Globfield International is seeking a highly qualified Senior Agricultural Local Procurement Manager to support the implementation of a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Benin. The Procurement Manager will lead efforts to strengthen local food systems and optimize procurement strategies, ensuring cost-effective and sustainable sourcing of nutritious commodities for school feeding initiatives.

This role will drive local farmer engagement, market linkages, and policy alignment to enhance food security and nutrition for school-aged children over a 60-month project duration with an anticipated budget of $25 million.

The anticipated objectives of this project include: • Strengthening local procurement systems by improving linkages between farmer cooperatives, processors, and school feeding programs. • Enhancing food safety, storage, and processing standards to align with USDA guidelines and meet nutritional requirements. • Supporting sustainable school feeding models through collaboration with government agencies, local organizations, and community-driven initiatives.

This position requires extensive experience in agricultural procurement, market systems development, and stakeholder engagement. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of USDA/FAS procurement mechanisms, expertise in food supply chain management, and the ability to develop sustainable solutions in collaboration with producers and government partners.

The Senior Agricultural Local Procurement Manager will lead efforts to establish and strengthen local supply chains for school feeding programs. This role focuses on sourcing, quality assurance, and compliance of locally procured commodities while fostering relationships with smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and national stakeholders to ensure cost-effective, safe, and nutritious commodity delivery for school meals.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Local Producer Engagement and Supply Chain Development
• Identify and support local farmer groups, cooperatives, and processors to meet school feeding demand.
• Develop market linkages between producers and school feeding programs to ensure consistent, high-quality supply.
• Facilitate capacity-building trainings for farmers and vendors on food safety, storage, and quality standards.
• Procurement Planning and Execution
• Lead procurement strategy for commodities like rice, maize, cowpeas, vegetable oil, and shea butter, ensuring alignment with USDA/FAS guidelines.
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers, ensuring cost-effectiveness and compliance with McGovern-Dole procurement protocols.
• Conduct market analysis to assess availability, pricing, and sustainability of locally procured goods.
• Quality Assurance and Compliance
• Ensure procured commodities meet nutritional, food safety, and quality standards set by USDA/FAS and Benin’s regulatory bodies.
• Collaborate with government agencies to align procurement activities with national school feeding policies.
• Monitor commodity storage, transportation, and distribution to prevent loss and ensure efficient delivery.
• Stakeholder Coordination and Sustainability Strategy
• Work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, school feeding stakeholders, and USAID/USDA teams to develop sustainable procurement models.
• Support advocacy efforts to strengthen Benin’s national school feeding strategy and mobilize financial investments for long-term sustainability.
• Lead initiatives for community involvement in school feeding, including partnerships with farmers’ groups and women-led enterprises.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in agriculture, supply chain management, food security, economics, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience in agricultural procurement, supply chain development, or food security programs.
• Strong knowledge of USDA/FAS procurement guidelines, school feeding programs, and commodity markets in West Africa.
• Experience working with smallholder farmers, cooperatives, or food processing enterprises in Benin.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with FAIS, food safety protocols, and WASH integration in school feeding programs.
• Fluency in French and English; knowledge of local languages preferred.

Preferred Skills and Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement local procurement strategies that enhance cost-efficiency and sustainability.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and cross-sector collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of food fortification, nutrition standards, and post-harvest processing to improve commodity quality.
• Ability to work effectively with government agencies, donors, and local communities.