Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi’s economy, employing over 70% of the population and contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (24.7%). Whilst subsistence farming has been the predominant practice, there has been a growing emphasis on commercialization to unlock the sector’s full potential. Commercialization entails transitioning from traditional, subsistence-oriented farming to more market-oriented, profit-driven agricultural activities in line with the Government’s Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) growth strategy In Malawi, this transition is crucial for enhancing food security, increasing farmers’ incomes, promoting rural development, and achieving broader economic growth objectives. However, achieving meaningful commercialization requires targeted interventions, supportive policies and a strong anchorage to private sector. Since 2014, UNDP has actively supported the private sector in advancing sustainable development through diverse initiatives and partnerships in the agricultural space in close collaboration with mainstream Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Through close collaboration with private sector entities building on relevant past experiences, the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project will provide the technical expertise, resources, and networks required to effectively tackle challenges related to agricultural commercialization and generate market opportunities for smallholder farmers (SHF), advocating for market-oriented business practices and stimulating market and financial opportunities within priority value chains.

The Agricultural and Value Chain Specialist will lead efforts to develop sustainable value chains across the project’s five prioritized commodities: banana, honey, rice, soya, and aquaculture. This role requires close collaboration with stakeholders to drive commercialization, improve production practices, enhance market access, and ensure that all value chain activities are both socially and environmentally sustainable. Additionally, the Specialist is responsible for ensuring that project interventions are nutrition-sensitive and contribute to addressing under-nutrition and related challenges, in alignment with the objectives of the UCHI Nutrition Project.

In a position that demands specialized expertise in value chain development for key commodities, the Specialist will serve as the primary contact for advancing agricultural business initiatives within the project. Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and in collaboration with Project Specialists and District Coordinators, the Specialist will provide expert guidance to farmer organizations (FOs) and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) on best agricultural practices. Core responsibilities include coordinating value chains, performing technical analyses, and implementing sustainable strategies to strengthen the agribusiness sector. The Specialist will report directly to the UCHI Project Manager, and indirectly to the Programme Coordinator Inclusive/Green Business.

Provide technical advisory support, strategic planning, and implementation oversight for agribusiness and market development activities 

• Provide Strategic and Technical Guidance: Support the project team in developing comprehensive project plans, management frameworks, and implementation strategies to ensure effective and efficient delivery;
• Value Chain Development: Lead the design and execution of Value Chain Accelerators tailored to each value chain, enhancing market integration and growth potential;
• Agri-Business and Entrepreneurship Promotion: Design and implement targeted activities to foster agribusiness skills and entrepreneurial practices among farmers;
• Capacity Building for FOs/SMEs: Strengthen the capacity of farmer organizations (FOs) and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in sustainable agricultural practices, climate resilience, and productivity-enhancing methods across the value chain;
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with the Business Specialist to identify and establish partnerships with key stakeholders, including off-takers, financial institutions, and relevant industry actors;
• Market Research and Analysis: Work with relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to conduct market research, gathering insights on consumer preferences, market needs, and enterprise selection to guide business-related activities of the UCHI Project;
• Project Management and Resource Optimization: Develop and monitor project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation to maximize efficiency and achieve project targets;
• Policy and Market Solutions: Work with the Ministry of Trade to identify market bottlenecks, assess risks, and devise solutions that address challenges and leverage opportunities within project interventions;
• Training and Mentorship: Provide comprehensive training, coaching, and mentorship to agricultural workers and other value chain participants, enhancing their knowledge of agribusiness and modern agricultural practices;
• District-Level Support: Assist district staff with budgeting, planning, and translating project objectives into actionable activities for local implementation;
• Planning and Reporting: In coordination with other specialists, ensure timely preparation and submission of quarterly, annual, and other required project reports. Lead the preparations of activity plans, review of budget and facilitates approval of national and district level activities;
• Facilitate project monitoring and progress reviews with the project team, providing actionable recommendations to the project manager for continuous improvement.

Provide Policy Support and Advices on UCHI Project 

• Evidence-Based Dialogue Facilitation: Lead inclusive, evidence-based discussions to build a shared understanding of UCHI’s agricultural commercialization goals within national and local contexts, and explore priority policy intervention areas;
• Policy Development Support: Assist the Ministry of Agriculture in developing and reviewing policies and strategies related to agriculture, food security, and commercialization to align with national priorities;
• Policy Reform Collaboration: Work closely with the UCHI implementation team and Government of Malawi counterparts—including the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Trade, and local entities—to define a policy agenda aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, agribusiness growth, and private investment;
• Expert Consultation and Policy Analysis: Partner with local and international experts to review identified policy challenges, providing evidence-based recommendations to address constraints affecting agricultural commercialization.

Strengthens partnerships with government and other partners across the 10 Districts of UCHI

• Build and Strengthen Partnerships: Collaborate with government agencies, NGOs, financial institutions, market actors, and other stakeholders across the 10 UCHI project districts to foster strategic partnerships, ensuring project alignment and effective coordination;
• Facilitate Stakeholder Dialogues and Forums: Organize and support regional and national dialogue meetings, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions to promote collaboration, exchange ideas, and strengthen the implementation of the UCHI Program;
• Provide Advisory Support: Engage with government and key partners to deliver knowledge-based advisory services, ensuring alignment with broader development efforts and optimizing integration across initiatives;
• Develop and Manage Partnership Agreements: Support the creation of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), partnership agreements, and other collaborative frameworks to formalize stakeholder relationships.

Effective Knowledge Management

• Maintain a Centralized Knowledge Management System: Ensure accurate documentation, accessibility, and organization of program data, reports, and materials for stakeholders;
• Develop and Disseminate Knowledge Products: Create high-quality briefs, reports, presentations, and other materials that support evidence-based decision-making, enhance program visibility, and promote private sector engagement in agriculture, productivity, and value chains;
• Ensure Quality and Integration of Knowledge Products: Oversee the development and quality of all knowledge products, ensuring alignment and integration with related programs within RSG and compatibility with broader program objectives;
• Enhance Program Visibility and Communication: Coordinate the visibility of UNDP’s agricultural and resilience initiatives, including the UCHI program, through effective knowledge sharing and well-designed communication materials;
• Leverage Lessons Learned and Global Knowledge Networks: Identify and incorporate lessons learned to drive program outcomes and actively facilitate access to global knowledge networks to inform and enhance local program delivery.

Capacity Building and Monitoring

• Capacity Building for Farmer Organizations (FOs) and MSMEs: Develop and deliver training programs on modern agricultural practices directly to FOs and trainers. Identify and adapt existing training materials from previous projects, such as Kulima, to meet the needs of FOs and MSMEs;
• Performance Monitoring and Evaluation: Collaborate with the MEL department to design and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks, track project progress, and assess outcomes. Monitor agribusiness operations to identify improvement areas and implement risk mitigation strategies;
• Data Collection and Analysis: Collect and analyze data on project activities, impact, and effectiveness to inform decision-making and improve project outcomes;
• Field Supervision and Information Gathering: Conduct field visits, missions, and conferences to supervise activities and gather information for program dissemination and stakeholder engagement;
• Background Material Preparation: Assist in preparing background materials for discussions, correspondence, and meetings with stakeholders to support effective communication and decision-making;
• Community-Focused Training and Support: Contribute to capacity-building efforts to ensure project activities and deliverables are well received and effectively implemented within the target communities;

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager UCHI and in collaboration with Project Specialists and District Coordinators, the Specialist will provide expert guidance to farmer organizations (FOs) and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) on best agricultural practices.

Business Direction & Strategy:

• Strategic Thinking
  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritize plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
  • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends: to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP
• System Thinking
  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management:

• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management
• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
• Project Management
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Partnership management: Relationship Management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

2030 Agenda: Prosperity: Inclusive Growth

• Local Economic Development
• Economic Diversification

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements