Asociado/a de Programas - Especialista de Acceso A Mercados

Organizational Context

The World Food Programme (WFP) in El Salvador focuses on supporting vulnerable households through social protection, school feeding, and enhancing smallholder access to markets. The Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2022-2027 prioritizes resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable food systems, with market access being crucial for rural livelihoods.

Job Purpose

The Programme Associate - Market Access Specialist will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of inclusive and sustainable market access strategies for smallholder farmers and rural organizations. This role involves providing technical assistance and field support to strengthen commercial capacities, facilitate market linkages, and contribute to increased income and livelihood resilience. The specialist will analyze markets and value chains, identify viable markets and products, and address technical, organizational, and logistical gaps. They will also provide hands-on assistance in commercialization, pricing, quality control, logistics, and formalization processes, while fostering organizational development for farmer associations. A key aspect will be facilitating connections between producers and buyers, supporting inclusive value chain development, and coordinating with institutional procurement mechanisms. The role requires contributing to operational planning, budgeting, and coordination with partners, as well as supporting knowledge management through reporting and documenting best practices.

Responsibilities

The role involves a comprehensive approach to enhancing market access and value chains for small producers and rural organizations. Key responsibilities include conducting market and value chain analyses to identify commercially viable products and potential markets, while also pinpointing technical, organizational, and logistical barriers. A significant part of the job is providing direct technical assistance to producers and their organizations on crucial aspects like marketing, negotiation, production costs, pricing, product quality, logistics, and formalization processes. The position also entails strengthening organizational capacities and facilitating linkages between producers and various buyers, including institutional mechanisms. Programmatic management duties include contributing to operational planning, budgeting, and coordinating with implementing partners and local authorities. Furthermore, the role requires supporting knowledge management by monitoring results, preparing reports, and documenting best practices. Cross-cutting themes such as gender, youth inclusion, and climate change adaptation must be integrated into all interventions, promoting equitable participation and decision-making. The ultimate goal is to foster stronger commercial capabilities, diversify market channels, develop sustainable business models, increase producers' access to competitive markets, and improve household income and resilience.

Work Experience

Candidates need a minimum of 3 years of experience in market access, value chains, agribusiness, agro-productive project management, or rural development. Solid knowledge of El Salvador's rural and agricultural context, including productive, organizational, and market dynamics, is also required.

Skills

Market analysis, Value chain analysis, Technical assistance, Commercialization, Negotiation, Pricing, Product quality, Logistics, Distribution, Organizational strengthening, Commercial linkage, Project management, Coordination, Knowledge management, Gender mainstreaming, Youth inclusion, Social inclusion, Climate change adaptation

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