Non Profit Careers – Chief Operating Officer at Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi) Trust

Organisation: Agricultural Business
Initiative (aBi) Trust
Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
About BRAC:
Our Client the
Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi) Trust was set up by the Governments of
Denmark and Uganda with a mission To promote private sector agribusiness
development to enhance wealth creation in Uganda.’ aBi Trust achieves both its
mission through a unique approach of combining agri-business development
services with the availability of financial instruments for the rural
communities and private sector actors in the agri-business sector in Uganda. aBi
Trust also undertakes major activities in supporting value chains in Coffee,
Cereals, Dairy, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Horticulture; financial services
development in rural areas; and offering lines of credit to financial institutions
and guarantees for lending to beneficiaries in the agri-business sector.
Job Summary: The aBi Trust Chief Operating Officer will
mainly manage the fund and drive it towards achieving its strategic objectives.
Ideally, the Chief Operating Officer will provide the strategic and operational
leadership to ensure that the aBi Trust realizes its vision and mission for the
development of agribusiness in Uganda.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: 
  • Coordinate and lead the management of the aBi Trust to deliver the
    agreed work plans, budgets and strategic objectives;
  • Act as the focal contact person within aBi Trust for stakeholder,
    development partners and sponsors engagement in the areas of enhanced
    productivity, effective producer and trader association collaboration,
    post-harvest handling, value chain development, access to market
    information systems, and creating linkages to domestic, commodity
    information on local, regional and international markets;
  • Plan, coordinate and ensure implementation of the aBi Trust Value
    Chains and Financial Services Development Activities with the integration
    of Green Growth, Human Rights Based Approach to Development (HRBAD) and
    Gender matters into the work;
  • Provide operational leadership, guidance for the Financial Services
    Development and Value Chains Development Chief Managers with reference to
    Governance framework documents;
  • Identify strategic business development opportunities to drive
    growth in the agribusiness sector and carry out business development
    activities;
  • Develop innovative solutions for supporting agricultural value chain
    developments supported by the aBi Trust and ensure synergies and
    coordination of work with aBi Finance;
  • Oversee Abi Trust’s M&E function and ensure effective monitoring
    of the activities and of the ongoing evaluation, ensuring Implementing
    Partners adherence to agreed terms and conditions and reporting these to
    the Chief Executive Officer on a regular basis;
  • Chair of the Grants Committee with the emphasis on transparency,
    accountability and non-discrimination;
  • Develop an effective team, motivate and retain staff within the aBi
    Trust;
  • Ensure that risk management measures are undertaken within the aBi
    Trust;
  • Ensure timely completion of technical activities and of contractual
    technical reports and deliverables (Quarterly and Annual Reports, Annual
    Work Plans, Performance Monitoring Plan and reports etc.);
  • Actively participate in the development of innovative financial
    products for agricultural value chains, together with rural financial
    institutions, and in close cooperation with apex organizations with
    particular emphasis on financial access to the rural communities; and
  • Ensure effective financial management of aBi Trust funds including
    budget development and efficient utilization of staff and resources in
    complete compliance with aBi Trust rules and regulations.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 
  • The Chief Operating Officer must hold a Master’s Degree in Business
    Administration, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Agricultural Economics or a
    related field and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration,
    Economics, Agriculture or any other related discipline from a recognized
    university.
  • The ideal candidate must also possess Operational Management
    experience of  at least five years
    obtained in an agribusiness development organisation and should be have a
    demonstrated record of ongoing continued Professional Development.
  • He/she should have not less than twelve (12) years of working
    experience with value chain development in developing countries.
  • He/ She must be able to demonstrate an excellent track record of
    initiating and successfully managing progammes of sustained agribusiness
    value chain support.
  • The ideal candidate must possess comprehensive knowledge and
    understanding of the Ugandan and regional agricultural and agri- commodity
    markets, industry and development;
  • Broad knowledge of input and output markets for agriculture and food
    production, processing and trading;
  • Possess a good understanding of the aBi Trust’s products and
    facilities and what constitute opportunities and risks in this working
    space;
  • Strong understanding of the domestic and international development
    policy environments and priorities and the frameworks and tools most
    commonly used to deliver those;
  • Extensive exposure and experience with rural financing;
  • Possess the ability to identify new opportunities for the aBi Trust,
    structuring solutions for those and then being able to negotiate
    operational partnerships for implementation and financing Intuitive and
    innovative;
  • Strong, applied economic, financial and organizational analytical
    skills and the ability to use those to engineer better investment and
    development outcomes;
  • Strong negotiation skills and the ability to “close the deal” in a
    timely manner.
  • Possess the ability to manage budgets and resource allocations
    efficiently as well as having a strong commercial acumen; and
  • Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills; the ability to motivate
    staff to perform at a consistently high level and to retain those staff.
How to Apply: 
If you believe you
fit the above job role and desire to join aBi Trust in the aforementioned
portfolio, please send your application in confidence to the address below.
Remember to kindly send an updated curriculum vitae (by post or email)
containing details of your qualifications, experience, present position,
current and expected remuneration as well as copies of professional/academic
certificates. Also include day and evening telephone numbers, e-mail address,
names and addresses of three references to:
The People and
Change Division PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited 1 Colville Street
P.O. Box 8053
Kampala, Uganda E-mail: hr.s@ug.pwc.com
NB: Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
Deadline: Friday 28th March 2014

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