The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:     Agronomy Advisor  (2 Job Placements)

Organisation: TechnoServe

Duty Station:  Kayunga, Uganda

Reports to: Senior Agronomy Advisor

 

About US:

TechnoServeis a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty. A nonprofit organization operating in 29 countries, we work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. By linking people to information, capital, and markets, we have helped millions to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities. Founded over 50 years ago, TechnoServe has been named the#1 nonprofit for fighting povertyby the ImpactMatters charity ratings agency.

 

About Project:

TechnoServe is implementing a four-year (2018-2022) coffee agronomy training program that seeks to improve incomes for 30,000 coffee farming households in Central and Western Uganda by increasing their coffee farm productivity. This will be achieved by promoting improved coffee agronomic practices at the farm level through a two-year structured and farm-based training program based on the coffee growing cycle. The training is conducted by locally recruited and trained Farmer Trainers (FTs) and delivered in three different cohorts.  It is expected that up to 60% of the target households will adopt at least half of the coffee best practices, which will translate to at least 50% increase in coffee yields. To validate the impact of the program on yield increase and attribute the results to actions of the program, a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) is conducted by external agencies. The Temporary Agronomy Advisor function directly supervises the Farmer Trainers.

 

Job Summary:  The Agronomy Advisor shall support the implementation of strategies that will enable clients to achieve sustainable increases in coffee quality and yields.

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Planning and management of Farmer Trainers (FTs)

• Supervise 8 Farmer Trainers (FTs)
• Prepare and submit monthly training schedules
• Collect and review weekly training plans and attendance data from FT’s. Ensure completeness, accuracy and clarify of data prior to submission in Comcare.
• Clearly communicate goals, roles and responsibilities to Farmer Trainers
• Provide feedback, coaching and development activities related to performance management
• Develop a team spirit among all reports

Conduct monthly Agronomy trainings to FTs

• Model monthly agronomy training to FTs at local training demonstration plots
• Supervise teach-backs and give feedback to Farmer Trainers
• Prepare and ensure all training materials reach FT’s in a timely manner.

Observe FT’s delivering training to farmers

• Observe full training delivered to farmers by assigned Farmer Trainers (FTs). Each FT must be observed at least once a month, with a minimum of 9 observations in total per month.
• Check attendance form, cross check with number of farmers seen as present. Ensure reported data is accurate, clear and complete.
• Complete training observation assessment on tablet and give feedback and coaching to the FT.

Visit farmer fields and demonstration plots

• Visit randomly selected farmers, discuss training, farmer adoption and challenges and complete best practice check list on tablet
• Meet with Focal Farmer (FF), check demo plot status and discuss any challenges and innovations
• Give feedback to FT on improvements required. A minimum of 10 demonstration plot visits and assessments to be made each month.

Attendance Monitoring

• Support the FT to develop strategies to encourage the attendance of women at training.
• Collect, check for completion and submit complete set of FT’s attendance sheets to the M&E team within 1 week of training completion.
• Compile weekly attendance update and discuss any attendance issues with FT’s and develop actions to solve problems.

Prepare & check FTs expenses

• Request and account for transport, meals and accommodation during the modeling training in a timely manner.

Stakeholder Management

• Build a good working relationship with stakeholders and manage quarterly update meetings with local stakeholders including district, sub-county, parish and village leaders

Program representation and expansion

• Be a program ambassador at the operational area
• Provide translation and contextualization services to high-level visitors
• Spearhead efforts in making the agronomy program more gender inclusive and conflict sensitive using local customs etc.
• Provide support to the Uganda country operations as required.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Horticulture or related agricultural sciences.
• At least three years of professional experience – ideally in the private sector – in one or more of the following areas: agriculture, small and medium enterprise development, farmer associations or cooperatives, project management, financing, engineering, community development.
• Strong planning abilities; prior experience working to tight and strict deadlines
• Ability to lead a team and work collaboratively within a team; prior experience managing direct reports
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills,
• Experience working with farmers is essential.
• Experience riding motorcycles and a valid riding permit is a MUST.
• Experience working in the project location and knowledge of Luganda are essential.
• Willingness to spend significant time in rural

 

Success Factors:

Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

 

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Partnership/Donor Management: program staff should understand and apply techniques to develop, maintain and manage business relationships with clients, donors and internal or external partners in order to implement and manage projects and/or identify new business.
• Financial & Resource Management: an important competency program staff must possess to enable them budget properly based on facts and change course when necessary, knowledge of finance to develop and manage budgets.
• Innovative Mindset: program staff should know how to ask questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learn from mistakes, and see change as an opportunity.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.

 

Managerial Competencies include:

• Emotional Intelligence: Empathetic, understands attitudes, interests, needs of others; predict others behavior. Self-aware and keeps own emotions from interfering with work. Understanding both the strengths and limitations of others.
• Trust to Delegate: Appropriately allocates decision‐making authority and/or task responsibility to others; maximizes the organization’s and individual’s effectiveness.
• Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.
• Staff Development: Planning and supporting the development of individuals’ skills and abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job responsibilities more effectively.
• Coaching/Feedback: Recognizes and acknowledges strengths in others. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others develop knowledge and skill areas to accomplish tasks or solve problems.

 

Career Pathways: The position that might be next career opportunities for employees in this job title include Senior Agronomy Advisor

 

How to Apply:

If you are interested and you meet the requirements should apply online at the link below.

 

Click Here

 

Note:

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted.
• TechnoServe encourages diversity in all levels and across all facets of our organization. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.
• We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.

 

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