Cooperative Advisor \u2013 Ethiopia, Arba Minch Town (40 hrs)
\nVacancy
\nAbout Agriterra
\nAgriterra is an international non-profit organisation founded by the Dutch agricultural sector. We are dedicated to strengthening farmer organisations because we believe they are the cornerstone of thriving rural communities.
\nBy building on the success of the Dutch cooperative sector, we provide the knowledge, resources, and support farmer organisations need to grow stronger, thrive economically, and create lasting local prosperity.
\nWith a strong presence in the countries where we work, Agriterra fosters collaboration and long-term impact.
\nTogether, we sow the seeds of change today, for a thriving tomorrow.
\nAbout the Project
\nThe Farmers Focused Transformation-II (FFT-II) project is a five-year initiative running from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030.
\nThe project focuses on the avocado, banana, and mango value chains in the Sidama and South regions of Ethiopia.
\nFFT-II aims to strengthen 26 farmer organizations (FOs) and improve the livelihoods of more than 51,000 smallholder farmers by promoting resilient, inclusive, and market-oriented horticulture systems.
\nFFT-II will strengthen the role of cooperatives in improving productivity, market access, and business performance. The project will enhance cooperative-led production systems and extension services to ensure farmers receive timely technical support, adopt improved farming practices, and access quality inputs.
\nThese efforts are expected to increase productivity and improve household incomes.
\nThe project will also strengthen market systems by improving aggregation, market linkages, and value addition for avocado, banana, and mango products. Cooperatives will be supported to improve collection systems, connect with reliable buyers, and explore value-added opportunities that increase competitiveness in domestic and export markets.
\nIn addition, FFT-II will expand cooperative financial services and improve business performance to build more sustainable and resilient farmer organizations.
\nTo ensure long-term sustainability, FFT-II will invest in strengthening the governance, leadership, and institutional capacity of farmer organizations. The project will improve management systems, transparency, accountability, and member participation while promoting climate-smart horticulture practices and improved post-harvest management to reduce losses and improve product quality.
\nFFT-II will also support lobbying, advocacy, and policy engagement to create a more enabling environment for horticulture cooperatives and smallholder farmers.
\nBy 2030, the project envisions strong, financially sustainable, and well-governed farmer organizations that drive productivity, value addition, and market integration across the value chain.
\nAbout the Job
\nAgriterra is seeking a Cooperative Advisor to provide expert guidance and coordinate advisory trajectories with reputable fruit and vegetable producing and marketing cooperatives in the South Region around Arba Minch city.
\nThe Cooperative Advisor will play an advisory and coaching role in developing and strengthening cooperatives, supporting them to become more professional, competitive, and sustainable.
\nTo achieve this, the successful candidate will establish and maintain a robust network that encompasses cooperatives, financial institutions, traders, service providers, and other key stakeholders across the value chain.
\nHe or she will initiate and guide change trajectories with selected cooperatives, while also lobbying, mediating, and supporting negotiation processes, including the preparation of viable business deals.
\nThe Cooperative Advisor will be hired for four months and will support 5\u20137 cooperatives during the assignment period by working closely with an experienced Agriterra Cooperative Advisor.
\nThis is an excellent opportunity for a true pioneer who is motivated to make a lasting impact.
\nTasks and Responsibilities
\nCooperative Advisory Work<\/p>\n
Support the Senior and Medior Cooperative Advisors in assessing and selecting cooperatives.
\nSupport project implementation with selected cooperatives.
\nConduct advisory work such as:<\/p>\n
Scoping studies
\nCooperative assessments
\nDevelopment of action plans<\/p>\n
Action Planning and Contract Management<\/p>\n
Assist selected farmer cooperatives in developing annual action plans with Agriterra.
\nPrepare and manage contracts between targeted cooperatives and Agriterra.<\/p>\n
Implementation and Follow-Up<\/p>\n
Support execution of action plans and follow-up activities.
\nDevelop performance objectives and coaching work plans with target organizations in collaboration with cooperative advisors and the project lead.<\/p>\n
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting<\/p>\n
Collect and record project and client data in Agriterra\u2019s M&E systems.
\nAssist the Project Lead with planning, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of interventions.
\nPrepare timely monthly and end-of-mission reports.<\/p>\n
Stakeholder Engagement and Representation<\/p>\n
Maintain strong working relationships with all FFT-II project partners.
\nRepresent Agriterra in relevant value chain meetings, workshops, consultations, and field visits.<\/p>\n
Competencies
\nSkills<\/p>\n
Interpersonal skills
\nOrganizational skills
\nCommunication skills<\/p>\n
Personal Qualities<\/p>\n
Initiative
\nCreative problem-solving
\nTeam player
\nAbility to work under strenuous conditions
\nAbility to work independently and within a team
\nMultitasking ability
\nPositive \u201ccan-do\u201d attitude<\/p>\n
What Do We Offer?<\/p>\n
A collegial and ambitious work environment.
\nDevelopment opportunities, including an education fund.
\nResponsibility and freedom to use your skills in dynamic international markets.
\nOpportunity to identify and realize new opportunities.
\nFull-time employment for four months, with the possibility of extension depending on funding availability.
\nCompetitive salary based on experience and qualifications.
\nGood working conditions and additional benefits.<\/p>\n
About You<\/p>\n
Education
\nBachelor\u2019s degree in:<\/p>\n
Development Studies
\nClimate Change
\nEnvironmental Science
\nEntrepreneurship
\nAgribusiness
\nAgricultural Economics
\nRural Development
\nOr a related field<\/p>\n
Experience<\/p>\n
Up to 5 years of relevant professional experience.
\nExperience with international organizations, NGOs, or agricultural and climate-resilience development projects is preferred.<\/p>\n
Technical Knowledge<\/p>\n
Strong knowledge of climate change adaptation and mitigation approaches.
\nExperience in Ethiopian fruit and vegetable value chains, especially banana and mango value chain development.
\nExperience in:<\/p>\n
Climate-smart agriculture
\nSustainable agricultural practices
\nResilience building
\nEnvironmentally sustainable market systems development<\/p>\n
Proven experience in:<\/p>\n
Market systems development
\nMarket linkage facilitation
\nValue chain assessments and analyses<\/p>\n
Familiarity with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and reporting processes.<\/p>\n
Language Skills<\/p>\n
Excellent oral and written English.
\nProficiency in Gamo and other local languages is an added advantage.<\/p>\n
Computer Skills<\/p>\n
Strong computer skills.
\nProficiency in Microsoft Office applications.<\/p>\n
Other Requirements<\/p>\n
Willingness and ability to travel frequently to field locations.
\nAvailability to commence work immediately upon selection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_promoted":"","_job_location":"","_application":"","_company_name":"Agriterra","_company_website":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_filled":0,"_featured":0,"_remote_position":0,"_job_salary":"","_job_salary_currency":"","_job_salary_unit":""},"job_listing_region":[11],"job-categories":[],"job-types":[12],"class_list":{"0":"post-2587","1":"job_listing","2":"type-job_listing","3":"status-publish","4":"hentry","5":"job_listing_region-ethiopia","7":"job-type-full-time"},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-listings\/2587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-listings"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/job_listing"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"job_listing_region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job_listing_region?post=2587"},{"taxonomy":"job_listing_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-categories?post=2587"},{"taxonomy":"job_listing_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobs.dataaxisnode.com\/ethiopia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/job-types?post=2587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}