Consultant, Product Management Full Time

CIMMYT is a cutting edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries.

For more information, visit cimmyt.org.

CIMMYT seeks an agribusiness-oriented Consultant, Product Manager to oversee the alignment of all facets of product development, from product definition, through product development, to links with distribution and marketing of products for our focus crops.

The location of this position will be Nairobi, Kenya. 

Deliverables:

• Develop comprehensive product strategies and roadmaps, considering market trends, customer needs, and business goals after analyzing data from trials/ demos/ OFTs and feedback.

• Consult with market intelligence, seed systems, and value chain actors to document the drivers of variety adoption and develop the product cycle strategy from design to market.
• Incorporate socially inclusive needs and circumstances, particularly of women and youth in rural households in target geographies and of human nutrition, in target setting and design and the go to- market strategy.

• Manage advanced testing to ensure qualitative and quantitative data from on-farm trials are available for product advancement meetings.
• Manage the product advancement process and pipeline from late-stage testing to product advancement and recommendation for release and commercialization.
• Support management in ensuring that the breeding programs deliver products that market needs, and to do this on time, and on budget.
• Work with partners to increase the impact of crop improvement by:

• Improving our understanding of factors affecting variety replacement.
• Developing effective practices in the germplasm advancement processes.
• Ensure accurate seed multiplication and dissemination processes, including engagement with the seed industry.

• Contribute to CGIAR product design and management modules, annual and multi-year work plan development, execution, and reporting, and manage associated budgets.
• Capacity development to designated teams, e.g., PDT and PATs, and partners for modern product delivery. As part of capacity development, contribute to publications in referred journals, project reports, posters, and papers for presentation at local and international conferences.

Required qualifications, skills, and attitudes:

• Master’s degree or higher in crop sciences, plant breeding, seed science and technology, agronomy or similar.
• Four or more years of experience in seed product management, marketing of seed hybrids/ varieties and/or business administration is desirable.
• Hands-on agrobusiness experience in the commercial seed industry in Africa; awareness of industry trends and developments.
• Familiarity with the seed sector / seed value chains and experience with agricultural digitals tools is desirable.
• Awareness of product development principles including how to understand requirements for variety adoption and methods for marketing.
• Commitment to social inclusiveness, including awareness of the roles of women and youth in variety uptake.
• Cross-cultural, cross-function team management and leadership experience
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Results focused, persistence and pragmatic attitude skills.
• Teaching, training, and capacity development; ability to work effectively within a product-oriented perspective while engaging with organizations/stakeholders that might not share this perspective.
• The selected requires the following competencies: Team Leadership, Negotiation, Resolution, Client Orientation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving.

This consultancy is for an initial fixed term of (1) year, after which further employment is subject to performance and the continued availability of funds.