Farm Africa Project Coordinator Job in Kitale Kenya

Farm Africa is an international non-governmental organization working to increase the incomes and improve food security of  smallholder farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and forest dwellers in East Africa.

The Kenya country office  is currently recruiting highly qualified persons to fill the following position:

Job Title: Project Coordinator (PC)
 

Reports To: Programmes Manager (PM)
 

Staff Reporting to the Post Holder: Project Officer,
 

Location: Kitale, with regular field travel
 

Duration: One year fixed term, renewable
 

Purpose of the Role: To manage the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Youth Empowerment in Sustainable Agriculture (YESA) project. 

This position requires an experienced manager with strong technical skills in implementing agriculture projects specifically with youth and with a track record of production, marketing, product logistics, post-harvest handling, seed systems or similar.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• To provide overall technical and operations leadership in implementation of the YESA project
• To manage the project in accordance with project documents, work plans and budgets and ensure that work is consistent with Farm Africa’s strategies and the conditions of donor contracts
• To line manage the project staff and provide technical and operational backstopping while, on day to day basis, be directly engaged in practical elements of project implementation
• To manage and nurture mutually beneficial partnerships with other stakeholders, including other NGOs, County government, private sector companies, etc
• To keep abreast of relevant changes in government policy that could affect the project and advise senior management accordingly
• To play an active role as a member of the Farm Africa Kenya team.
• To prepare the project budget and work plan in line with Farm Africa’s planning process and schedules on timely basis
• To prepare and submit quarterly narrative and financial reports in the standard format to the line manager with both internal and donor requirements
• To ensure that financial management in the field office is in compliance with the basic standards contained in the Farm Africa finance procedures manual and donor requirements
• To work with senior management and the UK-based teams in identifying new business opportunities, new project design, contributing to funding proposal preparation, and interacting with donors, as needed
• In collaboration with the M&E manager, to develop and implement a project monitoring and evaluation process, capturing project outcomes/impact and lessons learned.
• In liaison with the PM, to lead on the recruitment of new staff to the project team, including proper induction processes
• To provide leadership to all project staff and develop effective team work and individual staff skills relevant to the project and the Farm Africa business plan.
• To carry out quarterly and annual appraisals with all line-managed staff in line with Farm Africa staff appraisal system.
• In consultation with the PM, to act as an ambassador, promoting the project and the work of Farm Africa, including hosting visitors, speaking at workshops, conferences and meeting donors and other officials as and when required
• To ensure that the project contributes to, responds to and complies with all relevant agriculture sector policy developments.
• To identify and lobby for policy support to smallholder producer and marketing groups at county and higher levels of governance.
• To contribute to the development of Farm Africa policies and strategies related to smallholder climate smart agriculture.
• To participate in regional programme meetings with other project coordinators, as requested by senior management
• To undertake any other duty as may be directed by the line manager or CD from time to time

Education, qualifications & other knowledge
 

Essential

• Bachelor degree in relevant agriculture/natural resource/ agri economics / marketing or related field
• Knowledge of the development and policy environment in Kenya
• Good understanding of youth-friendly value chains and business development / marketing

Desirable

• Masters degree in relevant subject
• Knowledge & practical experience of farmer participatory approaches
• Previous private sector agriculture value chains and rural development experience

Experience

Essential

• At least 2 years field based experience implementing agricultural projects and with youth

Desirable

• Experience with a private sector agricultural actor

Skills & Abilities
 

Essential

• Project management
• Team building
• Financial management
• Agricultural value chains development
• Participatory planning, monitoring & evaluation
• Communication (both verbal & written)
• Proposal & report writing

Desirable

• Negotiating & managing partner relationships
• Field level training
• Policy influencing
• Fundraising
• Capacity building of organisations & individuals

Values: Farm Africa seeks to employ those who believe, as we do, that farmers can and will play a key role in achieving long-term rural prosperity in Africa and who seek to deliver on those beliefs by:

• being experts in our field, delivering insightful/impactful evidence-based solutions
• pushing boundaries, being creative with new and old solutions
• acting for the long-term, building relationships and delivering long-lasting change for farmers
• working flexibly, taking advantage of the most effective solutions, whether from the communities, private sector or government
• sharing knowledge with others, reaching more farmers than we do alone, ensuring effective technologies are widely accessed.

To apply please submit your CV, salary history and one-page application letter with the reference being the post title in the subject line to:  kenyarecruitment@farmafrica.org by 8 August 2014.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted