Agribusiness Development Specialist

IESC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to equitable, sustainable economic growth in developing countries. IESC believes that a robust private sector is a foundation for resilient nations and strong communities. Since 1964 IESC has helped to grow small and medium enterprises around the world and strengthened the systems and institutions that support them. By deploying a mix of technical assistance and volunteer expert support, IESC works with emerging industries, financial institutions, and governments to stabilize economic environments, increase opportunity, and promote growth. 

The USAID-funded Tanzania Agri-Finance Activity (TAFA) is a three-year Program (2023-2026) funded by the USAID/Tanzania that seeks to improve access to finance for smallholders, women, youth, and micro, small, medium (including large) enterprises (MSMiLs) in Tanzania by improving the agri-finance ecosystem and strengthening the capacity of borrowers and lenders. With a particular emphasis on priority technologies, including climate-smart technologies, TAFA will create more inclusive agricultural finance ecosystems, enable expanded and sustained lending and investment, and increase productivity and incomes. TAFA interventions will increase supported financial institutions from 9 to 20, train 300 financial institution staff, and reach 18,000 borrowers with $21 million in agricultural finance. TAFA will utilize a system-driven, private sector-led approach to target agricultural market coordination failures and develop commercially oriented solutions that will sustain and scale agri-financing.   

IESC is seeking an experienced and qualified Agri-Business Development Specialist to work on TAFA interventions throughout Tanzania. The Agri-Business Development Specialist will support the Chief of party to provide technical support and lead the demand-side program interventions including enhancing the bankability of agri-enterprises, entrepreneurs, youth, and women by providing them with pre-loan business and financial management support and crop production skills and technique to improve productivity through investments in appropriate technologies and strengthening their market knowledge and awareness/awareness. Additionally, the Agri-Business Development Specialist will support the Chief of Party to deliver post-loan support to agriculture borrowers by coaching borrowers to develop cash flow projections, manage cash to sustain and grow their business, repay loans, increase savings, and maintain positive relationships between them and financial institutions. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Support the identification and engagement of potential demand-side MSMiLs in the Tanzania agri-finance ecosystem willing and interested to grow and sustain their business of agriculture.  
• Support the identification of demand side partner/host technical and operational needs, develop comprehensive partner/host development plan, design technical assistance scopes of work with partners/hosts, and support and facilitate the implementation of technical assistance delivery assignmentsand recommendations. 
• Ensure demand side hosts and partners needs are met through regular, strategic follow-up sessions and support and ongoing technical assistance activities. 
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• Provide subject matter experts oversight and input to corresponding trainings and assistance delivered on all matter related to demand side hosts and partners bankability, productivity, and market access. 
• In Collaboration with Finance and Administration Manager, coordinate all international subject matter experts (volunteers and consultants) on pre-arrival and post-arrival administration for assignments with farmers, SMEs, and agri-businesses, including answering volunteer inquiries, updating volunteer platforms and calendars, following a volunteer intake process, sending invoices, confirming airport pick-up, coordinating transportation, sending volunteer certificates, surveys, requests for sponsorship, etc. 
• Create technical orientation and country introduction for arriving subject matter experts.  
• Support creation and coordinate subject matter experts schedules, timetables, and meetings. 
• Help subject matter experts plan and implement events such as field trips and trainings. 
• Conduct site visits and provide on-site support to subject matter experts and demand site hosts/partner at program various projects. 
• Provide constant motivation to subject matter experts and demand side hosts/partners and work to continually improve their experience. 
• Support data collection and reporting and work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager to complete this work. 

• Support communication efforts for the program, including providing input to social media, media, and success stories. 
• Provide other support for overall project as needed. 

Qualifications: 

• Higher university degree in business management, finance and financial management, agriculture, agriculture economics, business administration, economic development, or other related fields of study  
• 8+ years of relevant experience in agribusiness development, financial management, budgeting and/or agriculture economic and workforce development in emerging markets, including in the field experience.  
• 5+ experience in business management, financial management, farm operations and budgeting for agricultural SMEs will be an added advantage.  
• Demonstrated ability to work with SMEs in Tanzania 
• Independent and strong interpersonal skills  
• Creative with good critical thinking and problem-solving skills  
• Goal-oriented mindset and with a hands-on approach  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to communicate results in written and verbal formats 
• Deep knowledge of and experience with the agriculture sector and agricultural access to finance in Tanzania 
• Strong leadership and communication skills and capacity to plan strategically and flexibly.     
• Work well under minimal supervision and be self-motivated. 
• Work well with team of local staff, foreign staff, international volunteers, and consultants.