Call aimed at professionals with experience in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the coffee value chain, good production practices and agricultural innovation in the coffee industry, participatory training, adult learning and facilitation methodologies with smallholder farmers, agribusiness and/or agricultural cooperatives.
Organizational Background
Root Capital invests in the growth of agricultural enterprises so they can transform rural communities. These businesses purchase crops such as coffee, cocoa, or grains from smallholder farmers. With growth, they become engines of impact that can raise incomes, create jobs, empower women and young people, sustain peace and preserve vulnerable ecosystems.
We supply these businesses with vital resources: access to capital, trade and technical partners, financial training and conservation practices. We work in hard-to-serve geographies where others don’t. To date, we’ve distributed $1.5 billion to improve the lives of over ten million people in farming communities.
With twenty years of experience providing financing to smallholder agribusinesses, Root Capital has learned that sometimes credit alone does not help them grow and become stronger. Therefore, in addition to access to capital, it offers financial, agronomic, business intelligence, climate resilience, and gender and youth inclusive advisory in geographies that are difficult to serve. Businesses that receive our advisory services learn how to implement better business and financial practices for smart growth and continued success. We use a practical and participatory learning methodology, since our objective is that the company's personnel acquire new knowledge and skills and can implement them in the short term.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, Root Capital currently has offices in Costa Rica, Kenya and Mexico with associated offices in Nicaragua and Peru. Root Capital clients are found in over 13 countries accross Mexico & Central America, South America, East and West Africa as well as Southeast Asia.
Main Objective
Train and advise cooperatives and agricultural businesses on agronomy and climate resilience using Root Capital’s participatory training methodology; develop customized agronomic advice and climate adaptation planning for clients based on diagnostic information that positively impacts their economic growth, productivity and resilience to climate change.
Main Responsibilities
- Carry out comprehensive agribusiness diagnostics which includes measuring business performance in various management areas and identifying strengths, weaknesses and potential opportunities for development to influence client work plans.
- Execute specific climate resilience diagnostics and/or climate vulnerability assessments for clients to support development of Climate Adaptation Plans.
- Prepare reports and draft responsive recommendations based on diagnostic results, and develop a customized training and Advisory work plan, including specific Climate Adaptation Plans, with clients.
- Deliver advisory, training services to clients, and tools in line with Root Capital methodology and in coordination with clients on topics including but not limited to: good agricultural practices, crop management plans, technical assistance programs, climate smart agriculture, understanding climate change and its effects, resilient techniques (use of inputs, organic composting, mulching, etc).
- Maintain records of workshop attendees, evaluate training outcomes and prepare activity reports.
- Note: Your role as facilitator may be at a centralized event or workshop where multiple clients or organizations assist, or conducting a 1-1 session with an individual client at their offices. You may lead sessions or serve as a secondary facilitator supporting the workshop/session.
- Monitor Climate Adaptation Plans and other types of agricultural plans, e.g. crop renovation, fertilization and nutrition, among others, document and validate strategies used and coach clients in implementation.
- Contribute to Root Capital’s/organizational monitoring by registering activities carried out with clients (using digital data collection tools and Excel), preparing monthly activity reports and capturing learning and impact evidence.
- Contribute to external reports with key impact information including results, challenges, lessons learned, client success stories and photos.
- Boost innovation through contributions to the development and piloting of new training instruments, methodologies and tools.
- Understand and effectively integrate gender inclusive approaches and gender mainstreaming best practices to ensure women participate and benefit equitably from Advisory Services and, more broadly, promote gender equity within our clients
This role will work in close coordination with regional management and other advisors in the team.
Note: Must be willing to conduct advisory services (individually with a single client or multi-client workshops) online/remotely and in-person.
Required Qualifications
- University degree in agronomy, agricultural economics, crop science, horticulture, sustainable development, business management, or related degree.
- Experience in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in agricultural value chains-preferably coffee.
- 3-4+ years of experience in training and/or working with business development in rural agricultural areas and/or with smallholder farmers, agribusiness and/or cooperatives
- 3+ years in agricultural extension education (preferably coffee value chain). Demonstrable experience in good production practices in the coffee industry and agricultural innovation
- Knowledge and application of participatory training, adult learning and facilitation methodologies
- knowledge and experience with environmental issues, climate resilience, agribusiness management, financial and market access in rural settings
- Knowledge and experience in Sustainability Standards (e.g. Rainforest Alliance, UTZ, Organic or Fairtrade).
- Knowledge of management tools including: MS Office Suite (especially Excel), Google Apps (email, shared calendars and collaborative documents), and Zoom
- Focus on delivering high-quality, client oriented services
- High planning, relational and organizational management skills-
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Ability to synthesize complex concepts and convey in a clear manner
- Ability to effectively build trust and rapport with clients
- Ability to assess training needs, plan, lead and execute responsive agronomic training to businesses, farmers and field extension officers
- Strong writing skills and ability to prepare reports or other documents as required
- Team player, works collaboratively to design and deliver services/products.
- Commitment to developing innovative solutions and results orientation
- Identification with the mission, vision, and leadership principles of Root Capital
- Interest in and commitment to gender equity
- Ability to travel and work in different parts of the country.
- Ability to manage their work independently with a high degree of responsibility and proactive outreach for support as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience using dashboards / digital applications in data visualization and analysis for strategic decision making.
Duration
The consultancy takes place in 2023, with the possibility to be renewed the following year. The first period will be three months, allowing a process of integration and adaptation, carrying out an evaluation at the end of the period to assess the continuity of the consultancy until December 2023. Each month it takes an average of 7 days for work.
Selection
- 1st. Stage: Reception of resume or curriculum vitae accompanied by a cover letter.
- 2nd. Stage: First Interview
- 3rd. Stage: Final interview
