Organizational Context:

The Associate Food Security - Market Linkages Officer is a member of a UNHCR Sub-Office Melkadida (SOMEL) Livelihood and Economic Inclusion (LEI) unit providing practical and timely technical and advisory guidance to UNHCR and partners including on the design and scope of UNHCR’s responses in food security including improved market linkages for sustainability and improved resilience. The incumbent also supports ensuring that UNHCR's food security programs meet minimum standards (UNHCR and international), to support improved nutrition and improved food security of populations of concern. The incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer at SOMEL.

The Ethiopia Multi-Year Strategy (2022-2024) envisioned that refugees, returnees, IDPs, and other populations of concern become self-reliant, enjoy freedom of movement, are economically engaged in society, and are included in improved national services and protection systems. 

Over the past years, UNHCR in partnership with the IKEA Foundation has supported investments in the Somali Region of Ethiopia that have been crucial in supporting self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion of refugees in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). Leveraging on the agriculture investments, the Associate Food Security - Market Linkages Officer (UNOPS/IICA2) the incumbent will provide guidance on planning, designing, and implementing food security partnership strategies with a view to building sustainable local food systems based on strengthened local market linkages and viable local value chains. S/he will also provide technical expertise to project partners on interventions aimed at improved availability and access to foods while also ensuring farmers in the cooperatives continue to earn an income from agricultural production and trade. Climate-smart food production for local markets and consumption is a key component of the Somali Region's 10-year development plan and UNHCR’s food security and livelihood strategy and approach aims to complement it through a facilitation and technical support role. The incumbent will support the LEI unit with existing and potential new mixed agriculture cooperatives (refugees and host communities) in the process of adapting climate-smart practices in crop and food production using a market systems development approach that seeks to increase competitiveness, inclusivity, and resilience toward local food security and improved nutrition. 

 Under the supervision of the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer, the incumbent will work closely with internal and external stakeholders such as the Government counterparts, UN Agencies, Development partners, and NGOs involved in nutrition and food security to support a coordinated multisectoral approach to agriculture-based food security responses in line with the global guidance and commitments. This includes technical support in responding to IDP situations through the cluster approach with WFP.

S/he will share information and experiences, carry out joint assessments, identify new opportunities for collaboration on specific nutrition and food security issues, support resource mobilization, conduct relevant training, and support operational research.

Responsibilities and Deliverables:

Support coordination as part of the LEI unit of food security activities for Persons of Concern (POC) and advocate on their behalf in support of the government and in conjunction with other government, UN agencies, donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other humanitarian partners including development actors to ensure food security is in line with the Global Compact on Refugees and in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 2.

Provide technical market linkage guidance to food security and livelihood interventions. This includes technical support to the LEI unit to support mixed agriculture cooperatives (refugees and host communities) in the process of adapting climate-smart practices in crop production using a market systems development approach that seeks to increase competitiveness, inclusivity, and resilience towards local food security and improved nutrition. Additionally, provide technical support to enable mixed agriculture cooperatives to adopt sustainable business models that improve profitability and promote local food systems (the availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe and desirous food in the local food environment) as part of the IFC transition.

Coordinate the development and implementation of a community engagement strategy and action plan to support a shift towards food production for local markets for improved food security and sustainable livelihood opportunities as part of the IFC transition. 

Conduct necessary market and value chain assessments to identify priority food and feed crops to ensure informed crop enterprise selection processes by cooperatives. 

Technical lead to develop and pilot crop enterprise selection guidance and tools for existing agricultural cooperatives to shift towards meeting local food market needs. 

Identify key actions on supporting improved market linkages as part of mixed agriculture cooperatives' capacity development plans.

Manage the implementation of market linkage actions with cooperatives in close coordination with key staff, units, partners, and stakeholders. 

Work closely with the LEI unit in coordinating and developing the capacity of relevant regional and local government authorities to support agriculture and livestock cooperatives and improved market linkages as part of UNHCR’s role in the implementation of the Somali Region 10-year development plan.

Conduct a rapid assessment to identify priority agriculture and livestock market linkages and development activities with relevant regional and local level authorities in line with UNHCR’s facilitation and technical support role. Key government authorities are the agriculture bureau, cooperation promotion agency, irrigation bureau, and woredas. 

Lead the implementation of identified market linkage capacity development activities through the LEI unit and in close coordination with key staff, units, partners, and stakeholders. 

Identify, and support the development and implementation of partnerships in line with the GCR approach that ensure improved market linkages of agriculture and livestock cooperatives to meet local consumer food needs. 

Provide specialized technical support to ensure SOMEL strategy on food security and livelihood integrates market linkage and value chain assessments as part of context-specific needs assessment with due consideration to multi-sectoral linkages, links to existing food security, livelihoods, and social protection programs, and identifying strategic priority partners.

Coordinate the market linkage component with the LEI unit on the joint WFP-UNHCR initiative to support both existing and new cooperatives. 

Provide technical guidance and support for the expansion of agricultural initiatives including the in line with Somali Region strategy and as part of UNHCR’s facilitation and technical support role. 

Provide support to LEI unit to develop monitoring, evaluation, and learning strategies and tools to track the progress, evaluate the impact, and facilitate learning on market linkages for sustainable local food systems for improved food security and nutrition outcomes. 

Other duties as required by the supervising officer.

 Job Requirements

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required:

Work Experience:

For IICA1- 3 years relevant experience with an Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with a Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with a Doctorate degree.

Field (s) of Education:

Agricultural economics; Economics; Agronomy; Development studies; Marketing or other related fields

Certificates and/or Licenses:

UNHCR Protection Learning Programme (PLP)

Relevant job experience: 

Essential

Proven technical expertise in the areas of food value chain analysis, agribusiness, and digital technologies for improved market linkages.

Experience conducting food security assessments with a value chain and market linkage focus.

Demonstrated ability to provide advisory support to the development of strategic plans for food security and livelihood to include market linkages as part of the partnership and implementation approach. 

Proven technical competencies in subsectors relevant to inclusive market systems development in agriculture e.g., entrepreneurship, agriculture value chain development, private-sector development, crop and livestock, training, etc. 

Proven experience in multisectoral nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems. 

Proven experience in market development approaches e.g., Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS). 

Proven experience in economic inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups including refugees and IDPs.

Experience in collaborating with private sector actors as part of value chain development and market linkages.

Experience in designing and conducting capacity-building training for staff and local partners on value chain assessments, plan development, and market linkages.

Experience in designing and implementing cash-based interventions on food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and agriculture.

Work experience in the Somali Region of Ethiopia or similar remote and arid settings with a nascent agricultural sector is an asset.

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK