Livestock Marketing Officer (2 Jobs) – Kampala – Mercy Corps

About US:
Mercy Corps is an international non-profit organization which implements high-quality, analytical development work in very difficult places. We have been operating in Uganda since 2006 and currently implement development programs in the Acholi and Karamoja sub-regions of Uganda with funding from USAID, EC, SDC, and USDA.

About USAID GHG Programme:
Mercy Ccorps is currently implementing a market-development focused 5-year USAID/Food for Peace-funded program, North Karamoja Growth, Health and Governance (GHG) programme, working in the northern half of Karamoja region. GHG works through partners with private, public and civil society sectors to support immediate needs of program beneficiaries while promoting long-term development by spurring systemic improvements in key economic sectors of northern Karamoja.

Job Summary: The Livestock Marketing Officer will work to improve the economic future and quality of life of program beneficiaries. The position’s three success factors include: 1) His/her ability to push forward market-driven approaches at all stages of programming, 2) the degree to which the person promotes and captures learning with her/his team, institutionalizing activity reviews, identifying and evaluating preconceptions and promoting a culture of inquisition, and 3) her/his passion to drive results, make critical decisions and produce scheduled outputs at deadline and to the expected quality will be.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
· Work closely with the GHG livestock team, district production and commercial offices, traders and traders associations, research institutions, district veterinary offices, agrovets, CAHWs, farmers and other key partners to identify livestock production and marketing gaps, design intervention strategies, work plans and implementation of livestock production activities according to the approved work plans and budgets.
· The incumbent will also strengthen producer-trader linkages through business dialogues and livestock fairs, and support mobile information exchange platforms to ensure market information symmetry.
· Facilitate regular interactions between traders, farmers, transporters and engage support establishment of business forums to engage policy makers and create an enabling and competitive livestock business environment.
· Build new marketing relationships through exchanges and information sharing.
· Facilitate exposure visits of farmers and traders associations to feedlots to foster learning, and local livestock traders to abattoirs and livestock markets outside the region for business linkages and new animal market routes.
· Carry out market analysis to assess business opportunities for livestock, including poultry.
· Support dissemination of early warning information to farmers to influence farmers’ decisions on herd composition and animal off-take during droughts.
· Actively monitor intervention activities and collect beneficiary qualitative and quantitative information, document success stories and maintain proper records and filling systems;
· Prepare and send periodic work plans and activity reports to the project manager;
· Apply a gender and youth lens to activities in the program cycle;
· Identify, assess and develop networks and strategies for potential private, public and civil society sector partnership with GHG program
· Establish and maintain productive working relationships with community, sub-county and district level leaders and soliciting their participation in all activities where appropriate
· Make on-site field visits regularly to monitor progress of activities and provide strategic measures for progress to maximize the programmes’ economic and social impacts to the community
· Work with team leader(s) and Mercy Corps technical staff in order to bring synergy among different components of the project
· Create a dynamic program environment that promotes inquiry;
· The incumbent will also take primary responsibility for sector-focused data gathering;
· Establish procedures and guidelines to monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of economic development support work including setting and measuring benchmarks along results chains;
· Keenly analyze project implementation strategies to identify constraints to program success and provide timely recommendations;
· Provide data in support of team’s submission of timely weekly, monthly and quarterly reports that will be indicative of program progress during implementation.
· Where needed, support external evaluations by research partner Feinstein International Centre and other organizations;
· Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Information Officers (MELIOs) to ensure accurate and timely flow of information from the field into database and for preparation of communication reports
· Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner that brings credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
· Perform any other duties as assigned by the line manager.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
· The applicant must hold a degree in Agriculture (Livestock production and marketing), economics, marketing or its equivalent;
· At least three years’ experience in livestock marketing, including market information, live animal trading, livestock sales to abattoirs and other markets, or similar experience.
· Ability to interact effectively with a wide range of partners; private sector, government and civil society;
· Skills in team work, holding community consultations and organizational development;
· Excellent reporting, communication and representation skills
· Willingness to work in rural areas with livestock producers, traders, and other market players
· Good spoken and written English. Fluency in Ngakarimojong and Ethurr is an advantage

How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested Ugandan candidates should send their applications including a cover letter clearly stating the salary requirements, updated CV (with three professional referees), and copies of academic qualifications/certificates to the HR/Admin Manager, Kampala Head Office on 4th Floor Embassy Plaza, Plot 1188-1190 Ggaba Road. The E-mail applications with cover letter should be sent to: mcjobs@ug.mercycorps.org

Deadline: 16th October 2015