Market Access Team Lead

Market Access Team Lead

Scope of Work

Title: Market Access Team Lead for the Ukraine Harvest Activity

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine (on-site)

Project Description: Ukraine Harvest Activity (Harvest), USAID (2024−2029)

J.E. Austin Associates, Inc (JAA) is a subcontractor to Chemonics International in the Ukraine Harvest Activity, an initiative funded by USAID to boost the agricultural productivity and market accessibility of Ukrainian farmers. This project focuses on enhancing the supply of high-quality inputs, agronomic support, and extension services, while also working to establish robust market linkages, particularly with the EU.

JAA supports the Objective 2 of the project aimed to improve farmers' access to profitable markets. This is achieved through strengthening the market position of small and medium enterprise (SME) farmers, reducing logistics costs via digitalization and optimized strategies, and expanding business-to-business (B2B) connections through industry events, trade missions, and buyer visits. This comprehensive approach is designed to increase production, access to diverse markets, and profitability for Ukrainian farmers, contributing significantly to the region’s food security and economic resilience.

Job Description and Overall Responsibilities:

The Market Access Technical Lead will be primarily tasked with spearheading Objective 2 — The strengthening access of small farmer to international markets. This position will lead the design of market expansion strategies, focusing on the integration of Ukrainian agricultural products, specifically grains (Cereals, Sunflower, Wheat, Barley, Soybeans, etc) and vegetable oils, into EU, Gulf, African, and other key global markets. A strong understanding of trade dynamics, logistics, and producer association collaboration is fundamental to success in this position.

Thi s position is based in Kyiv, this role requires a professional who can navigate the complexities of international markets, generate commercial relationships, and implement innovative market access tools such as contract farming. This position will lead cross-functional teams, including logistics, B2B event specialists, and market managers, to develop and execute reliable roadmap for market access and ensure sustainable integrations of producers into value chains.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conducting permanent/ongoing analysis of international value chains, assessing marketing systems, institutional arrangements, and linkage opportunities for producers.
• Evaluat regional markets, including the Gulf States and European markets, to establish export-promoting relationships for agricultural production.
• Analyze wholesale and retail market demands in selected produce and processed food sectors, aligning with priority sector needs.
• Engage with potential buyers, producers, and intermediaries within target value chains to gather insights and develop strategies for sales through contract farming and other mechanisms.
• Develop and execute a program to strengthen the capacities of farmers, intermediaries, and agricultural institutions to create resilient and robust supply chains.
• Propose commercially viable incentives and value propositions to sustain and escalate the business activities of out growers/contract farmers and buyers.
• Perform other duties as directed by the COP or supervisor.

Job Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications: 

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (Agriculture, Marketing, MBA, Ag Economics, etc.) or equivalent qualifying experience
• At least 10 Years of experience in Access to Markets, experience leading teams is highly preferred
• Practical experience in Agricultural Value Chains
• Practical experience working with Farmers Associations, Ag Extensionist, Intermediaries.
• Fluency in English is required

How to Apply:

Interested individual consultants are encouraged to send their CVs and Cover Letter not later than 05, 15, 2024 Ukraine local time to: [відгукнутися].