as going beyond providing for the family’s subsistence needs and moving into a business-minded frame of mind that harnesses competitive advantage. Our approach is on understanding the market system and understanding how to bring about a large scale systemic change by addressing the underlying causes with a commitment to sustainability

Our principal goal in Agricultural Interventions is to increase incomes and improve rural livelihoods for smallholder farmers by ensuring their integration into value chains while creating efficiencies for all other market actors. We aim at ensuring that the value chains are inclusive for women, men young men and young women.

The Project:

Project Purpose and Outcomes for Pilot Phase

Project Purpose – Improvement of bean marketing through access and adoption of improved seed varieties, improved post-harvest handling and farmer group aggregation

Expected Systemic Changes:

Farm level changes: increased smallholder competitiveness and inclusiveness into the bean value-chain through improved quality of produce which will fetch good price.

Market level changes: improved market functions resulting from improved coordination of the value chain leading to enhanced contractual relationships of producers and private sector leading to increased trust.

The project will critically address challenges around coordination and market access segments of the value chain which will lead to the development of sustainable and scalable approaches to job creation and increased incomes:

Outcome 1: Improved bean seed varieties are commercially available to smallholder women, men and youth farmers in Njombe and Ruvuma regions

Outcome 2: Smallholder women, men and youth farmers purchase improved bean varieties from the availed commercial channels in Njombe and Ruvuma regions

Outcome 3: Smallholder farmers in Njombe and Ruvuma regions improve their agronomic practices for bean farming

Outcome 4: Farmer organizations increase collective action for their members (smallholder women, men and youth farmers)

Outcome 5: Smallholder women, men and youth farmers increase the market share in the common beans market

Our Co-Facilitator /Partner believes that enabling large-scale systemic change targeting market systems critical for the productive poor, in particular, for marginalized women and youth, creates a much stronger chance of achieving a sustained pro-poor impact. The partners are mutually supportive of the goal of funding Governments which aims to increase incomes and employment opportunities for poor women, men, and young people in Tanzania.

The Project will facilitate the emergence of new market systems to supply small holder farmers with reliable, high quality agro inputs and access to extension support which in return will increase volumes, the quality of production and connect farmers to markets.

Primary Purpose

The Business Advisor’s main role is to support the Project Coordinator to provide oversight and coordination to the implementing clients (MAs & SPs) and other stakeholders along the target value chains.  The main role is results and knowledge management which includes monitoring and evaluation, program management, program reporting and carrying out diagnostic assessments that guide implementation to ensure sustainability of the project. The incumbent will implement advisory strategies and achieve positive business results

Location: Njombe

Major Responsibilities

• Program Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Set quarterly individual performance goals in coordination with the Project Coordinator detailing specific and personal development objectives
  • Ensure Quarterly budgets for financial resources are submitted one month before the beginning of a new quarter to ensure there is enough resources available to deliver results. (Eg.  Financial, people, data and information) to deliver results
  • Support the development of an annual workplan that is broken down into quarters in collaboration with MA’s and SPs.
  • Develop a Performance Management Plan for the project
  • Set up appropriate M&E system and tools with the Guidance of the Project Coordinator and the Results and Knowledge Manager
  • Ensure data necessary to assess program performance against set objectives and measures is tracked in a systematical and methodical manner
  • Map out and collect client GIS information and locations and relate this to essential programmatic data
  • Ensure program data  and reports are transmitted to Project Coordinator on a timely basis
  • Validate and verify information reported – ensure independence and objectivity in reporting results and lessons learned and assure transparency in the performance data system
  • Monitor to ensure that project deliverables are on time, within budget and at the required level of quality and report to Project Coordinator monthly
  • Proactively raise issues of concern with the Project Coordinator

• Provide technical advice and guidance for all information systems requirements of BRiTEN projects, especially in the areas of central data management that maximizes efficiencies for donor compliance and reporting.

• Program implementation
  • Support the improvement of smallholder market access by identifying and making recommendations on the market development implementation by providing with timely feedback and advice on how to improve the project/business
  • Arrange meetings and workshops to develop the maize coordination platform
  • Design, develop and implement creative partnerships and approaches to increase access to markets by smallholders.
  • Coordinate closely with other market systems players to ensure holistic access to services for smallholders
  • Provide oversight at regional level to achieve commitments to clients and donors
  • Carry out market surveys as required

• Program management
  • Ensure program performance is documented against M&E indicators and that monthly status reports are provided; highlighting successes, as well as specific strategies needed to mitigate/remediate issues of concern
  • Document project capitalization under the guidance of the Project Coordinator
  • Over time, and in consultation with the Project Coordinator, spur the development of new programming initiatives and a follow-on proposal to obtain additional funding

• Reporting and Knowledge Management
  • Collect monthly and/or quarterly business data from clients on a timely basis
  • Meet regularly with MA, SPs and LGAs and provide regular updates to the Project management on activities
  • Provide your supervisor with regular documentation of all activities carried out in support of the project (e.g., completion of 5.15 document and training updates every week, monthly and quarterly)
  • Inform project management immediately when implementation issues arise, especially where they may impact on farmer, aggregator or buyer performance
  • Input all information and material collected into usable format (i.e., from a hand-written document into Excel or MS Access, as needed)

• Assessments
  • Where assigned, develop and implement diagnostic assessments, financial brokerage support services and market linkages advisory support to internal team members, clients and stakeholders
  • In areas where clients need additional support, develop and deliver formal trainings

• Coordination
  • Communicate regularly with the implementation team and farmer organization leadership in order to make assessments that enable decision making and to provide additional support, and track key metrics
  • Work with LGA and other stakeholders to manage their expectations around BRiTEN support and involvement, and correctly convey at all times what BRiTEN and the Project is doing for the Maize Market  (as well as what it will not do)
  • Collaborate as needed with other SIM-VC stakeholders (e.g. RUDI and other market players) and team members
  • Represent the project at relevant stakeholder meetings and gatherings, as directed by management
  • Any other duty which may be assigned to you by your Supervisor.

Business Advisor Job Vacancy at BRiTEN

Requirements

• A Degree in Business Administration, Agriculture, Economics or Agribusiness, or a Certificate in Agriculture, business administration accompanied with 4 years work experience

• A minimum of 2 years experience working in agriculture, agribusiness, and/or deliver agricultural related straining for a person with a degree

• Excellent problem solving and analytic skills
• Team player and experience in working in multicultural environments
• Strong interpersonal/people management skills and excellent oral and written communication skills a must
• Entrepreneurial and self motivated
• Demonstrates strong passion for assisting clients in building profitable and sustainable businesses that benefit the poor
• Financial analysis and management skills
• Willingness to travel frequently domestically within the target region
• Computer literate (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)

• Ability to develop well written, cohesive reports
• Tanzanian citizenship

Reports To: Project Coordinator

BRiTEN is an equal opportunity employer.

BRiTEN is an equal opportunity employer applications from a diverse range of candidates are welcome. Eligible candidates should send their applications to jobs@briten.or.tz  later than the 7^th of September 2022.