Senior Cooperative Advisor Vietnam – Mekong Delta

Terms of Reference

Senior Cooperative Advisor Vietnam – Mekong Delta

Agriterra supports farmers' organisations in fighting poverty, with advice from experts from the (Dutch) agricultural sector and with finance from the Dutch government. Our opinion is that strong farmers' organisations lead to more democracy, economy growth and a better distribution of income. We focus on economy development and work closely together with the Dutch agribusiness.
Agriterra is organized with a head office in Arnhem, the Netherlands, and has a network of 16 country offices spread over Africa and Asia, employing more than 165 staff members. In Vietnam, Agriterra has registered as an INGO in VN since 2017 and is currently active in  16 provinces throughout the country with focus in  Mekong Delta.

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic national candidate to be a senior Agri-Cooperative Advisor, based in Can Tho city (home based until the branch office in Can Tho city is set up) with travel to the cooperatives mainly in Mekong Delta.

Support to agribusiness

The Agribusiness team supports farmers' organisations in increasing their market power. They often lack solid business plans and entrepreneurial skills. Agriterra offers services to these companies to improve this. Connections between cooperatives and other kinds of agribusinesses and the financial sector are made.

At Agriterra, the term 'agribusiness' means a company where the involved farmers have control, either directly or indirectly. This control comes either because it is a membership organisation with farmers as members or because agricultural organisations hold the shares and participations. Agribusinesses - usually cooperatives - lend their services to primary agriculture.

They become clients of our team because they need knowledge, skills, contacts and/or other capacities to plan and realise their growth ambitions. A strong, competitive market position is therefore the aim to which the team of Cooperative Advisors makes its contribution.

This contribution mainly consists of advice and technical aid in the field of entrepreneurship, business planning, financial management and day-to-day management. This way, companies become bankable: ripe for investment.

A further step is that Cooperative Advisors with Agriterra, working in the region, approach investors and banks to ensure the success of the investment plans.

Position of Senior Cooperative Advisor

The Senior Cooperative Advisor supports and advises farmer-led agribusinesses (farmers' cooperatives and farmers-owned/led companies, as well as farmer federations called clients) in sound operational management.

Focus areas

• Provide business development services to support the profitable commercial activities of Agriterra clients in the Mekong Delta;
• Provide advice on transparent business-geared governance of member-based clients aiming at increased internal capitalisation;
• Take up a leading role in the internal training and capacity building of Agriterra prospective trainers in the field of his/her expertise, as a master trainer
• Lead and manage the design, planning, implementation, reporting and the workforce of externally funded projects/ trajectories larger than Euro 100k annually. 
• Establish a strong base for Agriterra’s activities in the Mekong Delta and contribute actively to the goals of Agriterra’s Asia team in Vietnam.

Expected results

• Contribute to establish several agricultural cooperative client projects in the Mekong Delta, with external funding.
• Result-driven agribusiness advice featuring tailor-made financial, business and governance support that fulfils Agriterra specific aims while at the same time meeting the demand of the clients.
• Advice on improvement of the clients’ (agribusiness) internal organization, position on the market and growth ambition.
• Increase number of farmer organisations in Agriterra’s portfolio having a potential healthy agri-business, having access to loan capital and/or financial services and/or having a sustainable and effective service provision system to members.
• Client satisfaction, as well as satisfied parties in the business sector, investors, financial institutions, development organizations. 

Qualifications and experience

• A master degree in relevant field e.g., Environmental economics; Development economics; Aquaculture, Natural development, Agri-business, Entrepreneurship or another related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience at international organisation(s) at project management position; work experience in private sector on agri-business is a credit.
• At least 2 years of work experience supporting aquaculture development projects in Mekong Delta
• Have profound knowledge of one or more agricutlure value chains and the functioning of agricultural cooperatives
• Good oral and written communication skills (English and other languages where relevant). Good computer skills in MS-applications (MS Office).
• Experience in development proposal writing is an advantage
• Willing to travel to other provinces.

Competencies

• Skills: interpersonal, organizing, coaching, communication, personnel and project management skills.
• Personal qualities (traits): initiative, problem-solver, team player, decisive, helicopter view, motivator.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision

Contract Duration

The selected candidate will be offered initially for one-year employment contract with two months’ probation time and possibility of extension subject to availability of funds. The position gives the selected candidate many opportunities for career development within the organization if growth of the program will develop as expected.

The closing date for application:  10 Jan 20243

How to Apply: Interested candidates can send your application to [email protected]

Please be advised that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.