Market Development Officer

GOAL Uganda · Buyende District

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Role at a Glance

A field-based, district-level position embedded within GOAL Uganda's five-year Dutch-funded INSPIRE programme. You will plan and deliver inclusive market development work in Buyende — brokering connections between smallholder farmers and inputs, agro-services, finance, and commodity buyers. Hard requirements: at least two years of private sector engagement experience and a valid motorcycle riding licence. Salary: not disclosed by the employer. Application deadline: 5 August 2026.

What This Role Is About

The Market Development Officer is INSPIRE's ground-level implementer for agricultural market systems in Buyende District. Reporting to the Markets Development Coordinator, you will co-design, pilot, and scale agribusiness models alongside private sector players, farmer entrepreneurial groups, VSLAs, cooperatives, and SACCOs — with the end goal of expanding smallholder access to markets, finance, and quality inputs. Field facilitation is only half the job: structured data capture, database maintenance, and tiered progress reporting are equally central to how this position is measured.

About GOAL Uganda

Founded in 1977 and operating in Uganda since 1979, GOAL is a Dublin-headquartered international humanitarian organisation with a presence across more than a dozen countries. Its Uganda programme concentrates on health systems (WASH, nutrition, and accountability), climate-resilient agricultural livelihoods, and market-based systems development. The country team of 110-plus staff operates from a Kampala head office and seven regional field offices spanning northern, southwestern, and eastern Uganda. Key programme donors include the Mastercard Foundation, charity: water, Irish Aid, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The INSPIRE programme — co-implemented with Wageningen Environmental Research — targets 200,000 smallholder farming households across the Busoga and Lango regions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design, plan, and deliver market development activities within Buyende District, coordinating closely with the Markets Development Coordinator and technical specialists
  • Partner with private sector actors, farmer entrepreneurial groups, VSLAs, cooperatives, and SACCOs to co-create, test, and scale inclusive agribusiness models that draw smallholder farmers into productive value chains
  • Develop capacity-building materials covering business, technical, and financial literacy; facilitate training sessions with field staff and farmer organisations
  • Drive mobilisation efforts to ensure targeted smallholder households actively participate in programme activities and sustain engagement over time
  • Identify value-addition opportunities across crop and livestock sectors that translate into measurable income or food-security improvements for smallholder families
  • Build and maintain working relationships across the district ecosystem — private sector service providers, farmer associations, MFIs, banks, government departments, and civil society organisations
  • Represent GOAL at district coordination meetings and inter-agency fora; liaise with local authorities to secure acceptance for market-based interventions
  • Work with the district M&E team to collect output and impact data; enter information accurately and on schedule into the PSA tracker and CommCare database
  • Prepare and submit weekly, monthly, and quarterly programme progress reports; address management information requests in a timely manner
  • Maintain a well-organised filing system for all market development documentation and programme records

Must-Have Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences, Animal Husbandry, Development Economics, Rural Development, or an equivalent discipline
  • Minimum two years of direct, hands-on experience working with private sector actors — SMEs, agribusinesses, or comparable organisations
  • Practical knowledge of business financing mechanisms for small and medium enterprises
  • Demonstrated ability to motivate, coach, and lead SME owners and farmer group members across varying field contexts
  • Valid, clean motorcycle riding licence with the physical ability to ride regularly under field conditions
  • Partnership management skills and proven capacity to coordinate across multiple, diverse stakeholders

Nice to Have

  • Hands-on experience supporting both micro-enterprises and medium-sized companies within an international development programme setting
  • Working knowledge of Uganda's agricultural sector, particularly crop or livestock value chains
  • Familiarity with market facilitation approaches that promote systemic change through indirect service delivery rather than direct provision
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
  • Confident computer literacy including MS Word, Excel, and standard email platforms
  • Fluency or functional proficiency in a local language spoken within Buyende District

Skills Breakdown: Must-Have vs. Nice-to-Have

The non-negotiable skills are private sector engagement, SME business finance literacy, partnership management, reporting discipline, and field mobility via motorcycle. These form the baseline; missing any one of them will exclude an application. Desirable additions — agricultural sector knowledge, market facilitation methodology, and local language fluency — signal a candidate who can accelerate onboarding, but their absence does not disqualify an otherwise strong profile. Seniority sits firmly at mid-level: independent district-level execution, multi-stakeholder coordination, and structured data management are expected from the outset, not developed on the job.

Salary and Compensation

GOAL Uganda has not published a salary figure or compensation range for this position. No estimate is provided here. Candidates are encouraged to raise their expectations directly with GOAL Uganda's hiring team during the interview process. For queries, contact the recruitment team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie. This listing will be updated if the employer discloses a range.

Location and Work Model

This is a fully on-site, field-based role stationed in Buyende District, eastern Uganda. Regular travel across the district is a core operational requirement — the reason a valid motorcycle riding licence is listed as essential rather than preferred. No remote or hybrid working arrangement is indicated in the job posting. Relocation support and visa sponsorship are not addressed in the available information; candidates should raise these questions directly with GOAL Uganda.

Frequently asked questions

Which programme will the Market Development Officer be working on?

The role is part of GOAL Uganda's INSPIRE programme (Integrated and Sustainable Production for Resilient Economies) — a five-year initiative co-implemented with Wageningen Environmental Research and funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. INSPIRE targets 200,000 smallholder farming households across Busoga and Lango, with three outcome pathways covering social resilience, sustainable productivity, and inclusive market participation.

Is the motorcycle riding licence a firm requirement or just a preference?

It is a firm, essential requirement. The role involves regular field travel across Buyende District, making personal mobility by motorcycle a practical necessity. Candidates without a valid, clean riding licence will not meet the minimum criteria as stated by the employer.

What is the application deadline and how do candidates apply?

The closing date is 5 August 2026. GOAL Uganda asks applicants to submit through their online application portal and to include at least three professional referees who served as direct line managers within the last three employers, along with a daytime contact number.

What is the minimum experience level required?

The job description sets a minimum of two years of experience working with private sector actors as an essential requirement. A relevant bachelor's degree and demonstrated knowledge of SME business financing are also mandatory. No broader total-years-of-experience threshold is stated beyond these specific criteria.

Does GOAL Uganda make accommodations for applicants with disabilities?

Yes. GOAL explicitly states that it welcomes people of all abilities and can provide reasonable adjustments throughout the application and interview process. Candidates who need accommodations should contact the GOAL Uganda recruitment team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie.

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