INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA) IBADAN IS RECRUITING

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA) IBADAN IS RECRUITING

IITA is an international non-profit agricultural research-for-development (R4D) organization established in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and a member of the CGIAR Consortium. Our R4D approach is anchored on the development needs of tropical nations. We work with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. We have more than 100 internationally recruited scientists from about 35 countries and 900 nationally acquired staff based in various stations across Africa. Please visit http://www.iita.org for more information on IITA

The international Institute of Tropical Agriculture seeks suitable Nigerian Nationals for the positions below at the Institute's Headquarters in Ibadan.

Position	Position/Responsibilities	Qualification, Experience and Skills
Business Development Office (2 year renewable Contract)	·          Participate in the implementation large-scale development interventions that utilize research outputs and outcomes at each level of the HQCF value chain (VC) to transform the entire value chain ·          Target a critical number of actors in the VC to transform them from semi-commercial to full commercial operations by ·          Promoting productivity  enhancing and processing technologies ·          Testing organizational innovations that improves their access to input and output markets. ·          Supporting information flow and awareness creation ·          Provide business development services such as preparation of business plans, feasibility studies, cost- benefit analysis and assistance in dealing with financial institutions. Provide support and train value chain actors on business management ·          Design innovative employment  creation  opportunities and encourage youth  to take up the opportunities on purely business basis ·          Provide market linkage opportunities between small-scale processors and end users. ·          Gender empowerment. Ensure broad participation of women entrepreneurs and other marginalized groups (youths and the physical challenged) in the project to ensure an increased resource control by them. ·          Determine business financing requirements of the actors (e.g equipment purchase or upgrade for bread  bakers, etc): identify interested community banks to provide credit lines, negotiate and agree terms and conditions for accessing the credit lines for bread bakers, set up credit line with the selected community banks monitor utilization of the fund as well as procurement and installation of equipment and repayment of credit provided to the bakers and caterer. ·          Promote market access for secondary cassava products ·          Be responsible for developing reputable brand name for Nigeria Cassava Flour in the global market. ·          Continuously assess and identify new market demands for cassava and their products ·          Develop and operationalize the engagement of new generation of business-oriented cassava farmer in cassava production investments (as out-growers, cooperatives or youth groups) ·          In collaboration with the cassava transformation project, develop and test efficient institution arrangements and divisions of labour for the production and timely supply of high quality/low fresh cassava to processing plants ·          Coordinate with the capacity development. Unit and cassava transformation project to train on continuous basis, out grower farmers, youth and other stakeholders in modern production techniques and business management. ·          Carry out cost benefit analysis of composite bread production and develop a precise costing of raw materials, cost of labour, storage cost, and pricing. ·          Document and disseminate the most successful technological and institutional arrangements that promote high productivity and reduces production cost for cassava ·          Communicate the research results in the form of reports peer-reviewed publications and oral presentations at conferences or seminars ·          Perform all other related duties that may be assigned from time to time by the supervisor.	§  Masters degree in Business Administration, Agric Economics, Food Technology or other related Social Science and Agricultural fields. §  Minimum of 5-8 years relevant working in banking, business development services or business management research. The Ideal candidate must be: §  Familiar with agricultural economics principles project financing, and assessment of micro-credit worthiness of agricultural enterprises §  Familiar with cassava value chain commercialization issues good skills in documentation, report writing and communication ability, team player on a similar role §  Good skills in MS Office  and general knowledge of computer

REMUNERATION:

We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive fringe benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.

METHOD OF APPLICATION:

Interested applicants should forward their applications with detailed curriculum vitae saved with their names in Microsoft word format to IITA website: http://www.iita.org/careers. The application must include the names and email addresses of three professional referees which must include either the Head of applicant's current or previous organization or applicants direct supervisor/superior officer at work and evidence of current remuneration package.

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from female candidates.