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Job Title:  Agribusiness & Livelihoods Officer

Organisation: Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE)

Duty Station:  Fort Portal, Uganda

Reports to: Program Coordinator, Head of Natural Resources Department, Executive Director

About the Company:

Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE) is a non-profit organization, with a focus on natural resources Management. Founded in 1993, our projects and Programs have a national character and currently implementing activities in Northern Uganda, Rwenzori and the Albertine Regions. Our focus is on the following sectors; agriculture, Water and Sanitation and Natural Resources Management. Vision: A community where people and nature flourish.

Job Summary:   The objective of this Terms of Reference is to outline the requirements and responsibilities for recruiting an Agribusiness & Livelihoods Officer to support JESE in implementing the M4LLR Project in the specified districts.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:   The project officers will be responsible for the following tasks:

• In consultation with the Project Coordinator, develop milestone plans for the implementation of the M4LLR Project in the designated districts and sub-counties.
• Support mapping out of formal SMEs/Financial Institutions in each target district to build an initial pipeline of potential SCRF grant funding.
• Leverage Restore Africa (RESAf) program smallholder farmer and farmer groups/cooperatives engagement to facilitate linkages with interested private sector partners (off takers and input/service providers) and identify potential market actors in each target district for support under SCRF grant funds.
• Sensitize and create awareness among farmer groups and local leaders about M4LLR activities and their intended objective.
• Support specialized training and capacity-building programs to enhance the groups’ competencies in financial management, business planning, and partnership cultivation, tailored to the specific needs of smallholder farmers engaged in land restoration.
• Facilitate a cocreation activity with the private sector partners (eg, coffee and cocoa exporters) and provide technical support to engage smallholder farmers to diversify production and integrate new (agroforestry) crops into their plots.
• Coordinate with private sector market actors to develop business cases (Agroforestry business Model) for ‘typical’ smallholder farms in different production systems factoring in seasonal and multiyear cash flows (short-term, medium term and long-term income generation) including focus on nutrition sensitive agroforestry potential.
• Identify capacity and conduct gap assessment including gender sensitive self-assessment for groups who have signed Carbon Development Agreements (CDAs) to ensure that the governance frameworks are designed to actively involve women and youth.
• Conduct regular field visits to implement and monitor M4LLR project activities, provide technical support, and troubleshoot/address any challenges.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle.
• Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences.
• Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules.
• Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents.
• Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices.
• Prepare and submit timely project reports, including progress updates.
• Manage activity budgets, logistics, and resources allocated in line with JESE’s financial guidelines
• Represent JESE in relevant meetings, workshops, and forums related to the Restore Africa Project at District level.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidates for the Agribusiness & Livelihoods Officer position should possess the following qualifications and requirements:

• A Bachelor’s Degree required. Degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, or related studies with specialized study in Market Systems Development or relevant field.
• Minimum of 3 years of work experience in project support, in the field of livelihoods, agribusiness, business development support, agriculture or agroforestry.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural and diverse environment
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Experience with working with local stakeholders, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
• Prior experience in business development services and/or in financial services is a plus.
• Experience working with an NGO is a significant advantage.
• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and any other relevant local languages.
• Familiarity with project monitoring and evaluation, budget management, and reporting processes
• Knowledge of the geographical and socio-economic context of the six districts and their respective sub-counties.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants should send their applications to the Human Resources Manager, JESE via email to jese@jese.org and copy in: busiinge@jese.org and grishaba@jese.org

Deadline: 15th September 2024

NB: Kindly be aware that this position is contingent on JESE successfully obtaining funding from the donor.

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