Location: Nanyuki, Kenya (12 months Contract)
About AGRA
Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. Together with our partners, we are working to sustainably grow Africa’s food systems.
AGRA strengthens seed systems, develops, and promotes sustainable farming practices, helps unlock trade and markets, and supports governments who lead their countries’ development. We work with farmers to adapt to climate change, increase soil health, and protect the environment. AGRA believes deeply in the urgency of reducing the inequality that women face in agriculture, and to unlocking the power and innovation of youth.
To support the successful delivery of this transformation, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the role of an experienced Program Officer – Agriculture and Water Nexus, Kenya.
The role will be based in Nanyuki, Kenya.
Why AGRA?
At AGRA we believe Agriculture is the single greatest opportunity to deliver inclusive economic growth, jobs, and health to the African continent. An alliance led by Africans with roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from 24 nationalities. Our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity.) espouse our commitment to a call to action to go beyond ourselves as we arise and transform Africa’s Agriculture.
When you join us, we present you with intellectually stimulating assignments and structured career advancement with 30% of open roles being filled internally through promotions and transfers, and a Leadership commitment for this ratio to increase. This is after setting you up for success with a World Class Onboarding for new hires where a bespoke induction trains on all aspects of the role that you will need to succeed. You will gain a full understanding of our lofty ambitions to transform African agriculture, and how you can contribute to an amazing employee experience.
We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa, curious and collaborative to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team.
For more information on AGRA, applicants can visit www.agra.org
The Position Summary
Reporting to the Country Manager- Kenya, Program Officer- Agriculture and Water Nexus, Kenya, will manage programs and provide technical direction on water management in agriculture landscapes, climate smart agriculture, natural resources management or agroecology and the programming of integrated approaches in agriculture and food systems transformation in Kenya. This will be undertaken through the management of programs and projects, provision of policy advice, strategy development, policy implementation support and institutional strengthening solutions, risk management, creating partnerships and managing grants making at the local level. He/she will work with government at local and national level and partners to design and implement agricultural transformation initiatives, particularly as they relate to agriculture, water management, natural resources management, climate change, value chain development, market and finance access by smallholder farmers and other stakeholders. The Program Officer will particularly be responsible for provision of technical leadership and support in water management, agro-pastoralist practices, resilience, and climate smart agriculture.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Build resilience into agriculture and food systems.
- Integrate water development and management in agriculture landscapes.
- Oversee programming in arid and semi-arid areas.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration with small, medium, and large agribusinesses in the geography at sub-national and national levels.
- Create road maps documenting the resources and constraints to agricultural transformation, especially in the areas for fertilizer systems, resilience, and CSA development.
- Perform situation analysis and problem tree development and identification.
- Generate evidence and documentation on CSA practices, resilience building and fertilizer systems in agriculture transformation.
- Identify opportunities for investments via competitive grants for interventions aimed at upgrading fertilizer systems, resilience systems and CSA practices.
- Lead in stakeholder mapping processes.
- Collaborate with government at local and national level to design and implement agricultural transformation initiatives.
- Mobilize and manages partnerships in resilience and CSA aimed at sustainable agriculture transformation.
- Collaborate with private sector at local level to upgrade agricultural value chains and expand market opportunities for smallholder farmers.
- Collaborate with SHF and other stakeholders to promote market driven adoption and scaling of inclusive climate-smart business developments that will enhance resilience and adaptive capacity along agricultural value chains.
- Support climate change risk assessment and CSA implementation through a contextual analysis at national, sub-national and local levels.
- Develop and implement tailored CSA training and ESMS capacity building programs on agribusiness management and climate-proofing.
- Engage with other players to create synergies between AGRA funded programs and other agricultural initiatives implementing resilience and CSA programs.
- Collaborate with Program Officers to jointly design and implement strategies for disseminating improved crop varieties.
- Collaborates in resource mobilization efforts through writing proposals in resilience building and CSA program work.
- Collaborate with Program Officers to jointly design and implement strategies for validating and disseminating Multinutrient balanced fertilizer blends.
- Collaborate with Program Officers to jointly design and implement strategies for development of resilience and CSA initiatives in Kenya and the region.
- Contribute to Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Systems, CSA and resilience Unit strategic documents and knowledge products development.
- Participate at Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Systems, CSA and resilience Unit strategic meetings when and where required.
- Support and manage the development and implementation of AGRA projects and programs in support of the agriculture transformation agenda through CSA and resilience building.
- Showcase AGRA’s success stories, best practices, and lessons.
- Organize for capacity building of grantees in data capturing, management and reporting.
- Coordinate for effective climate-proofing and de-risking of promising Climate-Smart business models.
- Assess, evaluate, and supervise grantee activities.
- Assess and adapt tools developed by partners for introducing and scaling resilience and CSA practices.
- Engagement in policy conversations around fertilizer, CSA, and resilience issues.
- Ensure integration of nutrition, gender equity, social inclusion, youth, and environmental & social risk systems into the agriculture resilience strategy and activities.
- Engagement in gender and youth programs for scaling up CSA and mainstreaming of resilience/CCA issues in agriculture transformation.
- Deliver regular periodic reports as may be required.
- Deliver on administrative functions such as coordination of periodic audit, stakeholder forums etc.
- Participate in fund raising for interventions that contribute to agriculture transformation in Kenya.
- Identification of technical solutions
- Definition of technical and operational inputs for workplan implementation.
Relevant Experience & Professional Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in Environmental Management, Agriculture, Development planning and Implementation related disciplines with deep knowledge in Seed systems, Fertilizer systems, Policy Market access, Resilience, FSL, Climate change, Gender, Youth, Water management, agropastoral systems or other relevant areas of the agriculture value chain.
- Minimum of 7 years’ experience in agri-business and climate smart technologies, agriculture, food systems, livestock development, project development and management in arid and semi-arid areas in Africa.
- Experience in managing multinational initiatives in the private and/or public sector with a sound knowledge of, and experience in climate change adaptation, mitigation and / OR agricultural trade development at national, regional and/or international level.
- Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
- Experience in project operational management, prioritization, sequencing, and execution.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a team orientation and strong collaborative skills.
If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail address and telephone contacts to recruit@agra.org noting to quote the job reference number in the subject of your email)
To be considered, applications must be received on or before 10th April 2023.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
