Country: United States of America
Closing date: 02 Oct 2017
The Practice Manager will provide technical leadership and drive strategy for Land O’Lakes International Development (ID) in the areas of crop market systems development focused on the sustainable intensification of production, harvest and post-harvest handling of field crops, fruits and vegetables. The Practice Manager will apply technical knowledge and industry insights to ensure technical excellence in the design and implementation of our projects and programs, create and disseminate technical tools, and drive learning and thought leadership internally and within the industry.
Key Responsibilities
Thought leadership:
- Build on the current crops strategy, and collaborate across other Land O’Lakes International Development (ID) practice area technical strategies (e.g. nutrition, inclusive finance, enterprise development, market access) to identify, develop and implement innovative, fact-based technical approaches to crops market systems development that result in inclusive economic growth and improved livelihoods, increased food security and resilience in ID programs.
- Refresh and lead implementation of ID’s crops strategy. Work closely with other Practice Area Managers to identify strategic linkages amongst technical areas, including developing collaboration with new partners (research institutions, private sector, development practitioners, etc.)
- Identify areas for collaboration with Land O’Lakes’ Inc. (e.g. Winfield-United, Answer Plot®, Land O’Lakes Sustain and Forage Genetics International) and Land O’Lakes, INC crop inputs business partners to leverage their expertise, networks and technologies to design and deliver innovative approaches in implementation of the crops strategy
- Manage and monitor organization-wide crops impact indicators.
- Grow organization-wide understanding of best practices and trends in crop market systems development, including the critical role of food crops in improved nutrition outcomes
- Contribute to internal and external learning and knowledge exchange through participation and leadership in workshops, webinars, etc., including leading strategic thinking on improved nutrition/crops linkages
- Facilitate an internal crops community of practice
New Business Development:
- Develop and drive strategic approach to expanding Land O’Lakes’ crops project portfolio.
- Work with new business team to identify impactful new business opportunities in crops
- Write technical portions for select proposals
- Conduct reconnaissance and technical assessments in preparation for upcoming proposals.
- Develop compelling technical approaches including serving as lead technical expert, project designer and a lead writer. This will be done in close collaboration with other Practice Area Managers to develop integrated approaches
- Research/assess the crops market systems in priority countries;
Prioritization and analysis of key economic opportunities for inclusive growth including
Financial modeling of crops business opportunities
Economic opportunities and barriers to women and youth engagement in on and off farm business opportunities
Estimation of economic losses due to spoilage/waste/post-harvest loss
Evaluation of staple and high value horticulture supply chains
Systems and incentive structures for quality-based payment programs
Warehouse storage and marketing schemes
Commodity trading and pricing platforms
Identification of change agents and lead firms followed by development of partnerships; with these local/national/international public and private market actors;
Design of technical approaches and specific interventions to support inclusive market; development that benefits smallholder producers as well as other actors in the system, particularly conservation and climate smart approaches and nutritional sensitive agriculture;
Identification of innovative, evidence-based approaches to crops market; development, and potential scaling up strategies;
In collaboration with the new business development team, build our network of partners both in the US and in host countries, this includes strategic partnerships that support execution of the crops strategy in areas complementary to ID core competences
Assist proposal teams with partnership strategy development, recruiting and target setting.
Build capacity of others to improve technical program design quality in the areas of crops. This includes development of technical knowledge, sharing evidence-based approaches; and
Support corporate partnership strategy implementation in opportunities related to crops and input supply development; and
Manage in-country consultants that may be recruited for additional technical support in new program development.
Program Management and Technical Support to Projects:
- Provide program management and technical expertise and backstopping to field teams to improve project outcomes, impact and effectiveness.
- At project start up, build project staff understanding of the theory of change, assumptions behind technical approaches and targets, project learning agenda, and ensure these are embedded into project work plans and activity designs;
- Provide management oversight to field programs including donor relationship management and regular problem solving with field leaders on important issues – bringing in relevant team members into the conversation on an as needed basis.
- Assist with project planning on an ongoing basis, and activities such as crops staff recruitment, technical reviews of reports and training approaches;
- Provide in-country technical assistance and/or develop SOW and provide quality control for external technical assistance;
- Through collaboration with other practice area managers, ensure strong technical integration approach across projects, particularly in the areas of crops;
- Capture, develop, test, refine and increase utilization of proven and cutting-edge technical approaches, methodologies and tools;
- Provide leadership for key technical deliverables such as assessments and training approaches, as required per project work plans;
- Review of and input to technical manuals;
- Participation in quarterly review meetings with project and HQ staff;
- Work with monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) team to integrate indicators, learning agendas and adaptive management approaches into MEL plans for crops projects;
- Support project teams to pause and reflect and capture project learning on an ongoing basis to inform potential course corrections; lead and disseminate findings;
- Provide or coordinate provision of technical assistance (including consultants and volunteers) to field project to achieve results; and
- Coach and mentor staff in topics related to crops approaches
Reporting & Supervision:
Reports to Senior Manager of Technical Areas and Partnerships based in Shoreview, Minnesota.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in agriculture, agribusiness, agriculture economics, or relevant field;
- A minimum of seven years of experience in technical assessment, design and implementation of agricultural development projects in Africa;
- Prior experience leading crops production and market assessments, prioritization of interventions and project design for large-scale projects;
- Strong understanding of private sector-led approaches to crops market system development, preferably in Africa
- Detailed understanding of role of crops in household resilience, particularly in vulnerable communities;
- Experience in building systems supporting crops sectors, (e.g. input supply, extension services, mechanization, agriculture technologies, post-harvest marketing, processing, etc.)
- Demonstrated experience in networking with donors, government officials and the private sector;
- Demonstrated experience in proposal development and writing;
- Demonstrated stronginterpersonal skills and the abilityto develop collaborative relationships;
- Superior analytic, communication and interpersonal skills, including training and facilitation skills and demonstrated experience working with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams;
- Ability to work in teams, build consensus, and gain cooperation with/from individuals at all levels;
- Articulate, professional, and able to communicate in a clear, positive manner;
- Keen attention to detail;
- Ability to work effectively and know how to project calm and confidence in the face of multiple deadlines;
- Excellent verbal and written English communication skills; and
- Mustbe fluent in English.
Desired Skills and Qualifications:
- Prior living and working experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America/Caribbean;
- Experience implementing USAID, USDA and Gates funded programs;
- Senior experience in milk/meat post-harvest and processing interventions;
- Experience in making crops markets and market systems sustainable at scale;
- Experience making crops development approaches more gender inclusive a plus;
- Experience in fragile environments preferred;
- French a plus; and
- Good sense of humor a plus.
Percentage of Travel: 30%
EOE M/F/Vets/Disabled. Land O’Lakes, Inc. enforces a policy of maintaining a drug-free workforce, including pre-employment substance abuse testing.
Primary Location: US-District Of Columbia-Washington
Other Locations: US-Minnesota-Arden Hills
Job Function: International Development
Organization: Corporate
Shift: 1st
Job Type: Experienced
Travel: Yes, 25 % of the Time
How to apply: