AGRI International Market Linkages Senior Coordinator

AGRI-Ukraine Export Logistics Support
10 May 2024

Kyiv / Lviv / Odesa

ERA BACKGROUND 

Ukraine’s efforts to win the future – emerging from Russia’s full-scale war ready to accelerate its development as a sovereign, independent, democratic, and prosperous state – require a dynamic, inclusive economic recovery. Through partnerships with the government and robust private sector engagement, ERA has supported economic growth and resilience in Ukraine since 2018. Following Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and subsequent occupation of the part of Ukraine, ERA shifted from its focus on Eastern Ukraine to cover development priorities across the country that address Ukraine’s urgent needs in export logistics and infrastructural improvements.

AGRI-UKRAINE GRAIN EXPORT LOGISTICS

USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) is one of USAID’s core partners implementing the $350 million Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine) that was established in 2022 to bolster Ukrainian agricultural exports and alleviate the global food security crisis exacerbated by the war. Under AGRI-Ukraine, ERA partners with public and private companies to complement and leverage urgently-needed grain transportation and transshipment investments.

INFRASTRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS

ERA also directly supports the Government of Ukraine, including the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), the State Customs Service and Ukrainian Railways, to upgrade 42 of Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs). Modern and more efficient border infrastructure and customs procedures will reduce export costs and increase export capacity, enabling  Ukraine to scale trade and advance its path to EU integration.

About the job

The AGRI International Market Linkages Senior Coordinator is responsible for developing international trade market linkages, knowledge transfer solutions and capacity development, as well as coordinating AGRI International Market Linkages interventions with the Export, Technical and Operations teams to ensure they are implemented according to schedule, with attention to detail, and to a high standard of quality, as well as for monitoring and reporting on their progress. The AGRI International Market Linkages Senior Coordinator is based in Kyiv / Lviv / Odesa and reports to the AGRI Component Director or designate.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Market Linkages Development – Market Outreach, Organizing International Trade Visits & Developing Marketing Materials:

  • Gather, research, finalize, and regularly update data in USAID ERA’s Market Linkages database.
  • Develop customized marketing materials designed for publication and distributed inside Ukraine and internationally to stakeholders in the agricultural commodity global marketplace.
  • Work with agricultural export stakeholders in Ukraine to help develop three marketing partnerships that will facilitate international trade in the most cost-efficient manner recognizing current logistical challenges. Liaise and nurture relationships with international buyers of Ukrainian commodities in select markets.
  • Lead the organization for USAID ERA beneficiaries and participate in multiple international trade shows and events to maximize  market linkage opportunities.

Market Know-How Development – Stakeholder Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer:

  • Communicate with, understand and be responsive to stakeholder needs in relation to demands for international trade applicable training programs, with particular focus on supply chain development, and commodity sales and marketing (specifically targeting MENA and EU markets).
  • Work with AGRI Export team members to select suitable training and education programs that will impact  stakeholders needs and enable them to be more competitive.
  • Help select training and education implementation partners where it is most needed
  • Assist to pre-select suitable candidates for designated training programs.
  • Coordinate with other USAID ERA teams to help organize training, education, and knowledge transfer events which may be conducted on-line, in-person inside Ukraine or in-person outside Ukraine.
  • Schedule and promote programs/courses that are certified to ensure participation optimization.

Monitoring Evaluation and Learning: in coordination with the MEL Team:

  • Support the MEL team in conducting  data collection to report against AGRI performance indicators.
  • Coordinate and analyze data to measure project impact and outcomes.
  • Support identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning.

Communication: in coordination with the Communications Team:

  • Contribute to written progress updates for communications and strategic program management.
  • Facilitate the organization of public events, trade missions visits, and work in close coordination with Admin/Logistics/Communications to make all necessary arrangements.

Other:

  • Collect and provide weekly written progress updates to the supervisor and team as required.
  • Review and analyze market reports to ensure clear and timely information is provided to management for prompt decision-making.
  • Maintain accurate project documentation and records.
  • Prepare accurate and timely field reports and other project documentation as required.
  • Keep respective activity records in the DAI corporate system (TAMIS).
  • Collaborate with other departments and teams to ensure alignment with overall goals and objectives.
  • Assist with ad hoc English-Ukrainian/other translation / interpretation when requested.
  • Where required monitor procurement and delivery progress and ensure that activities are aligned with the USAID ERA plans and performance indicators.

About you

  • Bachelor degree or higher in Project Management, Economics, Business/Public Administration, Sales and Marketing, or related fields.
  • Minimum five years (5) years of experience supporting sales and marketing or project coordination or management with an international organization is required.
  • Proficiency in office software applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
  • Excellent professional communications and negotiation skills and who can relate to people at all levels of an organization.
  • Ability to work independently and in close cooperation with a team remotely.
  • An energetic, thinking-forward, and creative individual with high ethical standards and an appropriate professional image.
  • An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus with ability to plan and meet deadlines.
  • Multitask and manage a variety of tasks and initiatives simultaneously.
  • Experience working in teams is a plus, as the successful candidate may be asked to manage a team in the future.
  • The successful candidate must hold a valid passport and have permission to travel freely in Ukraine and out of Ukraine to potentially attend international trade and marketing related events as needed.
  • Fluent English and Ukrainian communication skills, both oral and written. Fluency in any other international languages relevant to the target geographies of AGRI’s international trade initiatives is a plus (e.g. Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Italian or Spanish).

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.

Benefits Package:

  • 28 calendar days of annual leave
  • 10 days of internal well-being paid leave per annum
  • Medical Insurance for ERA staff and their families
  • Life Insurance for ERA staff
  • Coverage of all expenses for the business trips
  • Military reservation is possible and granted if you are on a relevant military register

Start date: June 2024

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to ukraine@dai.com

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.

Closing date for applications: May 25, 2024.

Find more about USAID ERA on DAI.com.