INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE (IITA)

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL ADVERTISEMENT

 Call for Expression of Interest (EOI): Junior Technology Profiling Consultant (2 Positions)

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for two (2) National Recruited Junior Technology Profiling Consultant positions.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution developing agricultural innovations to address Africa’s most pressing challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, create jobs, and preserve natural resources. IITA is a member of One CGIAR, a global agricultural research partnership for a food-secure future. For more information about IITA, please visit http://www.iita.org/.

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), is a major continent-wide program designed to boost agricultural productivity across Africa by rapidly delivering proven technologies to millions of farmers. The overall goal of TAAT is to double crop, livestock, and fish productivity by expanding access to productivity-enhancing technologies for more than 40 million smallholder farmers across Africa.

The TAAT Clearinghouse, based in Cotonou, is responsible for selecting and validating technologies and for helping to disseminate them by providing specialized advice to decision-makers in governments and private companies, as well as to development partners such as IFIs.

The Clearinghouse was originally created to support the TAAT project, initiated by the African Development Bank to improve the quality of technologies integrated into the large-scale development projects it funds through African governments. The Clearinghouse continues to support the TAAT project, but its mandate has been expanded to support the scaling of all CGIAR innovations within the Scaling for Impact program.

To fulfil its advisory mandate, the Clearinghouse creates and maintains an electronic catalog of validated technologies and innovations, from which specific advice can be provided to project designers. There are 3 e-catalogs, each targeting a specific audience. The technologies and innovations showcased in these e-catalogs must be carefully profiled so they are described meaningfully for the intended audience of each e-catalog.

Under the supervision of the Clearinghouse scaling expert, the Technology Profiling team is responsible for supporting the creation of the technology database and e-catalogs and, most importantly, for entering detailed information on technologies through their profiling. The consultant will join a team of 3 experienced Technology Profilers.

Position Responsibilities

• Gather information and data from technology providers – researchers or private sector operators -- or technology repositories, to feed into the technology database; this information and data must be collected through various contacts (email, telephone, online form etc.)
• Translate the information into a language and presentation that are understandable by the intended audience – without scientific jargon -- and favor the adoption of relevant technologies, whilst remaining truthful to the underlying science.

In practical terms, the consultant will be responsible for:

• Establishing a positive working relationship with technology providers to help them collect and submit all necessary information for the convincing presentation of these technologies, using the e-catalogs on-line form and associated resources
• Translating this information into simple, succinct sections for the e-catalog profiles
• Participating in the continuous improvement of the e-catalogs to make them even more accessible, understandable, and convincing for decision-makers in governments, the private sector, and development partners.
• Supporting the work of the Independent Validation Committee, which ensures that technologies and innovations in the e-catalogs are fit for purpose through a rigorous validation process.
• Presenting the e-catalogs and the work of the technology Profiling team at webinars, conferences, and other forums.
• Scouting for potential new technologies that could be profiled in the e-catalogs.
• Knowing and using with full proficiency the Technology Profiling team’s processes, tools, and systems, especially the task management system for planning work and recording progress.
• Producing regular, informative reports on operations, including tracking communications with technology providers across different media (email, WhatsApp, direct calls, etc.) and recording progress throughout

Requirements

Specific experience required

Project deliverables for the Clearinghouse create an urgent need to profile CGIAR technologies in the second half of the year. It is therefore crucial that candidates applying for this post can start working with the profiling team from day 1 and require minimal supervision from experienced profilers on the team. Successful candidates therefore require:

• Understanding of the Scaling Readiness and GenderUp frameworks
• In-depth knowledge of the TAAT e-catalogs, their functionality, and their technology profiles
• Hands-on, demonstrated experience in technology profiling
• Real-world experience of working in a profiling team

The position of Technology Profiling Consultant requires a well-coordinated set of technical, organizational, and behavioral skills.

3. Technical Competencies

• Ability to identify and collect information from researchers, technology providers, and databases
• Ability to analyze, complete, and structure technical data, including economic data
• Ability to reformulate technical information in a clear, engaging, and audience-appropriate manner
• Implementation of transparent systems for technology selection, validation, and updating
• Ability to manage and organize databases while analyzing and synthesizing technical information
• Ability to communicate, simplify, and disseminate technologies to diverse audiences

4. Organizational Competencies

• Excellent organizational and planning skills
• Proficiency in project management tools (especially Gantt charts)
• Effective workload management
• Strict adherence to deadlines and deliverables
• Production of regular progress reports
• Excellent ability to write clear, convincing, and concise reports and proposals

5. Behavioural Competencies

• Ability to communicate clearly, precisely, and concisely
• Sense of responsibility
• Diplomacy, patience, and persistence
• Resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges
• Ability to work in a team
• Autonomy and initiative
• Willingness to engage in continuous learning

6. Academic and languages requirements

• Postgraduate degree in agriculture, agronomy, agricultural technologies, or related disciplines or demonstrated equivalent experience
• Operational level in English

Benefits

Duty Station: Godomey, Benin Republic

General Information: The assignment will be for six (6) months, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance and available resources.

METHOD OF APPLICATION:

Interested applicants should complete the online application on the IITA website: https://apply.workable.com/iita/#jobs and attach a detailed cover letter and curriculum vitae, both saved with their names in Microsoft Word format, within one week of the publication date. The application must include the names and e-mail addresses of three professional referees.

IITA is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse workforce and particularly welcomes applications from women. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.