Private Sector Development and Economic Cooperation Advisor at GIZ Nigeria

Vacancy No: 067

Responsibilities
The Technical Advisor will be responsible for the following:

• Supporting all rice/ cashew activities in Nigeria under project MOVE with a special focus on private sector development as well as policy.
• Processing technical aspects and further developing VC specific technical competences
• Maintaining good flow of communication and information between all involved institutions and counterparts and GIZ

Tasks
Management and coordination:
The Advisor:

• Is a liaison between project partners in project countries, primarily Nigeria, and MOVE management.
• Manages consultants engaged to implement discrete workplans within MOVE
• Advises private sector partners of MOVE in Nigeria and potentially in other MOVE countries.
• Assists and supports the MOVE Private Sector Development (PSD) team in the development and management of the existing and upcoming Matching Fund projects in Nigeria.
• Assists the project with organisational and management issues.

Communication and Networking:
The Advisor:

• Communicates with key project partners on a regular basis.
• Develops and maintains contact with all important stakeholders in the rice/cashew sector, including public sector partners such as: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), ECOWAS, ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO), National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NICAN) and private sector partners.
• Supports cooperation, regular contact and dialogue with partners, assists with public relations work.
• Cooperates with local communities, relevant organizations, non-governmental organizations and individuals in the project environment and with other projects to improve and maintain good working relationships.
• Provides technical assistance to local and international experts.

Networking and cooperation:
The Advisor:

• Oversees the strategic development and management of key relationships with partners.
• Encourages sharing ideas and information for the benefit of the programme.

Data management, analysis and monitoring:
The Advisor:

• Tracks project statistics in the designated project areas.
• Compiles, processes and manages the database of key beneficiaries of the project.
• Is responsible for preparing and reviewing documentations, files and data in the project area.
•  progress and keeps the M&E database up-to-date.
• In collaboration with the MOVE PSD team, sets up a strict follow-up structure with the Matching Fund partners to ensure timely submission of project reports (both financial and technical).

Knowledge management:
The Advisor:

• Ensures knowledge management, collects processes and distributes relevant information, monitors communication and interaction between government institutions, NGOs and society through analyses of the media, direct dialogue, participation in meetings and seminars etc. • Ensures knowledge transfer in the programme.
• Develops and prepares training materials for deployment in the implementation of the project.
•  Enables the adoption of training materials by local partners, including government structures, and other development organisations. • Assists with research activities and studies on issues to support programme implementation and learning.

Coordination tasks:
The Advisor:

• Assists with project planning and develops project concepts and strategies including preparation, organisation and moderation of planning exercises and their implementation, monitoring, quality management, evaluation, communication and documentation.
• Assists in coordinating and prioritising relevant project activities at technical level (in the regions) in cooperation with the partners, both as regards the organisational preparation and implementation of the activities.

Other duties/ Additional tasks:
The Advisor:

• Performs other duties and tasks at the request of management.

Required Qualifications, Competences, and Experience
Qualifications:

• University degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Economics, Biotechnology, Food Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.

Professional Experience:

• At least 5 years’ professional experience in a comparable position.
• Experience working in a multicultural environment, with strong interpersonal relationship and negotiation skills.
• Experience in both rice and cashew value chains with comprehensive knowledge of the landscape and stakeholders involved in these value chains in Nigeria.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders and establish effective relationships with private companies and government personnel.

Other knowledge, Additional Competences:

• Strong organizational and management skills.
• Ability to independently manage time and responsibilities.
• Proficient in ICT technologies (software, phone, fax, email, internet) and computer applications (e.g., MS Office).
• Proven analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and change management abilities. • Excellent communication skills for building and maintaining effective relationships across diverse stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel frequently.
• Fluent in written and spoken French.
• Fluency in English is highly advantageous.
• Knowledge of any Nigerian local languages is beneficial.