Agribusiness Development Officer

Lutheran World Federation; None; In loco; EUR 25.000 - 39.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

An international humanitarian organization seeks an Agribusiness Development Officer to facilitate market linkages and support agribusiness initiatives. This role aims to create employment opportunities for youth and women while enhancing income for smallholder farmers. Responsibilities include developing partnerships, optimizing market access, and providing capacity-building support. Ideal candidates should hold a bachelor's degree in Agribusiness, have at least 3 years experience in the sector, and possess excellent communication and negotiation skills.

Competenze

• At least 3 years of experience in agribusiness or market system development.
• Strong knowledge of digital trade platforms.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers.

Mansioni

• Facilitate access to markets for youth, women, and smallholder farmers.
• Develop and enhance digital trade platforms for market access.
• Provide capacity-building support to smallholder farmers.

Conoscenze

Market system development

Digital financial solutions

Capacity-building

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Formazione

Bachelor's degree in Agribusiness or related field

Master's degree

Descrizione del lavoro

LWF World Service is the humanitarian and development arm of the Lutheran World Federation. We work in over 20 countries, bringing people of all backgrounds together in the common quest for justice, peace and reconciliation in an increasingly complex and fragmented world.

Our work is people‑centered, community‑based and focused on the most vulnerable. We partner with local government and community structures to protect and uphold human rights, and we collaborate closely with United Nations agencies, EU/ECHO and other faith‑based agencies.

Job Title

Agribusiness Development Officer

No. of Positions

Two (2)

Place of Assignment

Adjumani and Kiryandongo District

Reports To

AMS Project Manager

Starting Date

ASAP

Duration of Contract

12 months

The Closing Date for Applications

18th January 2026

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the AMS Project Manager, the Agribusiness Development Officer will facilitate market linkages, support agribusiness initiatives, and create employment opportunities for youth and women in both refugee and host communities. The role will involve developing partnerships, strengthening market systems, and ensuring the active participation of smallholder farmers in demand‑driven markets. The officer will play a critical role in reducing risks for market entrants, enhancing income opportunities, and building resilient agri‑food systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Facilitate access to markets by establishing strong relationships between youth, women, smallholder farmers, and institutional buyers.
• Enhance digital trade platforms and market information systems to promote wider market access for smallholder farmers, including digital solutions for record‑keeping and financial transactions.
• Develop models for village aggregation centers (VACs) with storage and warehousing facilities to facilitate group marketing and bulk selling.
• Provide capacity‑building support to smallholder farmers, youth and women in commercial production sectors, financial linkages, bulk marketing and financial planning.
• Strengthen capacity of village savings and loan associations to operate efficiently and effectively.
• Facilitate skill development and short‑term training sessions for youth to improve marketable skills and link them with decent work opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness.
• Strengthen financial inclusion by linking youth to financial service providers for access to working capital and entrepreneurial support.
• Foster partnerships with financial institutions, buyers, and cooperatives to enhance youth and women’s engagement in competitive agricultural markets.
• Strengthen the capacity of farmer groups and farmer organizations to promote collective marketing strategies and improve their negotiation power for better pricing.
• Facilitate the award and implementation of subsidy projects for youth groups to ease the movement of produce to markets.
• Provide continuous technical support to youth and farmer groups in business management, financial literacy and market access.
• Regularly monitor the implementation of market linkage activities and youth access to business development services to ensure quality and sustainability.
• Document and report progress, challenges, and lessons learned to improve future interventions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture Enterprise Development, BSC Agriculture or a related field. A master’s degree is a plus.
• At least 3 years of experience in agribusiness, market system development projects (market linkages, private sector engagement, investment matchmaking for private sectors or a related area).
• Strong knowledge of digital financial solutions, market information systems, and digital trade platforms.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers, youth groups and women in rural/agricultural contexts.
• Proven ability to facilitate partnerships and market linkages between smallholder farmers and institutional buyers.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and capacity‑building skills.

Desired Competencies

• Experience in the agricultural sector within refugee or host community contexts.
• Familiarity with market dynamics in Uganda’s agricultural value chains, particularly with a focus on youth and women’s empowerment.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multi‑disciplinary teams.

LWF is an equal opportunity employer, irrespective of gender, race or religious affiliation. LWF is a signatory to the Code of Conduct for humanitarian agencies. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect the organization’s commitment to the prevention of abuse and exploitation of beneficiaries.

Only short‑listed candidates will be contacted.