Job Description

Senior Manager - Crop Lead Cashew and Horticulture

TechnoServe India is implementing a large-scale income enhancement program, reaching out to 25,000 smallholder farming households (SHFs) in the state of Maharashtra through existing farmer producer organizations (FPOs).

The program aims to strengthen the institutional and market access capacity of 15-20 FPOs, in Cashew, Grapes, Pomegranates and Oranges, to transform them into viable business entities leading to the integration of SHFs with agricultural markets, thereby improving their economic potential. This is a multi-million dollar project funded by a large MNC.

In this regard, the program will adopt a multi-pronged approach through Institutional strengthening and Market facilitation for these selected FPOs to enable them to become dominant market players in agri-value chains

Key Responsibilities:

The Manager / Senior Manager (Cashew / Grapes / Pomegranate) will be responsible for the market linkage and value chain of the specific commodity in the program. Specific tasks include:

- Build and maintain commercially viable partnerships between producers, exporters, processors, and buyers

- Develop and maintain business relationships with organized retail, institutional buyers, traders, and farmer groups to create sustainable marketing

- Facilitate long-term contractual relationships between FPOs, input service providers, and end-market buyers

- Design marketing, promotion, and branding activities for the produce

- Provide implementation-level support to the FPO on all marketing-related activities such as setting up aggregation systems, quality control, farmer training, processing, etc.

- Help establish business linkages bringing marketing connections as well as signed marketing contracts for products produced by the FPO members.

- Support and monitor compliance to all trade-related documentation such as APMC cess, VAT, entry taxes, waybills etc.

- Manage relationships with multiple stake holders including buyers, processing units, local APMCs, agriculture departments, NCDEX, etc.

- Help the FPCs with on-ground problem solving, including negotiating with vendors and service providers, liaison with the local government department etc.

- Support the Project Team, where required, on other thematic areas within the program.

- Support the project leadership in all reporting and compliance matters

- Any other project activity as the need arises or advised by project leadership team

Key requirements:

Minimum of 12-16 years of experience in a similar position with extensive knowledge in the agriculture input sector, post harvest management and market linkages of any of the commodity value chain in Cashews, Grapes, or Pomegranates.

- Familiarity with business applications for these produce, and develop new value chains for domestic and export markets. The incumbent should have 2-3 years of experience in marketing any of the crop commodities.

- Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse team, spread across diverse geographies and to deliver in a time-bound program

- Should have familiarity in managing independently finance, market research, sales, and business planning.

- Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and an ability to build a convincing argument.

- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously

Qualification: MBA/Masters in Agriculture, Rural Development or Marketing

Application Instructions:

Qualified and interested applicants should submit a word-formatted/pdf single document that includes a cover letter, resume and salary history.

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