Cooperatives Strengthening Officer

About Organisation

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.

Job Summary

ISSD Uganda is seeking dynamic and experienced Cooperative Strengthening Officer who will lead efforts to strengthen participating cluster cooperatives. 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 & 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.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Cooperative & young women entrepreneurial Capacity Building
• Conduct Cluster cooperative Institutional Diagnostics/assessments on governance, digital readiness & 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 because of enhanced collaboration within the project communities and guide them into clustering around a common interest Provide the selected entrepreneurial groups & cooperatives with tailor-made training to improve their business skills, governance, financial sustainability, accountability and client focus and support them into participating in developing business plans
• Identify a range of relevant financial services products for the cooperatives & entrepreneurial groups, assess groups’ constraints to access 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 initiatives 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 to replicate it Compile and prepare periodic progress reports highlighting progress made in improving marketing opportunities for young women & 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 & formal markets
• Build capacity of cooperatives on coffee quality improvement & handling.
• Train cooperatives on digital platforms for market information (e.g., e-commerce, price tracking).
• Support piloting warehouse receipt system engagements at selected cooperative

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• 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 cooperatives and 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
• This is a field-based position requiring significant travel (approx. 90% of the time).

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply for this job by emailing your cover letter and CV maximum 4pages to hr@issduganda.org, while indicating the job title in the email subject not later than 5th May 2026 at 5:00pm EAT.