Overview
AfricaFertilizer.org (AFO) is an initiative led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) which began activities in 2010. The AFO Initiative implements activities across the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) region with current support and funding from the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Key technical partners include the Africa Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), Development Gateway (through the BMGF VIFAA Project), Wallace & Associates, and the Africa Union Commission (AUC).
AFO’s Vision is to be the leading provider of fertilizer data and information for Africa to support market transparency, improved decision making, and a more prosperous agriculture sector. AFO’s Mission is to be the provider of reliable, high-quality, unbiased data and information on fertilizer and soil fertility issues in Africa. In order to accomplish this, AFO is progressively working to develop, manage, facilitate and share technical and market information on fertilizers in Africa to support the implementation of continental, regional and national agricultural policies and regulations that benefit both the public and private sector, including smallholder farmers and agro-dealers. AFO is expected to play a lead role in data and advocacy leading up to and following the anticipated African Soil Health Summit in 2022.
In 2019, a strategic plan was completed that has created a road map for AFO to strengthen its capacity and visibility to capitalize on the growing demand for fertilizer market information in public and private sectors. Within IFDC, AFO is being elevated to a strategic initiative with an expanded budget and targeting of new donors and partners to expand its reach and mandate. Critical investments are being made into its capacity, systems and processes to enable AFO to capitalize on its potential. In addition, the former AFO Coordinator position is being elevated to “Program Manager”.
AFO now seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial fertilizer market expert to serve as Program Manager for this new phase of AFO’s growth.
Required Skills
Key Responsibilities
Build, strengthen, and manage partnerships with regional and national institutions, fertilizer related projects implemented by partners, key industry partners, and stakeholders;
Identify and follow up on new short- and long-term funding opportunities with traditional and non-traditional donors;
Assess, prioritize, and identify data and information gaps required by key stakeholders;
Coordinate AfricaFertilizer.Org projects, activities and operations covering 10+ countries in SSA;
Manage, deliver, and lead national AFO staff (fertilizer market analysts, regional database managers and short-term data/marketing consultants) in development of national and regional fertilizer value chain reports;
Monitor performance of the project team to ensure all milestones set in the annual work plan are met;
develop mitigation plans to reduce risks and take corrective actions to remedy any deviation from the work plan;
Oversee accounting and reporting to IFDC and donors on the project’s performance;
Identify critical data gaps where AFO can strengthen its data portfolio;
Identify how technology and innovation can support the introduction of scalable data collection methods.
Required Experience
Qualifications
Basic knowledge of the fertilizer sector is a minimum requirement; strong knowledge of the SSA fertilizer industry and fertilizer products is an advantage;
A combination of at least 5 years relevant work experience in the following sectors:
Fertilizer industry and/or market information;
Market analysis;
Project management and fundraising;
