Cooperative Strengthening Officer

ISSD Uganda Visit website

Full-time Expires In -1 month Rwenzori, Uganda Duty Station - Rwenzori with frequent travel to Kigezi Bachelor's Degree 5 years experience NGO Agriculture Economic Development Management

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Job Details

Job Title: Cooperative Strengthening Officer
Project: She Works project
Location: Rwenzori with frequent travels to Kigezi
Available opportunities: 01
Start date: August 2026

Organisational setting: Integrated Seed and Sector Development Uganda (ISSD Uganda) is an independent local NGO in Uganda, which aims to be a leading agricultural development organization in fostering resilient seed and food systems for sustainable agricultural production. ISSD Uganda builds on the impactful outcomes and experiences of successfully implemented seed projects focused on seed sector transformation; capacity building and knowledge transfer; partnerships and sector coordination; and supporting fragile communities including refugees. Over the years, ISSD Uganda's development work has evolved to multiple sectors including skills development for decent livelihoods in various agricultural chains, tourism and hospitality.

Project overview: The Empowering Young Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture stimulated by Coffee (EYE-C) programme is a 5.5-year initiative designed to alleviate poverty by creating dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for 300,000 disadvantaged young women (aged 18-35) in Uganda. The programme is implemented by a consortium of aBi Development, Café Africa and the International Women in Coffee Alliance together with cluster partners, targeting the coffee value chain and complementary enterprises (horticulture, pulses, poultry, banana, apiary and briquettes), with a specific focus on including 3% young women with disabilities and strengthening 300 young women-led MSMEs. The EYE-C She Works Project is a cooperative-anchored women's economic empowerment initiative targeting young women aged 18-35 in Uganda's Kigezi, Rwenzori and Albertine regions.

Position overview: ISSD Uganda is seeking a dynamic and experienced Cooperative Strengthening Officer who will lead efforts to strengthen participating cluster cooperatives in the project region. The role focuses on building institutional capacity, improving governance, enhancing market access, and fostering inclusive growth for cooperatives as a one stop centre for bundled services (inputs, markets and finance). The officer will work closely with cooperatives, local government, private sector partners and cluster partners to ensure cooperatives are sustainable, gender-responsive and economically viable. This is a field-based position requiring significant travel (approx. 90% of the time).

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Cooperative and young women entrepreneurial capacity building

Conduct cluster cooperative institutional diagnostics/assessments on governance, digital readiness and safeguarding, gender, youth and disability inclusion.
Design and deliver training programs on cooperative governance, financial literacy, record-keeping, and business management.
Identify women and youth led entrepreneurial initiatives that emerge as a result of enhanced collaboration within the project communities and guide them into clustering around a common interest.
Provide the selected entrepreneurial groups and cooperatives with tailor-made trainings to improve their business skills, governance, financial sustainability, accountability and client focus, and support them in participatorily developing business plans.
Identify a range of relevant financial services products for the cooperatives and entrepreneurial groups, assess groups' constraints to access of each product and broker access to finance and investment between the entrepreneurial groups and various financing structures.
Monitor implementation of the young women business enterprises and report the performance of each entrepreneurial initiative as per the set milestones.
Establish and maintain effective links with all key project stakeholders (e.g. district authorities and other development organizations) to strengthen collaboration with the project on agribusiness related issues.
Identify areas for synergy with other aBi Development funded interventions within the project site to complement project interventions and address issues beyond the project's scope.
Support the project M&E team to develop and maintain an M&E system for the project interventions, especially development of a proper data collection system.
Document best practices and lessons learnt of the project and support their replication.
Compile and prepare periodic progress reports highlighting progress made in improving marketing opportunities for young women and their entry into cooperatives based on project periodic plans.

Market linkages and value chain integration

Facilitate partnerships between young women traders, cooperatives, agro-processors, retailers and exporters.
Support cooperatives in accessing certifications and formal markets.
Build capacity of cooperatives on coffee quality improvement and handling.
Train cooperatives on digital platforms for market information (e.g. e-commerce, price tracking).
Support piloting warehouse receipt system engagements at selected cooperatives.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Marketing, Rural Development, or any agricultural related degree obtained from a reputable institution.
At least five (5) years' experience working with rural micro-to-small scale businesses providing either business development services, training and/or technical assistance.
At least five (5) years' experience in managing market-led value chain development projects and market systems development.
Working knowledge of identifying opportunities for value addition and market access at the producer and aggregator level.
Experience in working with financial institutions to improve farmers' access to financial services.
Experience in coffee value chain development and agribusiness finance.
Ability and demonstrated experience of appraising business cases.
Experience in female and youth entrepreneurship programs.
Strong agribusiness relationship management experience and focus with the ability to stimulate trust and manage various stakeholders.
Excellent communication in English (written and oral), reporting and presentation skills.
Flexible approach to take on additional responsibilities as assigned/delegated.
Willingness to travel to all project locations.
Excellent organizing, negotiation, influencing and advisory/coaching skills.

How to apply: Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by emailing a cover letter and CV (maximum 4 pages) to hr@issduganda.org, indicating the job title in the email subject, not later than 15th August 2026 at 5:00pm EAT. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.