Company Description

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. Driven by a vision of a better world where all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive
Sustainably, SNV strengthens capacities and catalyzes partnerships that transform agri-food, energy, and water systems. 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.

With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, we support our partners in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia, tailoring our approaches to different contexts to achieve large-scale impact and create more equitable lives for all.

Our core values of people-centeredness and respect, equity and equality, and diversity and inclusion are fundamental to who we are and what we do. This is reflected in our vision, mission, and strategy, which set out our aspirations and commitments as our compass towards 2030.

For more information on SNV, please refer to our website: www.snv.org.

Project background

SNV Ethiopia will be implementing an anticipated flagship programme focused on enabling 800,000 rural young women (RYW) to access dignified and fulfilling jobs. The programme will target high-potential agricultural value chains (e.g., horticulture, poultry, dairy), using a market systems development approach in seven regional clusters.

It emphasizes transformative gender and social inclusion (GESI) and aims to address structural and socio-cultural barriers that limit young women’s participation in economic life. Implementation will be decentralized, with strong collaboration across local TVETs, youth centers, community organizations, and public service institutions.

Summary of the position

This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about creating entrepreneurial opportunities for young women in agriculture and tackling systemic barriers to their empowerment. The Agribusiness Advisor – Horticulture/Crop will be responsible for directly implementing horticulture and crop value chain interventions at the cluster level, with an emphasis on unlocking local agribusiness opportunities, facilitating practical market linkages, and supporting youth-led enterprise growth.

In this position, you will work closely with rural young women and men, youth-led micro and small enterprises (MSEs), community structures, private sector actors, cooperatives, unions, and local government offices to ensure the program achieves tangible results on the ground. Your role will be critical to driving market system improvements that create sustainable income and employment opportunities for young people—especially rural young women.

Job Description

Direct Implementation of Horticulture/Crop Value Chain Activities

• Lead the operationalization of horticulture/crop value chain and market system activities at the cluster level, ensuring interventions are tailored to the local context and effectively address constraints identified through earlier market analyses.
• Lead local assessments and analyses of the horticulture/crop sector to identify agribusiness opportunities tailored to rural young women. Design and execute market-based intervention strategies that address identified constraints and leverage opportunities specific to the cluster context.
• Implement core value chain and market system activities—including market development, market intelligence, facilitation of local input/output market linkages, and business development services—ensuring this leads to increased production, income, and jobs.

Enterprise growth & Market Linkages

• Map existing youth-led MSEs in horticulture/crop and design tailored approaches to help them expand, diversify, and employ more young women.
• Facilitate direct business linkages for young women-led enterprises with input suppliers, buyers, processors, cooperatives, unions, and service providers.
• Introduce and promote appropriate new technologies, productivity-enhancing practices, and value addition opportunities to strengthen horticulture and crop enterprises.

Capacity Building & Field-level Support

• Provide coaching, mentoring, and hands-on technical support to rural young women, youth groups, and MSEs engaged in horticulture/crop enterprises.
• Organize and deliver practical demonstrations, productivity training sessions, post-harvest handling workshops, and exposure visits to build capacity and encourage adoption of improved practices.

Stakeholder Coordination & Multi-Stakeholder Platforms

• Organize and facilitate cluster-level multi-stakeholder meetings on selected value chains to identify systemic challenges and build collective solutions in input and output markets.
• Prepare, document, and share proceedings of these forums, ensuring local stakeholders are actively engaged and driving problem-solving.
• Build and maintain strong operational relationships with private sector actors, cooperatives, local government offices, farmer organizations, and other relevant stakeholders in the horticulture and crop sectors within the cluster.

Monitoring, Learning & Adaptive Management

• Regularly monitor and track implementation progress against work plans, ensuring activities meet quality standards and contribute to cluster-level income and employment targets.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, and innovations from field implementation, sharing these insights with the wider program team to inform adaptive learning.
• Support cluster-level contributions to annual reviews, midterm assessments, final evaluations, and routine progress reporting. Ensure all horticulture/crop interventions are designed and implemented in ways that intentionally address gender disparities and enhance climate resilience

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in agriculture development, Horticulture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Economics, or a related field. Preferably master’s degree in the field mentioned.
• 8 years of relevant experience in horticulture/crop value chain development and agribusiness, with demonstrated success in direct field-level implementation.
• Practical experience in youth employment, market system development, local input/output market dynamics, and marketing of agricultural commodities and supporting rural women in enterprise growth.
• Familiarity with local, national, and regional horticulture trade systems and the policy environment governing the sector.
• Experience organizing multi-stakeholder forums, strengthening cooperatives, and working closely with sectoral associations.
• Solid understanding of gender integration, climate-smart agriculture programming in value chain initiatives.
• Willingness to travel frequently within the cluster to engage directly with communities, enterprises, and stakeholders.
• Fluency in English language.

Competencies

• Problem analysis
• Coaching
• Focus on quality
• Result orientation
• Persuasiveness

Additional Information

Contract Type: National, Full-time

This position will be based on donor funding and approval confirmation.

Expected start date: As soon as possible

Duty Station: Bahir Dar

Contract Duration: One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and budget availability.

How to Apply
If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and a letter of motivation before/on August 4, 2025. Please submit your application only via Smart Recruiters. All information will be kept in the strictest confidentiality.
If your experience and skills match the position's requirements, we will contact you to advise on the next steps in the recruitment process.

Working at SNV
SNV offers a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from and contribute to an internal and global network of experts.

At SNV, inclusivity is at the heart of our ethos. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and uphold a policy of non-discrimination based on factors such as disability status, religion, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Vetting
SNV carries out rigorous background and reference checks concerning possible safeguarding incidents for all candidates applying for both nationally and internationally determined positions. As SNV participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, all reference checks include a request to past employers to fill in a questionnaire regarding Misconduct (sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment), the “Statement of Conduct". This Statement of Conduct adopts the definitions used in the Scheme.

SNV is an equal opportunities employer and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.