Albania_Team Leader rural value chains

Albania is in the Western Balkans with a population of 2.862.427 inhabitants (as of January 2019), of which nearly 50% live in rural areas. The agriculture sector is of crucial importance with regard to socio-economic development in Albania as it contributes about 23% to the country’s GDP and accounts 42% of the overall employment.

The Fruits, Vegetables, Medicinal and Aromatic Plant (MAPs) and Small Ruminants Value Chains are among the most important sub-sectors of Albania’s agriculture

Of specific relevance to this tender are the activities conducted regarding the selection of the market-oriented agriculture-based value chains/product groups to be promoted, the value chain analysis and strategy development conducted so far.  From March to July 2019, the value chains to be supported were analysed and selected. The selection of the VC was coordinated with the partner institution, namely the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and proposals for interventions in the respective VC/product groups were developed during several workshops with VC actors (service providers, consultants, producers, processors). MARD and the project have decided for the following VC/product groups:

  • Fruit & nuts VCs: apples, stone fruits, chestnuts, berries
  • Vegetable VCs: export-oriented vegetables
  • Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP), dried MAPs, essential oils
  • Small ruminants: sheep and goat dairy products

Tasks of the team leader

  • Overall responsibility for the advisory package of the contractor
  • Ensuring the coherence and complementarity of the services of the contractor with other services delivered by the programme at local and national level
  • Strategy, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of capacity development measures for local partners in the following areas: value chain promotion of fruits and vegetables and small ruminants
  • Consideration of cross-cutting themes (e.g. gender equality, returnees, young people)
  • Personnel management, in particular identifying the need for short-term assignments within the available budget, as well as planning and steering assignments and supporting local and international short-term experts
  • Ensuring results monitoring and the monitoring for “Perspektive Heimat” is conducted
  • Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines
  • Responsibility for controlling the use of funds and financial planning in consultation with GIZ’s officer responsible for the commission 25
  • Supporting the officer responsible for the commission in updating/adapting the project strategy, in evaluations and in preparing a follow-on phase
  • Maintaining contact to other relevant donors
Qualifications: 

Qualifications of the team leader

  • University qualification (German ‘Diplom’/International Master or equivalent) in agriculture, agronomy or related fields
  • Good business language skills in English (C1 European Reference Framework) and German (C1 European Reference Framework)
  • 15 years of professional experience in the agriculture and rural development sector
  • 10 years in value chain promotion in the fruit sector with good knowledge on the vegetable sector or small ruminants’ sector inclusive business models, EU-accession process and related requirements and policies in the agricultural sector (IPARD)
  • 6 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company including intercultural teams and working abroad
  • 5 years of experience in projects in the Western Balkans region; Middle and Eastern Europe or South Caucasus region
  • 6 years of experience in DC projects in the agriculture sector
Start / Duration: 

February 2021

If you are intested in this position in Albania, please upload your CV here, indicating the position Albania_Team Leader rural value chains