Producer Associations Development Expert

Planet Finance is set to recruit for a Producer Associations Development Expert. The PAD expert will be responsible for developing the 5 producer association and the network which federates these producer associations into functional units capable of playing enhanced roles in the shea value chain. The expert will facilitate the member groups of these producer associations to access critical services required for quality processing and sale of the products through coordination and collaboration with the required service providers. JOB SUMMARY Company     PlaNet Finance Industry     NGO Category     Consulting Location     Tamale Job Status     Full-time Salary     Negotiable based on experience and competence Education     First Degree Experience     8 years Job Expires     07 Jun, 2012 Contact     Admin and Finance Officer Description of Specific Responsibilities:   1. Implement specific technical activities which may include but are not limited to:  Undertake a needs assessment of the established shea producer associations and the national shea network, develop suitable training manuals (including a review of existing manuals) & other capacity building tools to address these gaps.  Develop all the shea producer associations established in all districts of the project into functional legal entities capable of effectively playing their new role in the shea value chain. Provide ToTs/ guidance for field officers to implement at the level of shea groups constituting the associations to compliment the capacity building activities of the associations & network. Lead the implementation of the price information system to provide accurate and timely price alerts on shea products to the shea groups & manage the website of the shea network. Support the implementation of the business management training for member groups of the producer associations. Lead the implementation of organic labelled & fair trade product certification of selected groups within the associations & connect them to the market. Implement the internal tracking system of the social & economic indicators of the project. Reporting line: Program Director    2. Coordination and liaison with project's stakeholders & other existing programes in the sector:  Collaborate with other project officers in northern offices of PF in the search for buyers for the products of the women Coordinate, with the BDOs and leaders of the producer associations to implement a reliable quality assurance system to ensure consistent supply of high quality shea nuts and butter. Coordinate, with the BDOs and leaders of the producer associations to aggregate all products at agreed warehouses for pick up by the buyers. Collaborate with relevant industry stakeholders(Ghana Shea Network, Global Shea Alliance) government agencies and other non-governmental organizations to facilitate effective implementation of sensitization activities of the project (NHIS, protecting the shea tree, economic rights of women etc) Coordinate with the project microfinance experts to ensure the shea groups get access to the key equipment and services needed for quality processing. Support problem-resolution arising from implementation activities of the BDOs. Develop work plans and implementation schedules with the BDOs for the relevant field activities (technical, business management, price alerts training etc). Reporting line: Program Director    3. Support in the development of new projects in Ghana;   Identifying opportunities/needs for new partnerships and projects in Ghana in the shea sector. Participating in the formulation of new projects in shea sector based on the experience & lessons learnt from project implementation. Support the team in organization of events and communication of lesson learnt to key stakeholders in the sector. Reporting line: Program Director    Required Skills or Experience  Job Qualifications: Relevant academic education in relation to agricultural development, economics, business administration and/or related fields (a Masters degree is a plus). Significant knowledge of value chains and a minimum of 8 years experience in market and agricultural value chain development  Good research & analytical skills and proficiency in Spreadsheets and SPSS. Experience of working with producer organizations, producer groups and sector/sub sector associations. Experience in capacity building, training and knowledge transfer at different levels of organization of the producers.  Experience supporting rural enterprises in market and business development Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment Excellent writing, reporting and negotiating skills. Knowledge of the shea sector in Ghana is a plus. Excellent facilitation, organization, project coordination and management skills. Willingness to work long hours, go to the field for several days at a time, and stay in northern Ghana.   How To Apply  Send Application letters and current CVs by email to Project Director, PlaNet Finance, Ghana: contactghana@planetfinance.org Search for Other Jobs Here