Land O’Lakes is recruiting a Business Development Specialist, to be based in Chimoio and Beira, Mozambique.
Description
- Land O’Lakes International Development is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose vision is to be a global leader in transforming lives by engaging in agriculture and enterprise partnerships that replace poverty with prosperity, and dependency with self-reliance. We leverage Land O’Lakes, Inc.’s near-century of history by engaging in international agriculture and economic development programs, implementing more than 280 programs in 80 countries since 1981
- Mozambique Expansion of Rural Cattle and Dairy Opportunities (MERCADO) is a five-year $20.8 million dairy development project that will substantially increase the agricultural productivity and expand the potential for trade among 10,000 direct beneficiaries, including smallholder farmers, mini-agribusinesses, processors, feed manufacturers, cooperatives and commercial breeders; MERCADO will build on the successful work and infrastructure developed through past USDA investments in both Manica and Sofala provinces to further catalyze private sector investments across the dairy value chain
- The program will employ a co-financing approach with private sector partners to leverage USDA grant funding and private sector investments across the dairy value chain
Duties
- The Business Development Specialist is responsible for assisting the Business Development Manager in the facilitation of identification, developing with appropriate institutions the screening criteria for the selection of commercially orientated dairy farmers and dairy value chain businesses and linking them to the Dairy Herd Fund and Dairy Innovation Fund; Through these linkages, the Business Development Specialist, in coordination with the Grants and Procurement Specialist, will issue $3.7 million in grants to farmers and businesses and banks
- In addition to facilitation of grants to catalyze growth, this position will work with MERCADO supported businesses facilitate growth through helping to develop bankable business plans and providing on-going coaching and mentoring
- Also, this position will work with Mozambique financial institutions to help develop loan products for dairy farmers and dairy value chain businesses. These activities are the implementation of Activity 1: Financial Services: Facilitate investment in Dairy Herd Restocking and Activity 2: Financial Services: Facilitate investment in the dairy sector via Innovation Fund
- Facilitate the identification, screening and selection of commercially focused dairy farmers, dairy value chain businesses and financial institutions for grants under the Dairy Herd Fund and Dairy Innovation Fund
- Assist with bankable business plan development for grantees
- Provide on-going coaching and mentoring to help grow dairy value chain enterprises
- Work with financial institutions to develop loan products and screening criteria to be made available to dairy value chain farmers and businesses
- Coaching of both financial intuition staff and potential clients
- Problem solving and making recommendations for the further development of financial services to the commercially orientated dairy value chain actor.
- Help ensure Land O’Lakes sub award and procurement processes are followed and ensure that Land O’Lakes is compliant with USDA regulations
- Ensure all required field data is collected, delivered to M&E and processed; ensure required reporting is carried out on weekly, monthly, quarterly etc. as may be required
- Achieve annual and life of project milestones and output goals in all activities as detailed in the work plan
- Facilitate the Financial Institutions to Develop of Loan and Insurance Products
- Develop and Facilitate supply system for issuing loans
- Monitor Loan Delivery
- Development of Local Supply system for cows
- Facilitate the Financial Institutions to Develop of Loan and Insurance Products
- Facilitating linkages to dairy input suppliers
- Facilitate the linkage of the trained farmers with the DIF and DHF small grants/loans
- Link Cooperatives/farmers to resources for quality improvement
- Improve processing techniques of small processors
- Build capacity of Dairy Actors to provide inputs and services for farmers, Coops and Processors
- Development of Local breeding farms
- Improve financial viability of existing cooperatives and other milk bulking businesses
- Facilitate business expansion into cold chain management
- Key Performance Indicators Activity 1 & 2:
- Value of loans provided as a result of USDA assistance
- Number of loans disbursed as a result of USDA assistance
- Number of individuals receiving financial services as a result of USDA assistance
- Value of new public and private sector investment leveraged by USDA assistance
- Number of public-private partnerships formed as a result of USDA assistance
- Number of new loan products developed to target the dairy industry
- Value of grants provided
- Reporting & Supervision: This position reports to the Business Development Manager
Requisites
- Agriculture economics (Honors) degree, marketing, business, rural development or equivalent
- Certificate in value chain/market development or equivalent an advantage
- Relevant business and /or finance development experience an advantage e.g. investment banking in Mozambique
- Demonstration of innovative thinking and leadership
- Financial literacy to develop business plans and innovate products with additional support
- Exposure to agriculture preferable
- Good written and verbal communication skills are required
- Must be a team player with prior experience working in a team environment
- Professional proficiency in oral and written Portuguese; English an advantage
- Demonstrated experience and success in leading, supervising, coaching and developing others
- Demonstrated experience and success in forging and leveraging strategic partnerships
- Ability to coordinate, collaborate and negotiate with clients, host government officials, NGOs and grantees in implementing project activities
- Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel
Must be a Mozambique citizen
- Professional proficiency in Portuguese; English an advantage
Notes
- Only short listed applicants will be contacted
How to Apply
1. Documentation
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae
2. Application