Intern – Office of the President

About AGRA and its Work

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million small-farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income.

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and link to profitable markets.

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable, youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

• Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation.
• Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers, allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes.
• Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation.
• Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.
• Youth, Gender, and Inclusiveness – We enable women and youth to contribute to and benefit from agriculture for their economic empowerment.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

People are the heart of our organization and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact. We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent, combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our commitment to a call to action goes beyond ourselves as we arise to catalyze African Food Systems’ transformation by being Deeply collaborative, Executing Excellently, Sincerely Constructive, and Increasingly Entrepreneurial, aligned with our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship, and Equity).

Role Summary

The Office of the President, AGRA, provides leadership and strategic oversight across AGRA’s activities, drives key partnerships, and coordinates high-level engagements.

The intern will support the Office of the President Team with research, coordination, communications, and administrative tasks. The role offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into executive office management and leadership at a continental agricultural development organization.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Support:

• Assist the team in preparing and/reviewing briefing notes, talking points, and background materials for the President.
• Support the team in coordinating internal and external meetings, including agendas, minutes, and follow-up actions.

Research & Analysis:

• Conduct desk research on topics related to food systems, policy trends, and stakeholder analysis.
• Support the team in preparing summaries, reports, and policy briefs as needed.

Communications:

• Support the team in drafting internal memos, correspondence, and communications.
• Support the team in speech writing, presentation development, and content review.

Administrative & Logistical Support:

• Assist the team in managing calendars, scheduling meetings, and preparing travel itineraries.
• Support the team in tracking and organizing incoming and outgoing correspondence.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Carry out stakeholder engagement, including coordination with donors, government officials, partner institutions, and key stakeholders.
• Stand in for Executive Support or Senior Support Specialists when away on official travel or on leave.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor’s or master’s degree in international relations, Business Administration, Development Studies, Public Policy, Agriculture, or related field.
• Strong research, analytical, and writing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Professional demeanor and ability to handle sensitive information.
• Computer savviness.
• Interested in current trends in agriculture, food systems, and African development.
• Strong team collaboration.