Senior Dairy Business Advisor

Job Overview:

The Senior Dairy Business Advisor will operate under the guidance of the Senior Program Manager. Their primary responsibility is to provide leadership and support to the Dairy Business Advisors who interact with mini-farms. The goal is to ensure these farms operate at peak efficiency, delivering high-quality and substantial quantities of fresh milk to Danone while maintaining good returns. Additionally, they will assist the Senior Program Manager in crafting and implementing effective plans.

Program Synopsis:

TechnoServe's Building a Resilient Local Dairy Supply Chain in Nigeria (BuPreDMiN) aims to establish a precise, sustainable, and productive local dairy value chain in Nigeria over a 4-year period. The objective is to boost the incomes, resilience, and reduce the carbon footprint of dairy farmers in Nigeria.

Core Duties & Responsibilities:

Project Initiation Phase

Establish a framework for mapping and profiling mini-farm owners for integration into Danone's backward integration in the dairy value chain.
Collaborate with the gender focal person and M&E to develop and regularly review gender key performance indicators for mini-farm owners.
Compile and submit weekly and monthly reports detailing mini-farms' activities to the Senior Program Manager.

Project Execution Phase

Orchestrate and oversee the implementation of activities assigned to the Dairy Business Advisor, ensuring alignment with TechnoServe's values, vision, and strategy.
Formulate the framework for expanding mini-farms' enrollment into Danone's backward integration in the dairy value chain.
Partner with the gender focal person and M&E to create and periodically assess gender key performance indicators for mini-farmers.
Spearhead the development of training content and schedules to address quality and quantity gaps identified at the Milk Collection Center (MCC).
Enhance the capabilities of the dairy business advisor to provide business advisory and training to mini-farms on best practices for profitability.
Collaborate with the MCC manager to mobilize mini-farms for supplying Danone with high-quality milk quantities at designated collection points.
Conduct regular analysis of available data to uncover financial inclusion gaps and propose solutions.
Create and regularly update information and communication materials to resolve potential discrepancies between mini-farm owners and Danone, ensuring an efficient supply chain.
Initiate discussions with high-quality and cost-effective input providers for mini-farms to drive profitability.
Assist with all monitoring and evaluation activities and surveys.
Produce weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activity reports, as well as success stories and lessons learned.
Develop templates and processes to aid the Dairy Business Advisor in coordinating mini-farms' record-keeping and data collection for monthly reports and analysis.
Create and maintain a risk register to support Dairy Business Advisors in mitigating emerging issues.
Engage with stakeholders and represent TechnoServe at official functions.
Perform additional duties as required by the evolving needs of the program.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or HND in Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Agribusiness, Animal Science, or related fields with at least 5 years of experience in roles related to project planning and execution, agribusiness, training, or Marketing, including a minimum of three years of experience in the livestock value chain (cattle, goats, sheep) within western Nigeria.
Master's degree in Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Agribusiness, Animal Science, or related fields with at least 3 years of experience in roles related to project planning and execution, agribusiness, training, or Marketing, including a minimum of two years of experience in the livestock value chain (cattle, goats, sheep) within western Nigeria.
Demonstrated understanding of the Dairy Value Chain in Nigeria.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

Exceptional interpersonal skills.
Strong communication and knowledge transfer abilities.
Capacity to constructively engage a wide range of stakeholders, especially community leaders and influential persons.
Proficient negotiation and persuasion skills.
Ability to produce well-written, cohesive analyses and reports.
Robust organizational and problem-solving capabilities.
Proven proficiency with Microsoft Office software (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Knowledge of Appsheet or similar applications is advantageous.