Animal Welfare Officer Job in Narok, Kenya

Description: Vetworks Eastern Africa is a Kenyan organisation and has wide experience in livestock programming. Vetworks Eastern Africa works in livestock sector building resilience of the livestock keeping communities and supporting improvement and investments in livestock based livelihoods. 

Job Title: Animal Welfare Officer
 

Reports to: Project Manager
 

Location: Based in Narok town. To support project in Narok County 
 

Hours: Normal working hours plus out of hours work as required
 

Conditions: Local appointment. Three months with possibility of extension.
 

Closing date: 29th December 2014
 

Roles: To implement, monitor, supervise and provide technical support to the animal welfare activities of the project in a culturally appropriate manner and in accordance with standards and guidelines agreed by Vetworks Eastern Africa and its partners.

Responsibilities
 

Project implementation

• Be at all times a role model for sympathetic and humane handling, treatment and management of working equine animals
• Implement the principles of applied animal (equine) behaviour and welfare, humane handling and compassion building, ensuring that the welfare needs of working donkeys are understood and prioritised within communities and livestock service providers.
• Cultivate and encourage learning amongst the communities and livestock service providers in animal welfare, ethical decision­making, equine behaviour and humane handling of working donkeys and their application in practice.
• Provide animal welfare/ veterinary knowledge and skills wherever needed to support livestock service providers with animal health and welfare strategy, policies, action plans and activities.
• Plan, facilitate, and monitor any capacity building/ training on animal welfare and related topics,
• Monitor animal welfare groups to ensure the welfare standards of working donkeys are adhered to using such tools as clinical assessments and audits, and support livestock service providers to utilize findings and feedback to improve welfare in their activities

Project finance management

• Ensure adequate use of finances allocated to project activities

Communication and network

• As required, work closely with the Research Team to support the identification, development and implementation of relevant animal welfare research issues in the project area
• Representing and communicating the interests of the Vetworks animal welfare work internally and externally
• Promotion of the Vetworks animal welfare expertise at animal welfare, health, veterinary and other appropriate events and forums

Minimum requirements

• At least a first degree (Bachelors) in a relevant livestock development discipline; such as veterinary degree, livestock health or livestock production

Knowledge and Experiences

• Knowledge of basic animal welfare concepts and an understanding of the importance of working equines to the economies of developing countries
• An understanding of the evidence­based approach to veterinary medicine and animal welfare
• Experience and field practice in animal welfare or working with equines especially working donkeys
• Experience in developing and implementing projects through partners at grass roots
• Knowledge and experience in building professional external networks

Skills and Altitudes

• Clear strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• A culturally sensitive communicator and excellent negotiation skills
• Motivation to engage and learn and be at all times a role model
• Strong and engaging communication and presentational skills to a variety of audience
• Have training and facilitator skills
• Good organisation, planning and follow up skills
• Ability to prioritise and handle a diverse and heavy workload, working under pressure and
• often to tight dead line
• Strong IT skills
• Fluent in Swahili and English
• Good information management skills including the ability to write clear concise reports for a
• variety of audiences in Swahili and English
• Willingness to work flexibly and, on occasions, outside of office hours
• Committed to the aims of the Vetworks, animal welfare and community development

Please send your application and CV with three Referees Reference “ANIMAL WELFARE OFFICER” to vetworks_ea@yahoo.co.uk and admin@vetworks-ea.org