Market System Development (MSD) Advisor

Employer: SNV

Employment: Full-Time | Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa - Ethiopia

Posted date: 7 hours ago

Deadline: April, 13/2025 (10 days left)

SNV is a global development partner, deeply rooted in the countries where we operate. We are driven by a vision of a better world: A world where across every society all people live with dignity and have equitable opportunities to thrive sustainably. To make this vision a reality, we need transformations in vital agri-food, energy, and water systems. SNV contributes by strengthening capacities and catalyzing partnerships in these sectors. 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. Building on 60 years of experience we support our partners with our technical and process expertise and methodological rigor. We do this in more than 20 countries in Africa and Asia with a team of approximately 1,600 colleagues. By being adaptable and tailoring our approaches to these different contexts, we can contribute to impact at scale, resulting in 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 and mission, and strategy, which sets out our aspirations and commitments as our compass towards 2030.

For more information on our operations in Ethiopia and SNV generally visit our website: www.snv.org

The Seas of Change Ethiopia project is a 5-year project that will work at the nexus of the regenerative agriculture (RA) and productive use of renewable energy (PURE) areas. The project aims to drive system transformation in the RA and PURE nexus by promoting regenerative agriculture (RA) practices that restore ecosystems, enhance productivity, and integrate with renewable energy solutions for sustainable market systems and inclusive growth. The project will apply an innovative hybrid implementation model where it leverages existing initiatives and expertise within the ecosystem and connects actors to facilitate processes and encourage synergies.

The Seas of Change Ethiopia project falls under the Strategic Partnership umbrella programme. The Strategic Partnership programme will provide strategic steering and support to the RA-PURE nexus portfolio (in and beyond SNV), with dedicated programmes towards advancing the RA-PURE nexus in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Purpose of the Job

The MSD Advisor is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring a coherent approach across the three advisory positions under their supervision—Sector Development Advisor, PURE Advisor, and RA Advisor. The position is crucial for the successful implementation of the RA-PURE Nexus approach by fostering coordinated efforts across sectors. The MSD Advisor will also facilitate collaboration with SoC projects in other countries and liaise with the Strategic Partnership team at the global level.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic and Technical Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight and technical leadership to the three advisory positions to ensure synergy and coherence in project implementation.

• Ensure the RA-PURE Nexus approach is effectively applied within market system development strategies, ensuring that market systems are designed to integrate regenerative agriculture (RA) and productive use of renewable energy (PURE) solutions.

• Lead the identification and analysis of market systems relevant to the project, ensuring that the design of interventions supports RA adoption by smallholder farmers and agribusinesses, and PURE integration in food and energy systems

Project Coordination and Supervision

• Supervise and support the Sector Development Advisor, PURE Advisor, and RA Advisor to ensure integrated planning and implementation with a clear focus on scaling RA practices and PURE solutions.

• Foster collaboration with the Learning & Insights Advisor to ensure data-driven decision-making and learning, particularly in measuring the impact of RA and PURE interventions in the market system.

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building

• Establish and maintain relationships with key market actors, including government agencies, private sector partners, financial institutions, and business development service providers, ensuring alignment with RA and PURE market-based approaches.

• Facilitate partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagements to promote systemic change in market systems by integrating RA principles and PURE technologies.

• Engage with global SoC country teams and the Strategic Partnership team to ensure alignment with broader program objectives that advance RA-PURE nexus programming

Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing

• Provide mentorship and technical support to project staff and partners to build their capacity in market systems development with a strong focus on RA and PURE solutions.

• Organize and facilitate learning and capacity-building sessions for internal teams and external stakeholders on integrating RA and PURE within sustainable business models and value chains.

• Ensure dissemination of project learnings to relevant audiences at national and international levels, emphasizing scalable RA-PURE market approaches.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Work closely with the Learning & Insights Advisor to ensure robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes that track RA adoption and PURE utilization within the market system.

• Promote a culture of adaptive management by integrating lessons learned into project implementation and ensuring evidence-based decision-making on RA-PURE interventions.

• Support knowledge management and documentation of best practices, case studies, and learning materials that highlight successful RA-PURE market integration models.

Operational and Financial Oversight

• Support the Project Manager in budget planning and resource allocation for related activities, ensuring sufficient investment in RA-PURE interventions.

• Ensure project implementation aligns with the budget and financial guidelines, with a clear focus on financial sustainability and economic viability of RA-PURE solutions.

• Contribute to donor reporting and compliance by providing technical inputs related to RA-PURE market development interventions.

Job Requirement

• Master’s degree in international development, economics, business administration, market systems development, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, or a related field

• Substantial experience (at least 10 years) in market system development (MSD) with a strong focus on RA and PURE market integration, in the context of international development co-operation.

• Demonstrated experience in supervising multidisciplinary teams and managing complex projects that focus on sustainable agriculture and renewable energy solutions.

• Strong background in regenerative agriculture (RA), productive use of renewable energy (PURE), and private sector engagement in sustainable market systems.

• Experience in multi-stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, and market-based approaches for sustainable agriculture.

• Experience in public and private sector development, particularly in facilitating systemic change and partnerships that drive RA adoption and PURE expansion.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on analyzing market systems for RA and PURE opportunities.

• Excellent communication, facilitation and stakeholder engagement abilities, particularly in sectors related to agriculture, energy, and climate resilience.

• Proficiency in project management, strategic planning, and financial oversight of RA-PURE market development initiatives.

• Strong communication and report-writing skills in English, with an emphasis on RA and PURE knowledge dissemination.

• Ability to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments, with experience in coordinating agricultural and energy sector stakeholders

Competencies:

• Conceptual thinking

• Coaching

• Focus on quality

• Result orientation

• Persuasiveness

Additional Information

Contract Type: National, Full-time

Expected start date: As soon as possible

Duty Station: Addis Ababa

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 April 13, 2025.

Please submit your application only via Smart Recruiters using THIS LINK

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.