Market Linkage Officer At Coopi - Cooperazione Internazionale

Overall Responsibilities

• The Market Linkage Officer will lead the development and facilitation of structured market linkages for farmers, Producer Marketing Organizations (PMOs), cooperatives, SMEs and youth- and women-led enterprises under the Agri-Food System Transformation and Innovation (AFTI) project in Bade LGA, Yobe State.
• The Officer will support the transition of smallholder farmers from fragmented and informal spot markets to coordinated aggregation, structured trading, and sustainable business-to-business (B2B) relationships.
• The position will conduct value chain and market assessments, identify and profile buyers and service providers, strengthen market readiness of PMOs and enterprises and facilitate buyer - seller engagements.
• The Market Linkage Officer will work closely with Business Advisors / Community Mobilizers, Post-Harvest & Infrastructure Officer, Financial Inclusion Officer, Digital Innovation Officer, PMOs, private-sector actors, government institutions, and other value chain stakeholders to ensure that production, aggregation, post-harvest handling, finance, quality standards, and market demand are effectively connected.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager / Technical Lead, the Market Linkage Officer will be responsible for:

Market Assessment and Intelligence:

• Lead value chain mapping and market assessments for priority commodities and enterprises.
• Identify and maintain a database of buyers, processors, aggregators, wholesalers, retailers, input suppliers, and other market actors.
• Analyse market demand, prices, quality standards, volumes, seasonality, packaging, and buyer requirements.
• Provide timely market information and identify emerging opportunities for farmers and enterprises.

Market Linkages and B2B Engagement:

• Facilitate linkages between PMOs, cooperatives, SMEs, women/youth-led enterprises, and structured buyers.
• Organize buyer - seller meetings, business forums, exhibitions, and market/investment linkage events.
• Support PMOs and enterprises to understand contracts, pricing, quality, delivery, and payment terms.

Aggregation, Quality and Value Addition:

• Support aggregation and bulking plans to meet buyer volume and quality requirements.
• Work with the Post-Harvest & Infrastructure Officer to ensure products meet required quality, grading, moisture, packaging, and storage standards.
• Identify opportunities for value addition and higher-value markets across priority commodities.
• Link producers with logistics providers to improve transportation and reduce transaction costs.

Enterprise and Financial Linkages:

• Support PMOs and enterprises to develop business profiles, product catalogues, quotations, and marketing materials.
• Work with the Financial Inclusion Officer to facilitate access to financing linked to viable market opportunities.
• Promote increased participation of women and youth in processing, aggregation, logistics, packaging, trading, and digital market services.

Monitoring, Reporting and Coordination:

• Monitor B2B agreements, transactions, prices, volumes, delivery, quality, and payment performance.
• Maintain updated records of buyers, agreements, transactions, and market opportunities.
• Coordinate with government institutions, private-sector actors, financial institutions, processors, and other stakeholders.
• Document success stories, lessons learned, challenges, and market opportunities.
• Collect market data and contribute to project indicators, including increased income among supported enterprises and producer groups.
• Prepare regular activity reports and ensure compliance with COOPI / WFP standards on gender, safeguarding, protection, and accountability.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Stay abreast of developments in conflict sensitive programming and humanitarian response.
• Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.

Experience and Qualification

• Bachelor's Degree or HND in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Development Studies, or a related field.
• 3 - 5 years of relevant professional experience in market systems development, value chain development, agribusiness, market linkage, business development, private-sector engagement, or related development programmes.
• Experience working with NGOs, humanitarian / development programmes, cooperatives, farmer organizations, or community-based institutions.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating buyer - seller relationships, commercial partnerships, offtake agreements, contract farming, or B2B transactions.
• Strong understanding of agricultural commodity markets, particularly grain and other relevant value chains.
• Practical experience working with farmer cooperatives, PMOs, aggregators, processors, wholesalers, retailers, institutional buyers, or rural SMEs.
• Knowledge of post-harvest management, aggregation, storage, processing, and value addition is highly desirable.
• Experience working with financial institutions, logistics providers, digital platforms, or other market service providers is an advantage.
• Strong negotiation, communication, facilitation, networking, and relationship-management skills.
• Good understanding of inclusive market systems, with demonstrated ability to promote participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
• Experience using Excel, Kobo / ODK, digital market information systems, or similar tools is an advantage.
• Fluency in English and Hausa and/or relevant local languages spoken in Bade LGA.
• Willingness and ability to undertake frequent field travel and engage with market actors across Bade LGA and surrounding markets.
• Commitment to COOPI / WFP standards on safeguarding, gender, protection, accountability, inclusion, and ethical conduct.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.