About SNV:

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. We are driven by a vision of a better world: A world where across every society all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably. To make this vision a reality, we need transformations in vital agri-food, energy, and water systems. SNV contributes by strengthening capacities and catalysing partnerships in these sectors. We help strengthen institutions and effective governance, reduce gender inequalities and barriers to social inclusion, and enable adaptation and mitigation to the climate and biodiversity crises.
Building on 60 years of experience we support our partners with our technical and process expertise and methodological rigour. We do this in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia with a team of approximately 1,600 colleagues. By being adaptable and tailoring our approaches to these different contexts, we can contribute to impact at scale, resulting in more equitable lives for all.

For more information on our operations in Zambia visit our website: www.snv.org/zambia

Overview of position:

SNV is implementing the second phase of the Scaling Up Youth Employment in Agriculture Initiative Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE)+ project in Zambia The four-year OYE+ Phase II project builds off successes, lessons learned and evaluations to date from the Phase I project in Zimbabwe and Zambia, other SNV youth employment projects and the OYE program in the Africa region. The OYE+ Phase II program aims at fostering a strengthened approach to youth employment programming by addressing structural barriers, offering tailored support, and promoting collaboration among community, private sector, and government stakeholders to create dignified livelihoods for young people.

The key objectives of the project are to:

1.Increase access to employment and entrepreneurial skills development opportunities.

2.Match young people to economic opportunities in their communities, using market development and increased financial inclusion.

3.Contribute to and support an enabling environment via company partnerships, community engagement, and improved government coordination.

The project employs the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (YEE) Pull-Match-Pull-Enable framework approach that brings together partners from the private sector, service providers, and government to focus on employability, entrepreneurship, and business access for youth.Project seeks a Market Systems Officer to be part of OYE-project team within SNV Zambia. The Market Systems Officer will provide essential support and work under the direction of the Project Manager to ensure successful implementation of OYE II project, Market systems officer will be responsible for all aspects of on the ground implementation applying market systems development tools and approached in order to catalyse inclusive services and facilitate linkages between market actors in the project areas. This includes identifying and leading youth entrepreneurship interventions in partnerships with private and public sector actors in the assigned project areas.

The Market Systems Officer core responsibilities encompass monitoring of quality project delivery, facilitating collaboration between young people and private and public sector, timely and accurate quality reporting.

Job Description

Key responsibilities:

Interface with local service providers in the monitoring of the project’s delivery and support them in outreach and engagement activities to identify youths interested in agriculture and employment opportunities within the sector. Represent the project at the provincial and district level, supporting closer engagement and alignment with communities, leaders, and local government. (District Commissioners, Ministry of Youth & Sports, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

• Engage and facilitate engagements between young people and market actors such as traders, processors, community leaders, private companies and farmers.
• Ensures quality delivery of project implementation by maintaining checks and balances on-site.
• Support Local implementing partners in the training programs to equip youths with essential agricultural skills, including crop cultivation, livestock management, agribusiness entrepreneurship and marketing.
• Support Local implementing partners in facilitating mentorship and apprenticeship programs to provide hands-on learning experiences for youths in agriculture
• Support activities and engagement at local and national level to expose youths to various aspects of the agricultural value chain and potential career paths.
• Provide guidance and support to youths in developing business plans, accessing financing, and launching agricultural enterprises.
• Disseminate market information and knowledge.
• Establish and strengthen linkages between producers, buyers, and other market actors. Organize fairs, market visits, and business-to-business meetings

Qualification requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in Agriculture, agribusiness, or related field. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. 5+ years of demonstratable relevant experience.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in private sector and/or NGOs working focused on MSD (facilitation and providing technical supports), agribusiness and/or financial services.
• Good understanding on the Markets4Poor approach and Markets development facilitation including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating.
• Experience in the private sector and ability to apply market driven solutions and non-traditional thinking skills to achieve development goals.
• Experience in setting up, developing and managing private sector or market development programs.
• Demonstratable experience in gender equality and social inclusion and youth empowerment and entrepreneurship programming.
• Proven experience in market systems analysis and research and ability to read market trends and design proactive interventions to enable MSMEs to seize market opportunities.
• Proven experience in collaborating and cooperating with stakeholders for the collective achievement of common-purpose results and activities.
• Experience in resilience building programming
• Monitoring, evaluation & continuous learning, and reporting.

Personal skills:

• Strong analytical and risk assessment skills, including financial modelling skills.
• Pro-active work attitude and ‘can do’, solution-oriented attitude.
• Ability to build productive internal and external working relationships.
• Displays a strong service and client orientation
• Strong team player.
• Good networking skills.
• Strong skills in planning, administration, organising and prioritising.
• Risk aware and able to escalate issues when necessary.
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal
• Affinity with SNVs mission.

Candidates Must be registered with the Agriculture institute of Zambia

Competencies: Conceptual thinking, Planning, and organising, Service minded and Client Orientation, Problem analysis, Focus on quality & Accuracy and Exactness

Closing date: 2 July 2024, “Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted”