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Job Title:  Senior Agronomy Officer

Organisation: Action Against Hunger-USA

Duty Station:   Uganda

Reports to: Program Manager

About US:

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Cambodia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti and Somalia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $75 million in programs, and approximately 2000 staff based in in the various country offices, Head Quarter in New York City and Operational Centre in Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated.

Job Summary:  The postholder will deputise the Program Manager and provide technical leadership in the field of agricultural and livestock production through the Farmer Field School Approach. The jobholder will have a strong agronomy back ground. She / he will lead the Action Against Hunger team in identifying, forming and supporting farmer field school groups through the available structures. The post requires an individual with expert knowledge and experience in implementing the Farmer Field School approach. The Senior Agronomy Officer will work under and deputise the Program Manager as the direct supervisor, in liaison with the Farmer Field School Technical Lead for technical guidance and the FLS Coordinator for overall technical supervision and information sharing. He/she will also directly supervise field supervisors and community based facilitators. As Deputy Program Manager, he/she will provide technical support to other officers, supervise field activities, liaise with logistics to follow-up procurement, participate in BFUs and undertake any other responsibility as may be assigned by the Supervisor. In addition, he/she will coordinate with and represent Action Against Hunger among government and non-government organization partners at field level. The Senior Agronomy Officer will contribute to positive livelihoods outcome through the implementation of the Farmer Field School approach and other various community led Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) programs. He/she will support the direct supervision of supervisors and community based facilitators and prepare monthly activity plans and reports as per the standard reporting formats.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical support to other project officers in supervising field activities, liaising with logistics to follow-up procurement, leading in BFUs and undertaking any other responsibility as may be assigned by the Supervisor.
• Lead the key technical aspects of the FFS team in establishing the FFS groups, leadership structures, constitutions, byelaws, registration with the CDO and opening up of bank accounts.
• Ensure that the FFS team conducts group action planning process and identify the appropriate learning activities to be integrated into the season-long training schedule.
• Set up study and commercial plots with crops identified with the FFS groups.
• Guide the process of enterprise selection and support farmers to develop season-long training schedules.
• Mentor the FFS members to higher level farmer organizations like FFS Networks and build their managerial and entrepreneurial skills to enable them become self-reliant.
• Liaise with other partners in the Livelihood sector in preparing the appropriate training content and maintain a regular exchange of information with them.
• Support the FFS team to organize field days and trips as an integral component of the FFS learning process
• Actively promote concepts of agro ecology and climate smart agriculture.
• Ensure that FFS demonstration gardens are appropriately set up with nutrition sensitivity and maintained by the target community.
• Conduct regular visits to all the FFS / FG sites and their groups to monitor proper adoption of the practices and assess work of the FFS facilitators.
• Collect and regularly update data on private sector / SME involved in the targeted value chains.
• Train marketing committees on collective marketing or other marketing models deemed necessary.
• Facilitate business relationships between producer groups and produce buyers / SMEs.
• Support the development and implementation of business cases for selected SMEs / value chains and FFS.
• Liaise with PALM Corps to organize quarterly multi-stakeholder platform (MSP) for the selected value chains to improve collaboration among actors and collectively address value chain constraints.
• Liaise with PALM Corps to organize youth multi-stakeholder platform through which TVET centers, SMEs hosting interns, youth, District planners/commercial officers discuss the challenges of Youth employment and work on local solution
• Follow-up implementation of the agreed actions from the MSPs.
• Organize learning events for SMEs, FFS representatives, and service providers to learn relevant business partnerships in other regions
• Ensure active participation of the various stakeholders and beneficiaries in the project activities.
• Implement all the planned field based activities in respective areas of project implementation in planned time and coherent manner.
• Support the team in formulation and execution of work plans.
• Contribute to writing success stories for the FFS component on quarterly basis.
• Identify lessons learned and document best practices for project adaptation.
• Compile and share accurate written project technical reports.
• Ensure timely filing and archiving of project documents.
• Coordinate and develop synergies with the nutrition activities (sensitization sessions) to ensure integration of nutrition and Food security activities.
• Directly supervise the Field Supervisors and Community Based Facilitators. He/she will ensure that staff/persons under his/her supervision are effectively engaged in their tasks and execute activity plans in accordance with Action Against Hunger expectation.
• Identify training needs of Field Supervisors and suggest an appropriate training plan.
• Conduct induction and orientation of new staff under supervision ensuring that all relevant documents and tools of work are shared with new staff.
• Set probationary objectives with new staff and reviews are done in time for support.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal applicant must hold a Bachelor degree (honors) in Agronomy, Agroforestry, or any other relevant field
• A minimum of three years of continuous experience implementing FFS related activities.
• Additionally, a diploma in Agricultural related studies with at least 5 years’ practical experience in a successful Farmer Field Schools (FFS) related project shall be considered.
• Previous work experience with farmer organizations.
• Three years of continuous experience implementing FFS related activities.
• Practical experience in a successful Farmer Field Schools (FFS) related project shall be considered.
• Knowledge in agronomy and strong background in agro ecology.
• Demonstrate leadership and supervisory skills.
• Ability to coach and mentor field staff.
• Strengthen the culture of innovativeness among the field staff.
• Capacity building of organizations and individuals.
• Participatory training methodologies.
• Previous work with a busy multi-sectoral setting/programming is an asset.
• Previous work in a refugee setting is desirable.
• Fluency and strong communication skills in written and spoken English.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently.
• Extremely flexible with the ability to cope with stressful situations.
• Excellent reporting skills with good oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of the local context is an added advantage.
• Culturally sensitive.
• Must own a valid riding permit
• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

How to Apply:

All candidates should apply online at the link below.

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