Agricultural Economist / Agribusiness Specialist

Position: Agricultural Economist / Agribusiness Specialist

Duty Station

Monrovia, Liberia (with frequent travel to project counties)

Reporting To

Project Manager / Team Leader

Duration

7 Months

Position Summary

The Agricultural Economist/Agribusiness Specialist will provide technical leadership in agribusiness development, value chain strengthening, SME development, and market systems. The specialist will support the establishment of sustainable commercial linkages between SMEs, cooperatives, Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), and smallholder farmers, while promoting business development, value addition, and commercialization of priority agricultural value chains.

Key Responsibilities

1. Agribusiness & Value Chain Development

• Conduct value chain assessments for priority commodities.
• Identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improving agricultural productivity and commercialization.
• Develop strategies to strengthen agribusiness competitiveness.
• Promote value addition and post-harvest management practices.

2. SME and Farmer Linkages

• Facilitate partnerships between SMEs, cooperatives, and farmer groups.
• Support contract farming arrangements and business agreements.
• Strengthen aggregation systems and market access mechanisms.
• Promote inclusive business models benefiting women and youth.

3. Business Development

• Prepare and review business plans and investment proposals.
• Support SMEs in improving business operations and financial sustainability.
• Identify financing opportunities and facilitate access to investment.
• Develop commercialization strategies for producer organizations.

4. Capacity Building

• Design and deliver training programmes for SMEs, FBOs, and cooperatives.
• Develop training manuals, business management tools, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Strengthen organizational governance and business management systems.

5. Market Systems Development

• Conduct market assessments and value chain analyses.
• Facilitate buyer-seller meetings and business networking events.
• Promote market intelligence and price information systems.
• Strengthen supply chain coordination among stakeholders.

6. Stakeholder Coordination

• Liaise with government agencies, development partners, private sector organizations, and financial institutions.
• Support National Coordinating Committees and Technical Working Groups.
• Participate in stakeholder consultations and technical workshops.

7. Monitoring & Reporting

• Contribute to project work plans and technical reports.
• Monitor implementation progress and recommend corrective actions.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, and success stories.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Sciences, Economics, Rural Development, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in agribusiness development, agricultural value chains, or rural economic development.
• Demonstrated experience in SME development, business planning, market linkages, and farmer organization strengthening.
• Experience working on donor-funded projects (World Bank, FAO, IFAD, AfDB, GIZ, EU, USAID, etc.).
• Strong analytical, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Excellent command of English (written and spoken).

Preferred Experience

• Experience in Liberia or West Africa.
• Knowledge of cassava, poultry, rubber, and other agricultural value chains.
• Experience working with Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), cooperatives, and producer groups.
• Familiarity with World Bank procurement and project implementation procedures.

Core Competencies

• Agribusiness Development
• Agricultural Economics
• Value Chain Analysis
• SME Development
• Market Linkages
• Business Planning
• Financial Analysis
• Capacity Building
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Report Writing
• Communication & Facilitation
• Teamwork and Leadership

Expected Deliverables

• Value chain assessment reports.
• Agribusiness development strategy.
• SME and FBO capacity-building plans.
• Business plans and investment proposals.
• Training materials and SOPs.
• Market linkage and commercialization plans.
• Periodic progress reports and technical inputs to project deliverables.