Short-term agricultural production specialist at Chemonics

Chemonics seeks a short-term agricultural production specialist for the USAID Durable Communities and Economics Opportunities (DCEO) project in Iraq. The project aims to support vulnerable communities to build community resilience against destabilizing factors by increasing their adaptive capacity and economic well-being. The Business Competitiveness and Job Creation Initiative (BCJCI) is a five-year strategy within DCEO to support private sector firms as they identify and overcome specific business constraints hindering growth.

The short-term agricultural production specialist will support BCJCI to engage with several agricultural production businesses across Iraq that produce wheat, barley, corn, sesame, grains, feed, and dates among other crops and produce. The specialist will also look at farming businesses that produce honey and raise cattle, livestock and poultry. The specialist will contribute to Client Growth Plans (which are prepared by the project’s business counselors) that aim to improve business revenues, expand markets, and create additional employment. The assignment will take place in Iraq or remotely, depending on the COVID-19 situation in Iraq and travel circumstances within the country. If in Iraq, the specialist is expected to be based in Erbil and to conduct site visits to client firms across Iraq including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Baghdad, Anbar, Basra, and Ninewa. We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

Responsibilities include:

• Assist the BCJCI team in evaluating identified on-farm production firms with the most promising growth opportunities, conduct baseline analysis and expected impact on employment and revenues, identify constraints affecting growth, and provide descriptions of technical assistance needed
• Contribute technical analysis to the Client Growth Plans when needed by the business counselor
• Provide client firms with advice on increasing yield and productivity and facilitating access to better markets
• Provide firm-level technical assistance to client firms to realize existing growth opportunities. In other cases, the specialist will recommend further technical assistance and specialists if needed
• Identify opportunities to cluster certain farmers/producers into groups or co-ops should that achieve economies of scale, efficiencies, and greater access to better markets
• Highlight shared challenges and sectoral impediments that can be advocated for
• Conduct workshops to the BCJCI team on agribusinesses in Iraq
• Other agricultural production support as required by the BCJCI Task Order director

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in the field of agriculture or agricultural engineering
• A minimum of 15 years of experience in the field of agriculture and in managing or advising agribusinesses
• Experience in similar USAID-funded projects is preferred
• Experience in the Middle East is preferred
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, to prioritize multiple work assignments in an extremely fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines, and to exercise good, strong professional judgement
• Ability to work in a professional and cordial manner with fellow staff members, the general public, and partner institutions
• Excellent writing and technical reporting skills
• Fluency in written and oral English is required
• Fluency in written and oral Arabic is preferred
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity