Value Chain and Access to Market Expert

The Value Chain and Access to Market Expert will lead interventions aimed at increasing farmer incomes and strengthening the commercial viability of farmer cooperatives under the Sanaag Climate-Smart Agriculture Project. The role involves developing and implementing market linkages for smallholder producers, including formal contracts and a functional Management Information System (MIS) for real-time pricing and demand tracking. The expert will oversee post-harvest infrastructure and standard operating procedures (SOPs), facilitate financial partnerships to improve credit access and literacy, and strengthen producers’ cooperatives benefiting at least 1,000 farming households. The position requires collaboration with the Project Management Team (PMT) and alignment with the project’s triple dividend approach to enhance climate resilience, raise farmers’ incomes, expand market share, and promote social inclusion for women, youth, and marginalized groups. The role is based in Somaliland, with a focus on Erigavo and El-Afwein districts, and reports to the SDF Secretariat.

Master’s degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Marketing, or a closely related field; At least 5 years of experience in facilitation of trainings and stakeholders’ management; Demonstrated excellent command of spoken and written English; At least 12 years of experience in value chains, market systems development, and inclusive business models; At least five years’ experience in donor-funded or government-led projects focused on market access and cooperative development; At least five years’ hands-on experience in developing and implementing market linkages for smallholder producers; At least three years of experience in strengthening producers’ cooperatives and value chain interventions benefiting at least 1,000 farming households; At least three years’ experience in overseeing post-harvest infrastructure and SOPs, and facilitating financial partnerships to improve credit access and literacy; Evidence of establishing or strengthening at least 5 primary producer cooperatives as commercially functioning entities.