Deputy Country Director/Sector Leader Agri-Food – Burkina Faso

Company description

Who we are
SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. We are driven by a vision of a better world: a world in which all people in every society live with dignity and have equal opportunities to thrive sustainably. To make this vision a reality, we need transformations in vital agri-food, energy and water systems. SNV contributes by building capacities and catalysing partnerships in these sectors. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequality and barriers to social inclusion, and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises.

Building on 60 years of experience, we support our partners with our technical and process expertise and methodological rigor. We do this in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia with a team of around 1,600 colleagues. By being adaptable and tailoring our approaches to these different contexts, we can contribute to impact at scale, resulting in fairer lives for all.

We are currently looking for a Deputy Country Director/Sector Leader Agri-Food:

• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• Full-time
• Contract type: National employment contract
• Open to nationals of Burkina Faso or other nationalities from the West African region

SNV in Burkina Faso implements programmes supported by various international donors. The implementation of these programmes is currently active in 11 regions, with the Country Office in Ouagadougou and field offices in Bobo Dioulasso, Kaya, Dedougou and Ouahigouya.

Job description

The person
If you are an impact-driven agri-food leader, SNV Burkina Faso would like to recruit you for the role of Deputy Country Director (DCD) / Sector Leader (SL). In this role, you will be crucial for the growth and improvement of the Agri-food portfolio, represent SNV towards (potential) donors and ensure the quality of the Agri-food expertise with and through our programs and projects. In addition, you will be the deputy of the Country Director and participate in the Country Management Team that jointly leads the Burkina Faso team of approximately 80 people spread over 5 locations.

As Deputy Country Director/Sector Leader Agri-food:
You will work with 5+ Project Managers from our Agri-food teams and portfolio partners to deliver impact. You will lead the national community of practice and ensure our MEL frameworks are used to generate learning and insights across teams. You will oversee all projects within the Agri-food system to ensure implementation and together with the Project Manager improve the quality of the overall sector performance at country level.

You will play a key role in Business Development, initiating, developing and translating opportunities into solid project proposals, and connecting with Global Expertise teams and partners. You will maintain close relationships with relevant stakeholders, keeping your finger on the pulse of the development sector in the country and representing SNV to remain strategically focused and responsive to the needs of potential stakeholders.

In your role as DCD you will be expected to represent the CD in their absence or otherwise as needed, in all related matters such as: stakeholder management, country performance and compliance and decision making. You may be asked to take on specific general management tasks, depending on your experience. You will be a champion of the SNV culture, representing our values ​​and encouraging a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.

Tasks and responsibilities:

The selected candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:

Strategic leadership

• Providing innovative leadership and encouraging people to play an active role in designing programmes and developing proposals, ensuring quality and implementation in line with the strategic directions in Burkina Faso’s annual plan.
• As a key member of the Country Management Team (CMT), you are responsible for enabling and supporting the CMT to maintain the highest standards of conduct, embrace diversity and inclusion across all teams, uphold the SNV Code of Conduct and purposefully exemplify the SNV culture statements.
• Enhance the impact of agri-food systems through programme and project implementation, actively promote reflections and learning processes based on the SNV MEL framework and ensure the continuous development of practice standards in all projects.

People leadership

• Provide leadership, coaching and technical support to teams
• Stimulating the community of practice within the country
• Develop and nurture talent, actively seeking opportunities to gain diverse experience in teams.
• Directly manage a team of project managers in the agri-food sector, applying adaptive leadership with a people-oriented focus within the teams concerned.

Cooperation and consultation

• Participation in the global Agri-Food community of practice and meetings to ensure impactful governance of the sector.

Representation

• Building, maintaining and expanding relationships with donors and other partners (government, local partners, national and international NGOs and bilateral and multilateral agencies, private sector) for a high level of visibility through active participation in external and internal networks and events.

Project/program implementation

• To stimulate data-driven reflection and decision-making at all levels, with a specific focus on ensuring that agri-food systems programmes are designed and implemented in a quality manner.
• Contribute to the development of the country’s strategic and annual plans and budgets and to reporting on progress/performance against objectives, within the requirements of the corporate planning process.
• Ensure effective and efficient implementation of projects/programmes, in line with donor reporting, and promote cross-sector learning.

Business development

• Supporting Business Development (BD) by developing proposals to secure financing for innovative agri-food programmes. Support for business development for the energy and water sectors can also be provided.
• Supporting the country programme in identifying and pursuing business opportunities for new projects and programmes.

Your profile:
You have an innate passion for people; you believe that experience and growth are transferable to others and you have a strong technical background in the agri-food sector. You are an experienced project manager with a passion for designing and enabling solid theories of change that drive systems impact. While rooted in science, you adapt to context and inspire people from diverse backgrounds to join our cause. You have experience with MEL frameworks and you promote active learning based on insights generated from our fieldwork. You ensure that project reflections contribute to the learning cycles of professionals.

Qualifications

Required experience and qualifications

• Master’s degree in an agricultural related discipline (or equivalent).
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the design and management of large, complex agricultural and agri-food projects in Burkina Faso and in multi-country contexts.
• Extensive, at least 5 yearsexperience in working in/with international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral organizations.
• Experience in pastoralism, agri-food value chains, market-oriented approaches and climate-sensitive agriculture.
• Experience in systems transformation, good governance practices and approaches that take into account gender aspects, social inclusion and empowerment principles.
• Experience in project planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and financial management, including conflict-sensitive project management and working in regions with high levels of insecurity.
• Demonstrable track record in programme design, writing compelling proposals, business development and resource mobilization; international donor relationship management.
• Excellent people manager who can provide clear direction and guidance to a group of people and encourage collaboration among team members to achieve goals.
• Self-motivated with excellent intercultural leadership, teamwork, coaching, communication, networking and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, reporting and presentation skills in French and English (SNV’s corporate language).

Additional information

• Application deadline: July 26, 2024.
• Contract duration: 2 years, with possibility of extension.
• Contract Type: Local Contract, only available to Burkinabe citizens.

How to apply
If you believe that your qualifications meet the above profile, We invite you to apply by submitting your CV with a motivation letter in English before September 30, 2024.

Working at SNV
SNV offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. We offer an exciting work environment with opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to grow your skills in a fulfilling and diverse work environment. Our employees benefit from and contribute to an internal global network of experts. For more information, visit our website: snv.org/careers.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and have a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and more.

Reference and screening check
We will require you to provide us with the full details of three people who are willing to act as a reference. We will not contact these references without your explicit consent.

SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks on potential safeguarding incidents on all candidates applying for internationally designated roles. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request for former employers to complete a questionnaire relating to misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct”. This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme.

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