Cooperative Advisor Dairy FFT2- Kenya

About the FFT2 Project

The Farmer-Focused Transformation (FFT) programme, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is helping farmer organisations and cooperatives grow stronger. At the heart of the programme lies a simple belief: when farmer organisations are well-structured and effective, they can drive local prosperity, create fairer opportunities, and strengthen entire communities.

FFT works along three main pathways:

Lobby and advocacy – making sure farmers’ voices are heard where decisions are made

Farmer-led businesses – supporting farmers in building competitive and thriving enterprises

Sustainable services – improving access to resources, markets, and opportunities By focusing on cash crops, the programme not only helps improve local food security but also connects organised farmers to regional and international markets. This creates jobs, improves incomes, and builds stronger bargaining positions for farmers‍

About the Job

This position is for an experienced project team mate working in the field of cooperative development. This position permits flexibility as it allows the CA to fulfil one or two of the following roles:

Cooperative expert

As a cooperative expert, the CA operates independently within a framework entrusted by the project lead. While working on behalf of the project lead, the CA contributes to project design, implementation, and policy development, proposing options for improvement. The CA is responsible for clearly defined assignments within the projects they are involved. Within these projects, the CA establishes and carries out advisory trajectories with selected client cooperatives, supporting the implementation of multi-year targets based on prior assessment. Assignments may range from project acquisition, set-up, assessment, or providing specific expertise. In offering technical support, the CA may provide advice or act as a trainer. The CA consistently delivers work on time and within scope, demonstrating the ability to analyse and advise clients effectively.

Project manager for small-scale projects

In this role, the CA serves as project manager for small-scale projects (annual budgets under €100,000). Responsibilities include managing budgets, staffing, reporting and ensuring implementation in line with the contracted objectives and frame works.

For this role, Agriterra is looking for a Cooperative Advisor to provide expert advice and coordinate advisory trajectories with reputable dairy cooperatives and farmer organisations in Kenya. You will have an advisory and coaching role in building development trajectories aimed at strengthening cooperatives and farmers’ organisations and making them more resilient to climate shocks.

To achieve this, the successful candidate will initiate and maintain a network that will include dairy cooperatives and farmers’ organisations, financial institutions, traders, service providers, and other stakeholders in the value chains, depending on the area of work. He/she will initiate and guide change trajectories with cooperatives selected, and will lobby, mediate, and support negotiation processes, as well as prepare business deals.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Cooperative advisory work

Guide and empower targeted cooperatives through comprehensive project interventions—from initial development and scoping to in-depth assessments, hands on training, and strategic advisory support—all within the strategic framework established by the project lead.

Drive cooperative success through tailored advisory pathways focused on governance excellence, financial sustainability, business growth, and production optimisation—all while managing personal and team responsibilities to meet every project milestone

Administration & Reporting

• Transform data into impact by documenting progress, analysing setbacks as learning opportunities, monitoring implementation effectiveness, and sharing breakthrough insights that scale success across the programme.

Business Development & Stakeholder Management

Drive innovation by identifying opportunities in operational excellence, project optimisation, and market development, translating insights into compelling action plans together with the project lead. Contribute to project proposals and represent Agriterra in the network.

Communication

• Keep the project team connected and informed through regular updates on achievements, emerging opportunities, and challenges, enabling swift strategic responses and continuous improvement.

Quality Assuarnce

• Uphold Agriterra's reputation for excellence by ensuring all services meet established standards while providing specialised, responsive support that consistently delivers value to cooperative partners within agreed timelines.

Supervision

• Supervise project staff on small projects. Delegating tasks, coaching and guiding less experienced team members to enhance their skills and performance

Technical Expertise Development

• Lead knowledge advancement as a specialist trainer, contributing to Agriterra's intellectual capital through coaching, learning facilitation, and systematic capture of new insights and lessons learned. Remain up to date with industry developments through continuous professional development, and promote the integration of new knowledge across the organisation

Organisational Sustainability

• Guide cooperatives toward financial independence by developing robust organisational frameworks that enhance climate-smart service delivery and provide members with the agricultural extension support they need to thrive sustainably.

Organisation

In this role, you will report directly to the Senior Cooperative Advisor and Project Lead for FFT 2 (Dairy). You will guide project staff members in your role as project lead for small-scale projects.

‍What do you bring

Educational background

• You have a bachelor’s degree in business economics, agri-business, business administration or a related field.
• Your career shows at least 5 years of experience in an international work environment supporting agricultural development projects.

Experience

• Proven hands-on experience in the dairy industry, particularly in delivering sustainable services to members, milk processing, value addition and quality-based milk payment system in either Kenya
• Skilled in designing and delivering training programmes, workshops and demonstrations on sustainable services, access to finance, milk value addition techniques and best practices.
• You are familiar with equipment, machinery and ingredients used in milk testing and dairy products manufacturing.
• You possess solid technical expertise in dairy production systems, value chain analysis, market, and business development.

Sector Knowledge

• Strong understanding of quality assurance, food safety regulations and industry standards applicable to dairy processing operations.
• You have excellent knowledge of cooperative business development, market development, agricultural service provision, climate resilient strategies for farmers, entrepreneurship, governance, and financial management.

Communication & Interpersonal Skills

• You are fluent in English (oral and written) and communicate easily.

Other Requirement

• Your advanced Microsoft Office skills make it easy to streamline administrative tasks.
• You are willing to travel to other counties in Kenya.
• Winning competencies: enthusiastic, result-focused, client-centred service excellence, masterful advisory and training capabilities.

What do we offer

• An international, collegial, ambitious, and impact-oriented work environment.
• You will have access to our yearly educational fund and countless learning opportunities from colleagues worldwide who share your passion for agricultural transformation.
• This cooperative advisor position offers competitive compensation tailored to your experience level, comprehensive benefits, and the chance to be part of transformational change in agricultural development. respecting the country’s

How to connect with us‍

Are you interested in this position, and do you fit the profile? Apply with a cover letter and curriculum vitae by sending an email to vacancy@agriterra.org to the attention of Stijn van Geel, Regional Manager Agriterra East Africa, before November 14th, 2025, with the Job Title as the subject.

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