Production Systems Lead: West Africa Regional Cashew Program

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock is increasing long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the poor and disadvantaged of the world.

OVERVIEW:

Winrock International works with people around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment. Winrock is seeking a Cashew Production Systems Lead to serve as a Team Leader for a multi-country program that will facilitate the growth of a competitive market system for raw cashew processing that optimizes revenues across all segments of the processing chain and fosters equitable and sustainable employment opportunities for young women and men. Working with processors and empowered service-driven producer organizations and networks, the program will facilitate investment in production, processing, market access and supporting services needed for the sector to capitalize on the market push created by favorable global market trends and improvements to local systems over the last 15 years. Focus countries are Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Production Systems Lead will be responsible for the technical design, implementation, and partnership strategy for interventions to scale market-driven supply and production chain service models that create new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young women and men in cashew and cashew-adjacent sectors. The Production Systems Lead will develop approaches and lead strategic private and public sector engagement to promote the adoption of inputs, practices, and technologies that result in higher productivity, sustained natural resources, resilient growth, and improved food security. They will lead a team that will organize, support and build capacity of young producers and entrepreneurs, increasing their access to longer duration and higher quality contracts as well as improved market opportunities.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide technical leadership for design and implementation of facilitative activities to promote the adoption of inputs, practices, and technologies using a market systems development approach.
• Enhance management and operational capacities of supply chain logistics service providers, with a focus on young women and men, empowering them to offer market-relevant intermediation and embedded extension services to cashew farmers.
• Broker partnerships between processors, service providers and producer groups to roll-out sustainable, market-driven extension services reaching producer groups. Extension service delivery provides entrepreneurship and youth employment opportunities for rural young women and men.
• Spearhead the support of corporate social responsibility initiatives by cashew processors, promoting social projects that enhance community involvement within the industry.
• Facilitate market coordination for production planning and building trust between cashew market actors.
• Strengthen cohesive farmer groups to improve access to knowledge, inputs, finance and markets.
• Build capacity of project staff, partners, and stakeholders for implementing market-led strategies for increasing agricultural production and empowering young women and men in cashew supply chains.
• Understand and manage expected project results, including evaluation of ongoing activities as part of a collaborating, learning, and adapting approach.
• Provide thought leadership for government counterparts, private sector businesses, donor contacts, and other stakeholders in understanding and implementing strategies to improve productivity.
• Contribute to knowledge management and sharing activities within project, with the donor, other implementing partners, and with government.
• Contribute substantively to development of annual workplans aligned with annual and life of project targets.

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND:

• Education:
  
  • Degree in agricultural science or related field.
• Experience:
  
  • Minimum 7 years of professional experience managing and implementing market-led productivity enhancing activities for international development projects in West Africa.
  • Experience managing and providing technical direction to technical teams for agricultural productivity enhancement and market systems development, including training, capacity building, mentorship, and day-to-day management.
  • Experience designing, implementing, and building partnerships around last mile extension service provision.
  • Experience in market-oriented rural enterprise strengthening linked to export-oriented agricultural supply chains.
• Skills/Knowledge:
  
  • Familiarity with market systems development framework, including tools, strategies, and approaches.
  • Strong understanding of global cashew market trends and potential pathways to increasing regional competitiveness.
  • Deep knowledge and contacts within the Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau agriculture sector – including strong understanding of historical and existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as constraints and opportunities for women and youth.
  • Openness to and track record of innovation and adaptive management.
  • Strong training design, training delivery, and facilitation skills.
  • Strong personnel management skills.
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Excellent written and oral communication skill in English and French required.
  • Knowledge of Portuguese an advantage.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.

Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization.