USAID GHG Assistant Agronomist NGO Careers – Mercy Corps

Job
Title:       
 Assistant Agronomist
Organization:
Mercy Corps
Project Name: USAID/Food for
Peace-funded program
Duty Station: Uganda
About Mercy
Corps:
Mercy Corps is an International NGO that exists to alleviate poverty
and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.
Mercy Corps has been fully registered in Uganda as an operational NGO.
Currently Mercy Corps has an office in Kampala and is implementing Food
Security programs which comprise of Water and Sanitation, Livelihood and
Agriculture and Conflict Mitigation Management Program in North and North
Eastern Uganda. We implement programs in the northern districts of Pader,
Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotido with funding from USAID, USDA,
Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as other private donations.
About USAID GHG Program:
Mercy Corps implements a market-development focused 5-year USAID/Food
for Peace-funded program working in the northern half of Karamoja (Abim,
Kaabong and Kotido districts) called Growth, health and Governance (GHG), and a
Safety Net and Resilience (SNR) Program with World Food Program. Both of these
projects aim to support the immediate needs of program beneficiaries while
promoting long-term development by spurring systemic improvements in key
economic sectors of northern Karamoja.
Job Summary: The Assistant
Agronomist will work to achieve a transformation of attitudes and behavior to
improve the economic future and quality of life of GHG program beneficiaries.
The ability of the Assistant Agronomist to drive the implementation of
effective agricultural extension and advisory services for adoption of improved
farming practices will be the position’s primary success factors. The second
will be the degree to which s/he promotes and captures learning with his/her
team, institutionalizing activity reviews, identifying and evaluating
preconceptions and promoting a culture of inquisition. The third success factor
will be the degree to which the incumbent successfully incorporates gender into
program activities, not just by meeting gender beneficiary targets, but also
innovatively consider the specific needs of women farmers and their constraints
to farming (time, land ownership, money, decision making to mention a few.)
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
 
  • Actively
    participate in developing messages, structures and systems to continually
    improve GHG/SNR’s Agricultural Extension Services to improve the
    productivity of poor farmers and help them turn that productivity into
    improved food security and livelihoods. Focus is on crop production,
    vegetable gardening and post-harvest handling.
  • Directly
    take lead in GHG/SNR Agricultural Extension Work and supervise field
    activities to ensure effective use of resources and successful targeting
    of services to the most vulnerable beneficiaries’ farmers in northern
    Karamoja.
  • Actively
    participate in community mobilization and sensitization for adoption of
    best agronomic and post harvest handling practices.
  • The
    incumbent will identify training needs, production constraints and devise solutions
    to address the problems at hand.
  • Carry
    out training of GHG/SNR beneficiaries on selected topics in the extension
    curriculum and ensure training is in accordance with the guidelines.
  • Identify
    technologies, practices, tools, equipment, varieties and partners that
    have the greatest potential to improve the agricultural productivity of
    Northern Karamoja and food security of the area’s most vulnerable, and
    engage/introduce them into GHG/SNR.
  • Collect,
    compile, verify, enter and keep data on GHG/SNR program beneficiaries to
    inform programming, this will involve collecting all Agricultural
    Extension Workers monthly reports from the field.
  • Prepare
    timely sector monthly and quarterly progress reports by providing data to
    support evidence of tasks accomplished by all AEWs and other work plan
    activities accomplished and submit to Agronomist.
  • Work
    closely with the Crop sector to guide and link farmers to access genuine
    agro-input implements from agro-input dealers, retailers, agents or
    stockiest.
  • Coordinate
    and work closely with district production department/sub county
    authorities to ensure that they are informed about the program activities
    through curtsey visits to the Sub county headquarters of program operation
    and at the production department at the district.
  • Represent
    the Agronomist and the agronomy sector in any GHG/SNR agricultural
    extension and advisory services in northern Karamoja.
  • Carryout
    ground field verification of AEWs reports to capture the face and rate of
    farmer adoption to new technologies and better farming practices.
    Participate in organizing and conducting of monthly sector review
    meetings.
  • Provide
    technical support and ground supervision of AEWs to ensure implementation
    of quality demonstration plots, farmer field days, farmer exchange visits,
    and community seed multiplication, perma-gardening and seed nurseries bed
    that may be supported by GHG/SNR program.
  • Coordinate
    with other GHG/SNR teams and partners, including but not limited to:
    Livestock, Financial Access, Urban Development, Maternal and Child Health
    and KAPDA.
  • Incorporate
    gender mainstreaming into GHG/SNR program activities, considering the
    specific needs of women farmers and their constraints to farming (time,
    land ownership, money, decision making etc.)
  • Actively
    participate in the program reviews, assessments, monitoring activities,
    learning and evaluations.
     
Qualifications,
Skills and Experience: 
  • The ideal candidate for the Mercy Corps Assistant
    Agronomist job opportunity should hold
    a B.Sc. in Agronomy or related field within Agriculture is desirable and
    preferred. A candidate with a Diploma in General Agriculture
  • At
    least three years field experience in agricultural extension services,
    agricultural programming, farmer training and community mobilization,
    project planning, activities with women, and similar relevant activities
    can apply.
  • Candidate
    must be a self-starter, motivated and able to work independently and take
    initiative.
  • Excellent
    English language, verbal and written communication skills; ability to
    speak Karamajong is required.
  • Candidate
    must be willing to and able to travel extensively throughout northern
    Karamoja districts or program sites.
  • Computer
    skill i.e. MS Office, MS excel and valid motorcycle riding permit is an
    added advantage.
How to
Apply:
All prospective Ugandans who wish to join Mercy Corps are encouraged to
send their applications via email including a cover letter clearly stating your
salary requirements, CV (with 3 referees), and copies of academic
qualifications/certificates to ug-mcjobs@mercycorps.org addressed to the Senior
HR and Legal Manager, Kampala Head Office on 4th Floor Embassy Plaza, Plot
1188-1190 Ggaba Road.
Deadline: 23rd
August, 2016
For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or
find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline



Related Jobs