Enterprise Development Lead

1. Background

SOFDI  is  supporting  the  development  of  a  farmer-owned  collective  marketing  entity  designed  to improve  market 

access,  strengthen  farmer  bargaining  power,  and  retain  more  value  at  the  farm level.  Farmers  in  the  network  currently  face  numerous  challenges—limited  market  information, inconsistent  demand,  high  transport  costs,  and  dependence  on 

intermediaries—which  often leads to low farm-gate prices and a loss of potential income. Rather  than  creating  another  externally    run  marketing  program,  SOFDI  aims  to  establish  a shared-ownership,  financially  sustainable  marketing  enterprise,  where  farmers  and  operational staff  jointly  benefit  from  the  value  created.  The  first  phase  of  this  initiative  focuses  not  on operating  the  enterprise,  but  on  designing  its  business  model,  organizational  structure, operational requirements, and

long-term sustainability pathway. To  guide  this  foundational  phase,  SOFDI  is  seeking  a  skilled  professional  to  help 

design  the enterprise  model,  identify  resource  and  staffing  needs,  establish  governance  and  management structures, 

and develop  the  financial,  logistical,  and  operational  plans  needed  to  launch  a sustainable, independent collective

marketing system.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Strategic Design & Business Model Development

●  Conduct assessments of farmer supply, market demand, product categories, and pricing dynamics to inform the enterprise   model.

●  Lead the development of a sustainable business model (including ownership structure, revenue streams, incentive systems,

and farmer/staff value-sharing frameworks).

●  Define and evaluate possible legal and institutional structures (e.g., cooperative, SACCO, company limited by guarantee,

SHG/CBO) and recommend the most viable option.

●  Prepare the  startup plan and budget  , and translate  it into phased workplans covering entity formation, resourcing, piloting, and eventual scale-up.

B. Organizational & Structural Development

●  Outline the entity’s internal structure, including governance, leadership roles, operational roles, and staffing requirements.

●  Identify key individuals—within or beyond the current farmer network—who can take on operational roles

(aggregation, transport, sales, bookkeeping, coordination).

●  Support the development of systems for transparent decision-making, member participation, and equitable benefit-sharing.

C. Operational Planning & Systems Setup

●  Define the operational components needed for a functioning collective (e.g., aggregation, logistics, sales channels, customer management, financial systems).

●  Develop standard operating procedures, workflows, and tools for record-keeping, pricing, payments, and accountability.

●  Provide guidance on phased market entry strategies, including piloting, demand validation, and structured scale-up.

D. Financial & Sustainability Planning

●  Build financial models to test profitability, sensitivity to market fluctuations, cost structures, and the viability of shared

ownership.

●  Provide clear guidance on required capital investments, operating costs, and revenue projections.

●  Identify opportunities to transition the enterprise toward independent operation, with reduced reliance on external funding.

E. Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory Support

●  Engage with farmers, regional team members, market actors, and potential institutional buyers to inform design decisions.

●  Provide continuous guidance to SOFDI leadership as the entity model evolves, ensuring alignment with organizational values and farmer needs.

●  Support initial compliance processes, including legal registration and any foundational regulatory requirements for

formalization. 

3. Qualifications

●  Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Cooperative Development, Agricultural Economics, Enterprise Development, or related field (Master’s an added advantage).

●  At least 5 years’ experience in business planning, cooperative/enterprise design, agricultural value chains, or rural enterprise development.

●  Demonstrated ability to create financial models, business plans, and organizational structures.

●  Experience with smallholder agriculture, farmer groups, or cooperative systems preferred.

●  Strong analytical, planning, and communication skills.

●  Fluency in English and Kiswahili; local languages are an added advantage.

4. Key Competencies

●  Strategic and analytical thinking

●  Strong facilitation and community engagement

●  Enterprise development and financial planning

●  Integrity, transparency, and participatory leadership

●  Ability to translate complex models into practical implementation plans

●  Commitment to farmer empowerment and sustainable systems

5. Application Guidelines

Please  submit  a  single  PDF  containing  your  cover  letter,  CV,  and  a  1–2  minute  video  introducing yourself and

explaining why you are well-suited for this role to postbox@sofdi.com  . Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.