Vacancy with Agrifood Digital Library and Resource Center (AgDiL)
📢 JOB VACANCY: STATE TEAM LEAD – AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Agrifood Digital Library and Resource Center (AgDiL) is identifying qualified and experienced professionals for the position of State Team Lead for a proposed multi-year agricultural development programme in Nigeria.
The opportunity is contingent upon project award and funding approval. Selected professionals may be considered for deployment once the programme receives the required funding.
📌 POSITION DETAILS
Position: State Team Lead
Organisation: Agrifood Digital Library and Resource Center (AgDiL)
Locations: Kaduna, Jigawa, Benue or Plateau State
Employment Type: Full-time
Position Status: Contingent upon project award/funding
Application Deadline: 15 August 2026
Estimated Start Date: Q4 2026
Compensation: Competitive remuneration package
🌾 ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
An international development organisation is preparing to implement a multi-year agricultural development programme designed to strengthen the ginger and sesame value chains across selected Nigerian states.
The proposed programme will focus on areas including:
🌱 Improved agricultural productivity
🌱 Climate-smart agriculture
🌱 Enterprise development
🌱 Market systems strengthening
🌱 Private-sector engagement
🌱 Agricultural service delivery
🌱 Improved access to finance and markets
As part of its operational preparation, the programme is seeking qualified professionals who may be considered for deployment subject to project award and funding.
🎯 ROLE SUMMARY
The State Team Lead will provide overall leadership and coordination for programme implementation within the assigned state.
The successful candidate will translate programme strategies into effective field-level implementation by coordinating technical teams, managing stakeholder relationships, strengthening private-sector engagement, and ensuring that programme activities meet agreed performance targets.
The role will require strong leadership, agricultural development knowledge, stakeholder-management skills, and experience coordinating complex programmes.
🔧 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
📊 Programme Leadership & Delivery
The State Team Lead will:
- Lead the planning, coordination, and implementation of programme activities within the assigned state.
- Ensure implementation aligns with approved workplans, budgets, and schedules.
- Develop state-level implementation plans.
- Track programme milestones and performance targets.
- Coordinate technical specialists, field officers, consultants, and support teams.
- Monitor implementation progress and identify operational bottlenecks.
- Develop practical solutions to improve programme performance.
- Ensure programme resources are used efficiently.
- Provide regular implementation updates and strategic recommendations to programme management.
🤝 Stakeholder Engagement & Market Systems Development
The successful candidate will build and maintain productive relationships with:
- State government institutions.
- Local authorities.
- Private-sector companies.
- Producer and farmer organisations.
- Financial institutions.
- Research organisations.
- Development partners.
- Other relevant agricultural stakeholders.
The role will also involve:
- Facilitating partnerships that improve access to quality agricultural inputs.
- Supporting access to finance and extension services.
- Strengthening aggregation, processing, and market linkages.
- Promoting collaboration among agricultural market actors.
- Improving the competitiveness and sustainability of ginger and sesame value chains.
- Representing the programme at state-level meetings, technical working groups, stakeholder forums, and coordination platforms.
- Identifying opportunities for private-sector investment.
- Supporting commercially sustainable agricultural business opportunities.
📈 Performance Management & Quality Assurance
The State Team Lead will:
- Supervise state implementation teams.
- Ensure programme activities meet technical, operational, and quality standards.
- Monitor performance against agreed targets.
- Support timely corrective action where implementation gaps are identified.
- Work closely with the MERL team to ensure quality programme data and evidence are collected.
- Promote adaptive management by reviewing progress, lessons learned, and stakeholder feedback.
- Ensure interventions remain practical, market-driven, and responsive to beneficiary needs.
🛡️ Compliance, Risk Management & Reporting
Responsibilities will include:
- Ensuring compliance with organisational policies and donor requirements.
- Promoting safeguarding standards and financial procedures.
- Ensuring adherence to programme operating guidelines.
- Identifying programme implementation risks.
- Developing appropriate risk-mitigation measures.
- Reviewing and approving state-level reports and workplans.
- Reviewing activity documentation and implementation updates.
- Maintaining accurate records of programme activities and stakeholder engagements.
- Supporting donor missions, programme reviews, audits, and monitoring visits.
🎓 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Applicants should possess a Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields or a related discipline:
- Agriculture
- Agricultural Economics
- Agribusiness
- Rural Development
- Project Management
- Business Administration
- Development Studies
A Master’s degree will be an added advantage.
Candidates must also have:
✅ At least 7 years of progressive professional experience managing agricultural development, enterprise development, market systems, or donor-funded programmes.
✅ Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams.
✅ Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder programmes at state or regional level.
✅ Strong understanding of agricultural value chains, private-sector engagement, enterprise development, and market systems.
✅ Experience working with government institutions, development partners, financial institutions, private-sector organisations, and farmer groups.
✅ Experience managing workplans, budgets, implementation schedules, and operational resources.
✅ Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills.
✅ Proficiency in Microsoft Office and programme reporting tools.
🌟 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Additional advantages include:
- Experience leading multi-state agricultural development programmes.
- Experience with donor-funded market systems initiatives.
- Experience in private-sector development programmes.
- Professional certification in Project Management or a related discipline.
📩 HOW TO APPLY
Interested and qualified candidates should submit:
📄 An updated CV highlighting relevant programme management and leadership experience.
📄 A one-page cover letter.
Applications should be sent via email to:
jobs@agdil.com
Email Subject: State Team Lead – Solicitation Phase Application
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
