The Program Management Officer – PIATA Ghana plays a critical role in effectively contributing to the overall delivery of AGRA’s USAID investment in the country, providing leadership for identifying grantees and the right avenues for marketing the investments effectively. S/he will cultivate and manage strategic partnership approaches with USAID and other shared partners at country level to come together behind a shared vision for sustainably growing Africa’s food systems, leveraging the best of partners’ collective expertise, knowledge, and resources to catalyze transformative investments and change.

 Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead development of USAID program workplan on an annual basis in collaboration with AGRA country, regional and HQ teams, particularly the Country Director and Country Programs Lead, as well as the Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party for AGRA’s USAID cooperative agreement and PIO mechanisms.
• Coordinate country-level interventions set out in the USAID funded program, working with program teams, USAID counterparts, and common program and development partners to deliver innovative intervention models across the value chain.
• Convene and build relationships with domestic government, private sector, donors, civil society organizations and others with a presence in country, to build and nurture country-level partnerships deemed essential to AGRA’s mission in the country.
• Lead in the areas of day-to-day collaboration with USAID, both through the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA) and AGRA’s new Public International Organization (PIO) status, to advance strong programmatic partnerships with USAID.
• Working closely with AGRA Enterprise Risk and Compliance officer and Deputy Chief of Party, PIATA, ensure USAID-funded programs adhere to USAID’s rules and regulations.
• Maintain working knowledge of national agricultural sector development plans in order to identify and pursue opportunities to (i) mobilize resources and/or (ii) advocate for public and private sector stakeholders to scale AGRA’s demonstrated intervention models in country.
• Draw on the expertise of AGRA program officers in the areas of seed systems development, sustainable farming and soil fertility, integrated markets, trade, and finance, and policy to enhance the operations of country strategies and link program investments and activities to other AGRA initiatives.
• Establish relationships with existing USAID programs/projects including but not limited to Market Systems and Resilience (MSR), Policy Link, and Mobilizing Finance for Agriculture (MFA).
• Facilitate the reporting requirement of USAID and other development partners.
• Support in identifying and pursuing opportunities to mobilize strong partnerships and resources in support of AGRA’s priorities and/or advocating for public and private sector stakeholders to scale AGRA’s demonstrated intervention models in country.
• Collaborate with Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team to monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) projections versus actuals and initiate correction actions.
• Relay feedback from AGRA’s partners, especially the government and development partners to other parts of the organization
• Assist program officers to research and develop grantee portfolios dealing with constraints, resources and opportunities for increasing and improving seed, Fertilizer and technology supply at farmer levels.

 Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Essential
  • Bachelor’s or Advanced Degree in agriculture, agribusiness, agriculture economics or related disciplines.
  • A Doctorate degree in relevant fields will be an added advantage.
  • Certification in Project Management is an added advantage
• Desirable
  • A Doctorate degree
  • Experience in areas of market development, food trade or related fields.
  • Experience in agriculture related international development work.
  • Competencies in technologies related to climate change adaptation; value chains (extension, crops production & seed technology, post-harvest), and inclusive finance.
  • Experience working areas of seed systems, sustainable farming, inclusive markets and trade, policy and state capability

• Technical Competencies
  • Climate Change Adaptation
  • Value Change (Extension, Crop Production, seed & Post harvest)
  • Inclusive Markets Trade & Finance
  • Policy & State Capability

• Behavioral Competencies
  • Ability to drive collaboration through inclusive and agile teaming, breaking siloes, sharing information celebrating joint successes.
  • Ability to execute excellently by delivering high-quality work at speed, committing to decisions and plans, and increasing accountability to deliver impact at scale.
  • Ability to be sincerely constructive in interactions with others by demonstrating trust, sincerity, and care, in recognition of our joint purpose.
  • Ability be increasingly entrepreneurial by breaking hierarchies, embracing learning and innovation to unlock the potential of diversity and ideas