International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) Job Vacancy Application Details

The 2SCALE program 2019-23 builds on achievements and lessons learnt from a first phase (2012-18, www.2scale.org). It aims to be a flagship program for the Netherlands’ food security policy and one of the leading catalysts of inclusive agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa.

2SCALE is designed to incubate and accelerate inclusive agribusiness development in target countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and South Sudan) and two pilot countries (South Sudan and Egypt). Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are the core implementation modality to achieve the objectives of the program. 2SCALE’s strategy is three-pronged:

1. Incubating inclusive business: through PPPs, 2SCALE works together with private enterprises to develop agribusiness models that promote inclusiveness, develop (new) competitive edge, and have potential for scaling. PPPs support value chain development and agribusiness cluster formation. The agribusiness cluster approach helps smallholder farmers develop farming as a business and supply agricultural products for local, national, regional and international markets. 2SCALE partners with African and multinational agri-food companies as drivers to increase productivity and to improve efficiency and sustainability of supported agribusiness clusters and value chains. Specific attention is given to youth and women to integrate value chains (as farmers, laborers, entrepreneurs, service providers), and to low income / “base of the pyramid” (BoP) consumers that represent the largest market for food products in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Replicating inclusive business: through PPPs, 2SCALE supports the replication of most successful business models, in different settings (regions, industries), with the same or different private partners.
3. Facilitating sector transformation and policy alignment: 2SCALE also supports partnering enterprises to drive sector transformation and policy alignment for critical bottlenecks that cannot be solved by the actors within the focus PPPs, and which affects a number of actors in the sector simultaneously.

2SCALE is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by a consortium led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and comprising the Base-of-the-Pyramid Innovation Center (BoPInc) and the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV). The Partnerships Resource Center (PrC) supports the consortium as a knowledge partner.

Position summary

The 2SCALE Deputy Program Director (DPD) leads the design (brokering/ negotiation) and implementation (deepening/ scaling) phases of public-private partnerships that support inclusive business in food markets. She/ he provides leadership to a multi-disciplinary team of specialists (i.e. country team leaders, partnership facilitators, technical experts, and financial/ admin support staff) in the target countries of 2SCALE.

The DPD also supports the Program Director (PD) in managing the overall program. This includes support to mainstream 2SCALE’s approach and principles, in particular but not exclusively through coaching/ mentoring of the 2SCALE technical team.

Tasks

Programmatic and Technical

• Support the PD in overall leadership and management tasks, including coaching/ mentorship of technical staff in the 2SCALE target countries. Annex I specifies the division of roles between the PD and DPD.
• Support the PD to provide strategic and technical direction for the program.
• Provide supervision, support, and direction to long- and short-term staff to achieve the results of the program.
• Review and approve regional/ country level program deliverables and documents.
• Monitor regional/ country/ partnership level program indicators, evaluate program results and make recommendations for improvement in program implementation.
• Support the communications team and the PD in drafting/ finalizing the annual progress report for DGIS.
• Prepare, in consultation with the PD and the rest of the Management Team, the annual work plans and monitor the implementation of these plans.
• As IFDC Coordinator, mobilize IFDC resources to support partnerships in IFDC-led areas: women economic empowerment, agribusiness cluster formation, climate-smart agriculture/ agricultural productivity, and input supply systems.

Communication and Outreach

• Represent the program to the larger public through presentations, meetings, workshops, trainings and other public events.
• Establish, maintain and strengthen relationships within IFDC, within the 2SCALE consortium, and with the donor and collaborating partners in participating countries.

Administration and Finance

• Oversee implementation of activities related to all partnerships in accordance with 2SCALE’s PPP protocol and related procedures.
• Support capacity of the 2SCALE team (technical and admin staff) to implement activities in line with the 2SCALE PPP protocol and related procedures.
• Oversee financial and administrative aspects of the program.
• Review annual budgets for partnerships and monitor expenditures at partnership level, ensuring compliance with established procedures and donor regulations.
• Ensure quality of partnership agreements, related contracts (e.g. service agreements, consultancy contracts, etc.) and their smooth handling.
• Conduct regular field visits to the program areas to assure progress towards activity objectives and goals.
• Coordinate and communicate on a regular basis with the 2SCALE PD, Management Team and IFDC’s management.
• Steer and oversee the Program Management Unit (PMU2) in Accra, Ghana.

Supervision

The Deputy Program Director will report to the Program Director/Chief of Party of the 2SCALE program. She/he is a part of the Management Team of 2SCALE.

Duty station: Any of the 2SCALE focus countries.

Required Experience

Qualification

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Understanding and experience of 2SCALE program
• Master’s degree or equivalent in Agribusiness, Economics, Management, or related fields
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in related management and at least 4 years in senior-level management experience on donor-funded programs.
• Previous experience with management of DGIS/ EKN-funded programs is required.
• Demonstrated strong understanding of managing muti cultural and complex program.
• Proven exceptional leadership in the management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of multi country programs, with skills in strategic planning and thinking, management, supervision and budgeting involving coordination with multiple consortium members.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; excellent demonstrated interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Fluency in English and or in French is required.