Cashew Competitiveness Director: 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 Competitiveness Director 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 Cashew Competitiveness Director will strengthen the capacity of processors to compete in domestic, regional, and international cashew markets and invest in the upstream and downstream linkages needed for them to optimize their productivity, growth, and catalyze employment for young women and men. The Cashew Competitiveness Director will be responsible for nurturing and managing a balanced portfolio of micro, small, medium and large cashew processing enterprises to create a balance between the catalytic impact and economies of scale created by medium and large companies, with the community and livelihoods impact created by micro enterprises. The Cashew Competitiveness Director will maintain a deliberate focus on high growth potential market segments and high growth potential processors that demonstrate a commitment to co-invest their profits in inclusive supply chain creation and growth.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Implement diagnostics and assessments for evaluating market opportunities and constraints, identifying partners, and designing mutually beneficial project partnerships;
• Design and deliver a segmented business capacity strengthening program for multiple types of cashew processing industries from manual to mechanical to fully automated firms;
• Identify and manage partnerships that contribute both to sustainable and inclusive growth of cashew processors and to anticipated project results;
• Design, test and scale market-led mechanisms to promote and deliver market-led services to cashew producers – and that engage women and youth;
• Identify capacity gaps across the broad range of market actors, primarily focusing on cashew processing enterprises and producer organizations, and facilitate capacity building plans and access to training services;
• Facilitate investment by cashew processors and producer organizations in embedded services, expansion to rural areas, and other innovative solutions;
• Liaise closely with financial institutions, end-markets, and service providers to increase farming communities’ access to markets;
• Understand and manage to expected project results, including evaluation of ongoing activities as part of a collaborating, learning, and adapting approach;
• Contribute to knowledge management and sharing activities within project, with the donor, other implementing partners, and with government;
• Work closely with the field team and project staff to develop annual workplans aligned with annual and life of project targets.

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND:

• Education:
  
  • Degree in business administration or related field required.
• Experience:
  
  • Minimum 5 years experience as a Team Leader managing multi-national cross country teams;
  • Minimum 10 years experience managing complex agriculture market systems programs, with demonstrated results in expanding trade and strengthening competitiveness;
  • Experience working within the private sector on cashew nut production and marketing, including trade, production and business linkages;
  • Experience applying a market systems development approach to strengthen the inclusivity—with a particular focus on young women and men—in cashew production and marketing systems;
  • Technical experience working in West Africa with strong business relationships with West African cashew industry stakeholders and international buyers
• Skills/Knowledge:
  
  • Familiarity with market systems development framework, including tools, strategies, and approaches;
  • Ability to build coalitions and networks with private sector actors that can provide synergies and sustainable solutions;
  • Ability to supervise, challenge, and build capacity of staff and coordinate activities with partners from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
  • Strong training design, training delivery, and facilitation skills;
  • Strong personnel management skills;
  • Excellent written and oral communication skill in French and English required.

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.