Reporting to the Project Director and working closely with the Principal Coordinator & Finance Specialist and the ARM team in SOCODEVI Head Office, the Agricultural Risk Management Specialist manages risk for producers by identifying, analyzing, and advising regarding decisions on various risks to which cooperatives/organizations and individual farmers are exposed (production, financial, market, human and institutional risks).
Responsibility
The successful Agricultural Risk Management Specialist will work in partnership with the Ghana Cocoa Board, the Department of Cooperatives, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources/Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide technical assistance to cooperatives to achieve the project targets, which include but are not limited to;
- Analyze agricultural data and government agency reports to conduct risk assessments for clients to improve the resilience of agricultural households in the cocoa communities;
- Look at the impact that climate, pests, disease, ecological conditions, and other factors could have on crop production and develop risk management strategies to mitigate these risks;
- Find strategies to reduce financial and market risks within different value chains associated with cocoa agroforestry systems. Use software to create models to look at hedge effectiveness, trends, and price sensitivities for different scenarios;
- Develop, monitor, and communicate risk management strategies for cooperatives, farmers, and project partners;
- Develop weather and financial forecasts for farmers to aid in decision making;
- Provide hedging strategy recommendations with varying risk tolerances;
- Monitor commodity prices and potential threats to prices.
Skills Required
- A Master’s degree in agronomy, agricultural business, accounting, finance, or related field is a base requirement. A master’s degree in business administration, risk management or related field may be preferred;
- A minimum of 4 to 5 years’ experience and/or familiarity with environmental management systems, agricultural data management, farmers’ training, agroforestry practices and GIS and other data management tools and systems would be an asset.
- Experience in the cocoa sector is an added advantage;
- Ability to communicate complex information in understandable and relevant terms adapted for different stakeholders, especially farmers, women, youth, small communities and cooperatives;
- Proven project coordination skills with ability to effectively manage and prioritize a diverse workload within a team;
- Demonstrated experience in adult training (andragogy) and participatory methodologies in rural contexts;
- Experience in gender mainstreaming and/or knowledge of gender equality would be an asset;
- An excellent command of English is essential. This position carries considerable responsibility and autonomy and requires good organizational capacity, good interpersonal and networking skills and a willingness to work as part of a team;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, especially email communications;
- Advanced computer skills (Windows, MS Office, SharePoint).
Working conditions
- SOCODEVI offers competitive compensation, a full range of benefits and a great work team.
- One-year contract, renewable annually;
- Regular working hours: 8 hours a day from Monday through Friday, for a total of 40 hours/week;
- Salary will be paid on a monthly basis (on the 30th day of the month);
- 20 working days of annual leave per calendar year. The annual leave is earned at the rate of 1.67 days per month;
- Periodic meetings could be held in Kumasi, Wiawso or Accra;
- Working during evenings and week-ends might happen when necessary but shouldn’t be frequent;
- The successful candidate accepts to travel to the districts on a regular basis.
At SOCODEVI, we recognize that promoting gender equality and a more inclusive world must apply as much to the communities targeted by our projects as to the people who implement them. We, therefore, work to ensure a healthy, respectful and safe work environment for everyone on our team and we act, as an organization, in a responsible, fair and equitable manner.
How To Apply
Interested individuals should send a cover letter and current resume with 3 referees to: [email protected]
The title of your message must contain the job title. We are committed to the principles of fair hiring. Only those selected for an interview will receive an acknowledgement of receipt.
Deadline: SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
As with all our positions, we encourage women, Aboriginal people, visible and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities to apply. Your motivation and related experience can make all the difference, so don’t hesitate to apply!
