Tanzania Market Access Lead

About the Role

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for building market systems that work for smallholder farmers?

This is a senior role at the heart of OAF Tanzania's commercial ambition. You will define and lead the organisation's market access strategy and portfolio, deciding which value chains to prioritise, shaping the commercial model for each, and building the partnerships needed to make them viable.

You will lead a team delivering both farmer-facing and commercial workstreams, bringing together strategy, commercial design, field delivery, and partner execution into a coherent and scalable portfolio.

This is not a hands-on field role, but it demands enough operational depth to guide execution effectively and ensure that every moving part connects. You will need to move comfortably between high-level strategic thinking and the practical realities of delivery. If you are ready to shape how smallholder farmers access markets at scale, we would love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Market Access Portfolio Strategy & Prioritization: Define the multi-year strategy across priority value chains (e.g., cashew and avocado) with clear sequencing and resourcing. Evaluate and recommend whether to invest, partner, pilot, or scale specific value chains based on commercial viability and farmer impact. Translate country-level goals into a focused portfolio that balances realistic growth with proactive risk management.

• Value Chain Development: Develop commercially sound models for processing and aggregation, determining the best delivery approach (direct vs. partner-led) for the context. Lead the identification, negotiation, and performance management of strategic commercial partners and third-party processors. Oversee farmer-facing delivery to ensure field operations align with both commercial requirements and farmer inclusion goals.

• Performance, Analysis & Risk Management: Drive financial analysis, growth plans, and data-backed recommendations for scaling or exiting specific workstreams. Implement practical systems to monitor supply, sales, partner performance, and tangible outcomes for farmers. Identify operational, commercial, and regulatory risks early to implement sensible mitigation strategies.

• Leadership: Team, Cross-Functional & Representation: Build and lead a high-performing team with clear role accountability across HQ coordination and field delivery. Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, and Government Relations to ensure seamless end-to-end execution of department goals. Serve as the primary liaison for buyers, government stakeholders, and donors while advising country leadership on capital and talent allocation.

Qualifications

• You have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in business, economics, agribusiness, agriculture, supply chain, or a related field.

• You have at least 5 years of experience in agribusiness, market access, value chain development, or commercial agriculture — including leading teams and driving strategy through to execution.

• You have strong commercial instincts and numerical fluency. You can build or interrogate financial models, read margins and costs, and make sound decisions from data.

• You have the ability to operate at multiple levels. Equally comfortable setting a multi-year strategy, managing a team, and getting into operational detail when needed.

• You have a practical understanding of how value chains work from farmer aggregation and quality compliance through to processing, buyers, and export dynamics.

• You have experience negotiating and managing external partners. I.e., processors, exporters, buyers, or service providers — and holding them accountable to agreed terms and performance.

Contract Duration: 2 Years

Eligibility: This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Tanzania.