Intercrops Technical Manager Processing of Agricultural Crops Tomato and Ginger

Job Title: Intercrops Technical Manager - Processing of Agricultural Crops: Tomato and Ginger

Project Focus: Processing of Tomato Soybean Ginger and Sesame

Reports to: Program Director

Location: This position is based either in Abuja or Lagos state with regular travel to the ten project implementation states .

About TechnoServe:

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServes work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy lack of access to jobs and markets unpredictable political dynamics and increasingly the effects of climate change. For many women and young people the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazingwhen incomes increase and living conditions for families get better they can access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

Program Overview:

Soybean Sesame Tomato and Ginger are high-valued agrifood value chains with the potential to create jobs at scale improve local food production for import substitution while also strengthening Nigerias export market. Women play a critical role in post-harvest and processing activities in soybean sesame tomato and ginger value chains especially in handling drying sorting milling packaging and vending. However they bear the brunt of post-harvest losses up to 26 - 50% of the produce due to inadequate drying and storage limited transport and lack of access to appropriate processing tools and markets.

TechnoServe is in the process of developing a program focusing on creating more than 100000 jobs in value addition/processing and distribution for youth women and persons with disabilities (young women 80% persons with disabilities 5% and displaced persons 1%) by investing in processing soybean sesame tomato and ginger value chains. This phase of the two-phase program will target rural unemployed youth aged 1835 often with limited formal education constrained access to skills equipment finance and markets yet highly motivated to earn dignified livelihoods through practical cluster-based agribusiness opportunities.

Job Summary:

The primary responsibility of the Intercrops Technical Manager is to provide technical oversight and leadership across the programs priority intercrop value chains (tomato and ginger) to achieve the projects goals. This role require the ideal candidate should have a proven track record of working with high performing teams.

The role will oversee the design and implementation of interventions that improve processing quality assurance and market competitiveness for tomato and ginger.

The Manager will identify and work with crop-specific technical consultants coordinate with private sector partners and government stakeholders and ensure delivery of high-quality technical assistance to the projects clients/beneficiaries processors and agribusinesses. The position plays a key role in driving innovation scaling best practices and ensuring that project results are achieved on time and within budget.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership and Strategy

• Lead the design and implementation of technical interventions for tomato and ginger value chains within the broader program.
• Provide technical oversight of the projects interventions for tomato and ginger
• Develop specific strategies for value addition and improved processing of tomato and ginger post-harvest handling and quality management.
• Provide technical guidance on equipment selection plant layout food safety and processing efficiency.
• Identify and pilot innovations to improve processing efficiency reduce losses and increase profitability.
• Identify systemic constraints and opportunities in tomato and ginger production aggregation processing and marketing.
• Develop upgrading strategies for women-led micro and small enterprises engaged in tomato and ginger processing.
• Provide technical input into program workplans budgets and intervention pipelines.
• Offer technical solutions to implementation challenges
• Work with the Program Director and the project team to enroll and engage young people women PLWDs SMEs and other beneficiaries on the project while adapting project approaches as needed to reach targets and milestones.
• Advise TechnoServes Program Development team on project proposals as needed
• Contribute to donor reports and presentations to enable the Country Director and Project Director to effectively represent the project at external meetings and events.

Program Implementation

• Oversee field and enterprise-level technical activities ensuring alignment with program objectives and work plans.
• Supervise technical consultants delivering support to clients beneficiaries cooperatives and processors.
• Ensure integration of cross-cutting themes including youth engagement women and youth inclusion climate-smart practices and environmental compliance.
• Assess the gaps in the clients technical knowledge and capacity.
• Develop technical training materials for the clients and beneficiaries. to enhance the quality of their products and improve their performance.
• Work with the teams to provide tailored technical assistance to the clients and beneficiaries and to transition them into commercially viable high yield businesses.
• Work with the processors and processing clusters to ensure operational efficiency compliance with quality and hygiene standards.
• Engage state and federal government agencies research institutes and industry associations relevant to tomato and ginger value chains.

Private Sector and Market Engagement

• Build partnerships with processors aggregators input suppliers off-takers financial institutions equipment vendors buyers and technology providers.
• Support enterprises to become investment-ready through technical upgrading and business improvement planning.
• Facilitate market linkages between producers processors women entrepreneurs market actors and buyers for tomato and ginger.
• Support access to appropriate technologies for improved processing of tomato and ginger storage and quality assurance.
  
  

Capacity Building

• Design and deliver training programs on good manufacturing practices post-harvest handling processing quality management food safety business operations and quality assurance.
• Strengthen local service providers and extension networks to sustain impact beyond project life.
• Mentor and build the technical capacity of the projects team.
• Strengthen extension and service delivery models that support tomato and ginger value chain actors.
• Promote adoption of resource-efficient processing practices for tomato and ginger.

Quality Assurance and Standards

• Promote adoption of food safety standards traceability systems and relevant national/international certifications.
• Support enterprises to meet regulatory and buyer requirements.

Monitoring Learning and Reporting

• Contribute to technical reporting documentation of results and knowledge-sharing products.
• Work closely with the MEL team to track performance indicators and adapt interventions based on learning.
• Work with the MEL Specialist to assess the impact of the projects interventions and ensure high-quality data is being collected to demonstrate project results.

Qualifications:

• An advanced degree in agricultural science food science agricultural engineering agribusiness crop science agricultural economics or other relevant field and at least 5 years of relevant professional experience (7 years with a bachelors degree).
• Experience in international development or the private sector is preferred.
• Prior experience working or collaborating with private sector companies and businesses SMEs and processing companies.

Required Languages:Fluency in English is required.

Travel:Local travel 40-50%

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with a broad range of public and private sector counterparts and other key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in the core crops: tomato and ginger.
• Strong understanding of processing technologies post-harvest systems and food safety standards.
• Proven ability to manage teams and deliver complex field programs.
• Practical knowledge of Nigerias agricultural and agro-processing landscape.
• Familiarity with national regulatory frameworks (NAFDAC SON etc.).
• Experience in investment-readiness support for SMEs.
• Strong problem-solving and adaptive management capability.
• High level of integrity professionalism and cultural sensitivity.
• Excellent communication training and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently to field locations.
• Experience in designing and delivering technical training programs is highly desirable.
• Experience working in Nigeria is preferred.
• Experience in successfully implementing gender-integrated programs is a interpersonal and communications skills in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work with tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks and priorities.
• Ability to contribute to well-written cohesive analyses and reports.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Closing Statements:

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServesvision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer andaffirmative action employerand do not discriminate on the basis of gender race color ethnicity religion sexual orientation gender identity age HIV/AIDS status protected veteran status disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff partners and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact the Human Resources ator call 1 .

Required Experience:

Manager