Job Summary

Reporting to the Programme Manager, The Markets Programme Officer will be responsible for supporting the development and implementation of market systems interventions to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and other market actors, to make market systems stronger, more accessible and more profitable. They will work closely with project teams, government agencies, and private sector partners to identify market opportunities and constraints, design interventions that address market failures, and monitor progress towards achieving project goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, the Markets Programme Officer will perform the following tasks:

• Conduct market assessments and identify market opportunities and constraints that would affect project implementation.
• Design and implement market systems interventions that address market failures and promote the development of more inclusive and efficient market systems.
• Organise and facilitate private sector partner, farmers or producers and other stakeholder meetings, platforms and facilitating relationships.
• Capacity building of farmer organisations in business skills and collective marketing
• Scoping and mapping of private sector and other market systems partners
• Identification, engagement and analysis of value chains and input and output markets
• Engaging private sector partners to identify market opportunities, constraints and organisational challenges
• Promoting new technologies, crops and/or livestock, understanding of market system demands and access to markets.
• Promoting understanding and building capacity in product standards, quality, quantity, predictability and value addition
• Promoting gender and social inclusion in market systems.
• Monitor and evaluate project progress towards achieving market systems development goals, and provide regular reports to project teams and management on achievements and challenges
• Contribute to the development and implementation of tools and methods for measuring the impact of market systems interventions.
• Ensure that all project documentation and reporting includes market systems development considerations and that market-related data is collected and analysed.
• Conduct regular meetings with Case Workers, PSOs and beneficiaries within the TA to track progress in achieving objectives and targets and assess overall household welfare.
• Prepare regular training reports for presentation to Concern Worldwide and counterparts on the programme
• Collect data for effective monitoring, influencing management decisions and planning
• Document and disseminate lessons learned with partners at TA and community level and within Concern Worldwide Malawi.
• Prepare weekly, monthly and quarterly plans and reports on her/his activities and submit to the Team Leader
• Promote Concern Worldwide’s Complaints Response Mechanism widely within the targeted communities, in collaboration with the Field Monitors and Project Manager

Coordination

• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners, and other market actors.
• Provide technical support to project teams and partners on market systems development and facilitate capacity building activities.

Emergency Response: Participate & contribute towards Concern’s Emergency response & comply with Concern’s health, safety & security guidelines during emergencies

Accountability: In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle; work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed and; work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: To uphold & promote Concern’s values, including our workplace equality, diversity & inclusion values; To demonstrate leadership on workplace equality, diversity & inclusion & role model a positive safeguarding ethos.

Resource mobilisation: To support resource mobilisation efforts by contributing to proposal development, donor mapping and partnership engagement; to provide technical inputs, evidence and results that strengthen funding applications; and to promote compliance, accountability and sustainability in all externally funded programmes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture, or relevant study field.
• At least 3 years of proven experience in market systems development.
• Demonstrated experience working with private sector partners and stakeholders.
• Strong experience engaging and working with local communities within market systems programmes.
• Proven ability to design, facilitate, and implement training programmes and capacity-building initiatives.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong social and relationship-building skills, with the ability to effectively engage diverse audiences ranging from rural producers to senior government officials.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and adaptability, with respect for gender, religion, race, nationality, and age diversity.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Able and willing to ride and operate a motorcycle.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

• Conduct market assessments and identify market opportunities and constraints that would affect project implementation.
• Design and implement market systems interventions that address market failures and promote the development of more inclusive and efficient market systems.
• Organise and facilitate private sector partner, farmers or producers and other stakeholder meetings, platforms and facilitating relationships.
• Capacity building of farmer organisations in business skills and collective marketing
• Scoping and mapping of private sector and other market systems partners
• Identification, engagement and analysis of value chains and input and output markets
• Engaging private sector partners to identify market opportunities, constraints and organisational challenges
• Promoting new technologies, crops and/or livestock, understanding of market system demands and access to markets.
• Promoting understanding and building capacity in product standards, quality, quantity, predictability and value addition
• Promoting gender and social inclusion in market systems.
• Monitor and evaluate project progress towards achieving market systems development goals, and provide regular reports to project teams and management on achievements and challenges
• Contribute to the development and implementation of tools and methods for measuring the impact of market systems interventions.
• Ensure that all project documentation and reporting includes market systems development considerations and that market-related data is collected and analysed.
• Conduct regular meetings with Case Workers, PSOs and beneficiaries within the TA to track progress in achieving objectives and targets and assess overall household welfare.
• Prepare regular training reports for presentation to Concern Worldwide and counterparts on the programme
• Collect data for effective monitoring, influencing management decisions and planning
• Document and disseminate lessons learned with partners at TA and community level and within Concern Worldwide Malawi.
• Prepare weekly, monthly and quarterly plans and reports on her/his activities and submit to the Team Leader
• Promote Concern Worldwide’s Complaints Response Mechanism widely within the targeted communities, in collaboration with the Field Monitors and Project Manager
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners, and other market actors.
• Provide technical support to project teams and partners on market systems development and facilitate capacity building activities.
• Participate & contribute towards Concern’s Emergency response & comply with Concern’s health, safety & security guidelines during emergencies
• Actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle; work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed and; work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities
• Uphold & promote Concern’s values, including our workplace equality, diversity & inclusion values; Demonstrate leadership on workplace equality, diversity & inclusion & role model a positive safeguarding ethos.
• Support resource mobilisation efforts by contributing to proposal development, donor mapping and partnership engagement; provide technical inputs, evidence and results that strengthen funding applications; and promote compliance, accountability and sustainability in all externally funded programmes.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong social and relationship-building skills, with the ability to effectively engage diverse audiences ranging from rural producers to senior government officials.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and adaptability, with respect for gender, religion, race, nationality, and age diversity.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.

• Degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture, or relevant study field.
• At least 3 years of proven experience in market systems development.
• Demonstrated experience working with private sector partners and stakeholders.
• Strong experience engaging and working with local communities within market systems programmes.
• Proven ability to design, facilitate, and implement training programmes and capacity-building initiatives.
• Able and willing to ride and operate a motorcycle.