Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide agribusiness support to service providers, machinery manufacturers, importers and other actors in the small mechanization market system.
• Assess small-scale mechanization opportunities with special emphasis on service demand and supply at both national and local levels, including market and financial analysis, demand assessment, and agri-business implications.
• Develop and assess new (or upgraded) commercially viable mechanization business models and associated development.
• Identify barriers and challenges at each node of the value chain and identify opportunities for strengthening the farm machinery subsector.
• Develop appropriate financial products targeting rural service providers and smallholder farmers.
• Identify financial service providers for smallholder mechanization and develop financial product suitable for mechanization service providers, manufacturers, and dealers.
• Support research design process and development of data collection tools, drawing on participatory research methodologies across fields.
• Contribute to qualitative and quantitative data collection in the target regions of Zimbabwe, likely to include interviews, participatory needs assessments through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and surveys.
• Contribute to data analysis, likely to include coding and qualitative analysis of interview data, basic descriptive statistics, cost-benefit and econometric analyses, and value chain analysis.
• Conduct literature reviews on relevant topics and support manuscript and report writing and other reporting as required.
• Lead in organizing stakeholder meetings and workshops, and oversee taking minutes.
• Seek, build, and strengthen partnerships with public and private institutions for greatest adoption of small-scale mechanization by smallholders.
• Other duties and miscellaneous tasks as required and as assigned by the supervisor.

 Required academic qualifications, skills, and attitudes:

• Masters in Agribusiness or related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in agribusiness and agricultural value chain in development, research, corporate or international environment.
• Relevant experience working with smallholder farmers or in a mechanization project would be an added advantage.
• Clean Class 4 driver’s license is a must. Defensive Driving Certificate will be an added advantage.
• The selected candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Critical and Creative Thinking, Teamwork, and Communication.