The Market Systems & Partnership Strategy Director will provide technical and strategic leadership in designing, coordinating, and delivering sustainable market development and consortium alignment strategies across FFPr implementation zones. This role leads efforts to generate economies of scale through aggregation, farmer organization support, and market integration while ensuring partner coordination and long-term sustainability through exit planning, private sector engagement, and resource leveraging.

As a senior management team member, the Director drives strategic thinking around systemic change, facilitates high-level partner alignment, and ensures program delivery reflects USDA Food for Progress goals related to agricultural productivity and trade expansion.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

·      Design aggregation models and support farmer organizations to improve economies of scale

·      Strengthen market linkages to integrate smallholders into competitive trade systems

·      Lead exit strategy development and institutional sustainability planning

·      Coordinate private sector partnerships and co-investment opportunities

·      Align project activities with ongoing development efforts to maximize synergy

·      Define roles and responsibilities of subrecipients and ensure effective consortium governance

·      Convene periodic strategy reviews with consortium and local stakeholders

·      Represent the project in regional trade dialogues, donor roundtables, and policy forums

·      Collaborate with technical, MEL, finance, and grants teams to ensure strategic coherence

·      Document lessons and adaptive strategies for USDA reporting and learning products

Qualifications

·      Advanced degree in economics, agribusiness, public policy, international development, or related field

·      Minimum 10 years of experience in market systems development, agricultural competitiveness, and strategic partnerships

·      Proven experience leading sustainability planning and donor coordination in West Africa

·      Familiarity with USDA/FAS goals and compliance structures preferred

·      Excellent skills in facilitation, relationship management, and consortium oversight

·      Fluency in French and English required

·      Strong analytical and communication capabilities, especially in strategy documentation and reporting