Partnerships and Communications Manager At myAgro

Title: Partnerships and Communications Manager

Location: Bamako, Mali

Career level: Mid-career professionals

About myAgro

myAgro is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise based in West Africa. We have pioneered a mobile savings model that allows farmers to invest their own funds in high-quality seed, fertilizer, and agricultural training to increase their harvest and income by 50-100%. Our North Star is to help 1 million farmers increase their incomes by $1.50 per day by 2025 and lift themselves out of poverty. Learn more from myAgro’s founder and CEO here.

About the Partnerships and Communications Manager role

The Partnerships and Communications Manager will be an integral part of an organization-wide team focused on the strategic engagement of governments to create the institutional and financial conditions that can sustain and scale myAgro’s model and reach more farmers. This will include working closely with high-level government officials and policymakers.

The Manager will collaborate with senior staff in Mali and across the organization to successfully identify and engage a large and growing portfolio of government partners that increasingly provides significant support for myAgro to carry out its mission. The Manager will work with the Country Director to set strategy for specific geographies or thematic programs as part of an overall Government Strategy for myAgro Mali.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Formulate creative strategies to build influential and strategic networks; identify new opportunities to work with highest level political and executive leadership, and cultivate partnership opportunities with government.
• Provide expertise in the field of government engagement with particular emphasis on Mali.
• Support the development and implementation of a strategy to deliver long-term institutional and financial support for myAgro Mali’s priorities.
• Work with Program staff to identify specific priorities and major engagement opportunities.
• Represent myAgro with government officials; raise the profile of myAgro, its senior staff and its expertise.
• Develop and maintain strong knowledge of myAgro’s program work to independently and effectively represent the organization, through both written and oral communications, to a wide array of regional and national groups, including government.
• Establish relationships with counterparts in the various public and government agencies, as well as with user groups and representatives of civil society;
• Prepare key myAgro senior staff to be strong representatives with government partners.
• Oversee organizational risk management on important issues related to political, regulatory and policy trends.
• Draft and share monthly and quarterly activity reports with various government agencies (agriculture, etc) and authorities.
• Organize and facilitate field visits for government agencies and authorities, and other partners including potential donors.
• Ensure a watch on political and governmental news, question period and press feeds;Other organization-wide duties as required (e.g. service on committees, task forces, working groups).

Skills and Qualifications:

• Fluency in English and French required; advanced French writing skills.
• Extensive experience and proven track record in demonstrated success and increasing responsibility in government relations, environmental policy and development assistance.
• Deep knowledge of priorities, trends, and requirements in development assistance as well as strategic partners and the policy goals of governments and multi-laterals.
• Possess a great political sensitivity and an excellent knowledge of the political and governmental environment in Mali.
• Strong strategic thinking and program management skills.
• Eager to get mud on your boots – go to the field often and sell side by side with the field team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills. Discretion is a must.
• Ability to work well under pressure, adapt easily to changing situations/priorities, and maintain grace, humor and compassion.
• Preferred: knowledge of the Agricultural and technology sectors in Mali.

myAgro provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital/parental status, national origin, age, disability, political opinion, social status, veteran status, and genetics. myAgro complies with all applicable federal, provincial and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.