AGRA Program Officer Job in Kenya

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2006 to work with African governments, farmers, donors, NGOs and the private sector to reduce hunger and poverty in Africa through agricultural development targeted at resource-poor farmers.

AGRA has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and an office in Accra, Ghana.

AGRA is seeking to recruit an exceptional and experienced individual to fill the position of:

Program Officer - Extension Support Function (ESF), Soil Health Program (SHP)

Ref: PO-ESF/04-12

The Soil Health Program’s (SHP) main aim ¡s to regenerate degraded farmland by providing support to national institutions. Increasingly, the research and extension activities on major food crops are taking a value-chain approach.

This means taking a holistic approach to balanced Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM). The program’s core functions are grant-making and management in the areas of soil health research and extension, fertilizer supply, training of agronomists and soil scientists and policy development.

The Extension Support Function (ESF), which falls under the SHP, identifies appropriate methods for training extension and advisory service providers in the focal countries of AGRA, and makes targeted studies and grants to support the development and increased utilization of promising extension services.

This position is internationally recruited and will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, on a 3 year renewable contract and will report to the Director, Soil Health Program.

This position will require the job holder to travel up to 50% of the time.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing proposals and identify appropriate experts to review extension related activities to ensure “best practice” in grants;
• Developing an in-house system to manage and disseminate information on best-bet extension approaches. This will involve synthesizing existing knowledge that is relevant and useful to AGRA’s grantees and programs work;
• Setting up a user-friendly web-based system for information sharing;
• Forging appropriate links and collaborations with institutions and projects in extension and advisory services;
• Guiding the partnerships in preparing relevant extension and advisory material together with training programs for the programs that AGRA supports;
• Identifying and coordinating appropriate and innovative interventions that attract and enhance the participation of the youth in agriculture and agricultural enterprises that AGRA supports and help advance this objective ¡n AGRA’s grant-making process;
• Strengthening existing partnerships that advance AGRA’s efforts to mainstream youth in agriculture;
• Working with AGRA’s Monitoring and Evaluation Unit to assess the 1m pact of AGRA’s investments and extension related activities by developing appropriate baselines and indicators; and
• Identifying training needs and rolling out appropriate training events and policy advocacy activities that support the functions’ aims.

Key Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

• A Master of Science (MSc.) or Doctorate (PhD.) degree in Soil Science, Agronomy, Agricultural extension, Rural Development or equivalent;
• At least 10 years’ successful experience in agricultural research and extension, 5 of which should have been spent working on issues pertaining to agricultural development in Africa;
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize and develop products using carefully reviewed sources of information from research and development projects;
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, outlining options and presenting position papers that articulate a well-supported point-of-view and point to concrete actions;
• Demonstrated ability to develop agricultural training and dissemination materials;
• Sound skills in proposal development, project management and management of consultancy services; and
• Fluent in English and sound working knowledge of French.

The ideal candidate should be attentive to detail, have excellent oral and written communication, relationship-building skills with the ability to work analytically, both with autonomy and with a team in diverse cultural contexts.

The candidate should also have high levels of integrity and objectivity.

An attractive remuneration package commensurate with the responsibilities of this position will be negotiated with the right candidate.

If you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for this role, please submit your application with a detailed CV, stating your current position, remuneration, e-mail and telephone contacts and quoting the relevant reference number on the application letter.

For more information on this position, applicants can visit www.agra-alliance.org

To be considered, your application must be received by 27 April, 2012 addressed to:

The Director
Executive Selection Division
Deloitte Consulting Limited
Deloitte Place, Waiyaki Way
Muthangari, Westlands
Email: agra@deloitte.co.ke
Tel: +254 20 423 0000

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