Deputy Team Lead and Cooperative Specialist

Vacancy: Deputy Team Lead and Cooperative Specialist 

AfDB Project: Enhancing the Capacity of Women-Led Cooperatives in the Cashew Value Chain

ADT Project Consulting GmbH is an innovative and reliable German consulting firm that focuses on technical assistance and international projects in the areas of livestock, agriculture, veterinary & food safety, agribusiness and rural development. Since 1995 we have been working for governments, development agencies, public institutions as well as for enterprises and organisations in the agriculture and food industry in more than 60 countries (see www.adtproject.de). Main clients are the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), EU EuropeAid and other EU programmes, GIZ, FAO, USAID, WB and other public donors as well as private organisations/companies.

Project objectives

Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), with financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative and grant funding from the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), is implementing the Empowering Women in Agriculture (EWA) Project in Tanzania. The Tanzania component of the project seeks to strengthen the productivity, organizational governance, financial capacity, and market integration of ten women-led cashew cooperatives located in Tandahimba District, Mtwara Region. The intervention also aims to indirectly benefit more than 4,000 rural women who participate in the cashew value chain outside the formal cooperative structure.

The project is expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

1.    Development of a comprehensive Gender Action Plan that guides gender-responsive and inclusive interventions across the EWA Tanzania Project.

2.    Strengthened governance, managerial, technical, and financial capacity of the ten women-led cashew cooperatives.

3.    Improved integration of women-led cooperatives into commercial cashew value chains, particularly through structured off-take arrangements with YYTZ.

4.    Updated and investment-ready business plans that enable cooperatives to access financial services and expand their operations.

5.    Enhanced peer learning, knowledge exchange, and technical expertise among cooperative members and partners.

6.    Production of high-quality knowledge and communication products, including a Tanzania-specific case study, to support replication and policy dialogue.

The assignment is expected to start in May 2026 until June 2027. The project is financed by the African Development Bank (AFDB).

Qualifications:

• University degree (Master/Diploma) in Agricultural Economics, Agronomy, Agribusiness, Economics, Development Studies or related fields
• Minimum 7 years of professional experience in value chain enhancement and working with cooperatives, particularly female cooperatives; experience in the cashew value chain is an advantage
• Experience in development cooperation projects, preferably in Tanzania
• Strong analytical, drafting, and advisory skills
• Excellent command of English (C1 level); Swahili language skills are an advantage

Tasks:

•     Leads cooperative strengthening
•     Responsible for capacity-building interventions

We are committed to gender equality and strongly encourage women to apply.