Senior Intervention Officer – Sustainable Land Use
Palladium: Make It Possible
Remote
Propcom+ is an eight-year (2023–2030) rural and agricultural market systems development programme funded by UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by Palladium. The programme promotes climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry that deliver benefits for people, climate, and nature.
Propcom+ seeks to transform Nigeria’s rural economy by addressing the environmental, social, and economic challenges within the country’s food and land-use systems. The programme pursues three interconnected objectives: (i) increasing agricultural productivity while improving nutrition and food security; (ii) strengthening climate resilience, reducing emissions, and protecting and restoring natural ecosystems; and (iii) addressing underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity in rural communities.
Now in its fourth year of implementation, Propcom+ continues to facilitate sustainable, pro-poor, and climate-resilient growth across selected rural markets. Operating as a market systems facilitator, the programme identifies constraints that limit market performance and catalyses systemic changes that enable markets to function more effectively for poor and climate-vulnerable smallholder farmers, as well as rural micro and small-scale enterprises.
The programme aims to increase the incomes and climate resilience of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians by 2030, with women accounting for at least 50% of beneficiaries. Following a strategic review at the end of Year 3, Propcom+ has streamlined from 11 portfolios and 36 interventions in Years 1–3 to four core portfolios and nine interventions in Year 4. These interventions comprise a mix of scaling, pilot, and policy-focused initiatives; with gender, nutrition, conflict, and climate considerations embedded as cross-cutting themes.
Propcom+’s geographical focus has evolved over the life of the programme. During Years 1–3, the programme adopted a three-tier implementation model, prioritising states in North-West and North-East Nigeria (Tiers 1 and 2), where climate-smart agricultural interventions addressed the needs of poor and climate-vulnerable populations. In Southern Nigeria (Tier 3), the programme implemented a more targeted set of activities focused primarily on promoting deforestation-free commodity systems. In Year 4, Propcom+ refined its geographical focus by expanding into additional states in Northern Nigeria while streamlining its southern portfolio to three states: Cross River, Oyo, and Ekiti.
Primary Duties And Responsibilities
The Senior Intervention Officer will lead and manage key interventions on Sustainable Land Use (SLU) and Forestry ensuring activities are implemented to deliver results and impact under the Propcom+ (P+) programme. The role includes: overseeing project activities; coordinating with stakeholders; applying a broad range of market development tools to stimulate changes in the behaviour of market actors and structures – leading to more inclusive, “green” and sustainable market growth; and providing technical expertise to drive the programme’s success. S/he will work closely with the SLU and Forestry Lead and collaborate with the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), P2 and P3 teams to ensure alignment with key reporting indicators.
REPORTING AND LINE MANAGEMENT
This post will report to a Portfolio Manager. The post holder will work to the Team lead on a day-to-day basis
Key Responsibilities
industry analyses on the broader forest-risk agriculture commodity markets and targeted subsectors to keep the programme strategy responsive.
Support investor engagement into Support the SLU and Forestry Lead in developing a strategic and balanced pipeline; and in managing Technical Assistance portfolio, while regularly updating the FSLU strategy and corresponding workplans to achieve P+ and FCDO priorities.
Identify and design intervention opportunities, maintaining coverage , and fulfilling programmes commitments in priority states.
Manage multiple partner and potential partner relationships to help them secure technical assistance and funding from Propcom+ and then monitor and evaluate impact.
Periodically assess programme/ intervention assumptions in light of the changing environment; identify emerging priorities, refine, and adapt intervention strategies accordingly.
Perform periodic sustainable commodities and partnerships.
Lead in supporting the development of business plans with project partners, to meet expected financial investment and traction from the private sector.
Conduct business investment potential and readiness assessment; as required, develop factsheets that provide an overview of financial and technical updates for value chains which P+’s intervention actors are engaged in.
Contribute to strategic planning, effective management of interventions and timely reporting to meet the programme’s priorities, milestones and outcomes, as well as alignment with the client’s expectations. Assist regional workstreams in generating FCDO and internal project reports/updates.
Ensure interventions under implementation achieve P+ SLU milestone targets as planned, and share lessons and impact stories around interventions under implementation.
Lead in establishing contacts with state and non-state actors that may contribute to the successful implementation of market activities, and maintain relationships with key players with common interests to Propcom+.
Conduct regular field visits to ensure proper implementation of intervention activities.
Provide a range of project management support related to the projects, including due diligence, budgeting, monitoring and reporting, as well as contracting, procurement, MoUs, ToRs and any other administrative requirement for the interventions.
Provide periodic reporting to support decision making.
Engage in developing and sharing knowledge products relating to SLU interventions.
TEAMWORK
Work as a part of P+ team towards delivering programme results.
Deploy a consultative approach while working with team members, consultants and partners.
Foster good relationships among team members, and contribute to maintenance of a respectful workplace through demonstrating a positive attitude.
Whenever tasked with management responsibility, ensure that good management practices are deployed.
Key Competencies/Experience
The Senior Intervention Officer should have:
A degree, or equivalent qualification, in Economics, Agribusiness, Land Use, Natural Resources and climate, or a related discipline;
5+ years of previous experience in similar work, developing market systems or designing bottom of the pyramid models, funded by FCDO or other large donor agencies, including in a management role;
Experience working in agricultural or forest commodities associated with deforestation, such as palm oil, cocoa, timber products, etc;
Relevant experience in sustainability of markets and supply chains;
Proven experience in applying quantitative, conceptual, and analytical problem-solving skills;
Experience in working with a broad range of stakeholders; facilitating and mainstreaming complex processes amongst civil society, private sector and governments;
Comfortable with significant client interaction and managing multiple partners;
Understanding of private sector investor mentality and needs to help shape projects and promote private sector investment in them.
Solid experience in delivering high-quality results against tight deadlines;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English ;
Strong personal qualities, including integrity, results oriented, commitment to excellence, equality, openness, inclusiveness, collegiality and solving problems even in very difficult situations;
Knowledge and experience working in the South of Nigeria; and
Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including government, community-based organisations, and the private sector.
LOCATION
The post is primarily located in Abuja; however, the candidate will be required to travel frequently to states in both Northern and Southern Nigeria.
Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.