The International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology (icipe) seeks to hire a Deputy Project Coordinator – Apiculture & Sericulture Development who will be responsible for providing leadership in the planning, implementation and supervision of apiculture and sericulture related project activities, while also serving as sectoral manager thereof and deputize the Program Coordinator on matters pertaining to these sectoral areas. The job holder will provide technical leadership in the operational planning, capacity building and implementation of apiculture and sericulture industry development. S/he will guide and supervise project teams working in beekeeping and sericulture, post-harvest processing of honey and beeswax, silkworm rearing and working closely with the rest of the MOYESH project team in alignment with the strategy, commitments and goals of the project.  She/he will be a member of icipe Ethiopia office which is located at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia).

General: The International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology (icipe) is a pan-African and non-profit Centre of Excellence for research and development and capacity building in insect science and its applications. Its mission is to help alleviate poverty, ensure food and nutritional security and improve the overall health status of peoples of the tropics by developing and extending management tools and strategies for harmful and useful arthropods, while preserving the natural resource base through research and capacity building. Since its establishment in 1970, icipe has become a significant contributor to science and innovation required to meet the health and food security challenges of sub-Saharan Africa. The Centre has achieved this status by developing alternative and environmentally friendly pest and vector management technologies and products that are effective, selective, non-polluting, non-resistance inducing, and are affordable to resource-limited rural and urban communities. Employing close to 500 international and national staff, icipe also has approximately 150 graduate students who contribute to its research portfolio annually. The Centre currently has operations in more than 40 African countries, and thriving partnerships with universities and research organizations across the world.  For more information visit: www.icipe.org.

icipe is partnering with Mastercard Foundation to implement the MOre Young Entrepreneurs in Silk and Honey project (MOYESH). The purpose of this partnership intervention is to secure fulfilling and dignified employment and income for unemployed young women and men by scaling up integrated beekeeping and silk farming businesses, building on lessons learned from YESH project and leveraging the public-private partnerships that are already created. The MOYESH project targets to provide 100,000 youth with appropriate skills and to enable 100,000 youth (of which 60% are female) secure dignified and fulfilling work in four target regions of Ethiopia including the Amhara; Oromia; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNP); and Tigray.

Main Responsibilities:

• Serve as deputy project coordinator on sectoral areas (apiculture and sericulture) matters of the project and manage project teams working in these areas;
• Provides technical leadership to the apiculture and sericulture development activities of the project, from site selection, recruitment of youth, organization of training programs, delivery of starter kit through to facilitating market linkages;
• Coordinates the direction, implementation, execution, control and completion of beekeeping and sericulture development activities of the project in all project areas in the four regions (Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and SNNP);
• Facilitates collaborations in beekeeping and sericulture development sites with project teams working on market development and microfinance services;
• Manages interactions with key stakeholders, including private sector actors, engaged in apiculture and sericulture development works of the project;
• Manages financial resources and central and regional project teams implementing beekeeping and sericulture development;
• Prepares and submits regular technical progress reports in apiculture and sericulture development
• Participates in project performance review meetings and discussions
• Ensures the project’s compliance with the terms of agreement with the donor, local implementing partners and icipe;
• Keeps abreast of developments within project implementations and policy changes in the country/region;
• Contributes to the development of new proposals when opportunities arise;
• Supports the project coordinator in the development, maintenance and strengthening of key strategic partnerships with the donor, local public and private partners;
• Assists the project coordinator in identifying, mitigating, and managing project risks.

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• A PhD or MSc degree in agriculture with progressive hands-on experience in research and development of smallholder beekeeping and sericulture sectors
• In depth knowledge in a technical or specialized field
• Understanding of theoretical concepts / principles and their context

Experience:

• At least 3 years of relevant work experience at a commensurate senior level working in beekeeping and/or related fields for PhD holders.
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience at a commensurate senior level working in beekeeping and/or related fields for MSc holders.

 Skills:

• Proven track record of managing technical teams in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural working environment
• Good skills in working with youth groups and youth employments
• Solid understanding of bee biology and the socioeconomics of beekeeping
• Comprehensive understanding of the current state of the honey and beeswax value chains in Ethiopia, and roles and constraints of major actors, including formal and informal traders
• Good understanding of the current policy environment within which smallholder and commercial apiculture and sericulture in the country operate.
• Well informed of current and developing regulatory frameworks, including product standards, pertinent to the honey and beeswax value chains and sericulture value chains.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multicultural work environment

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability in managing projects, staff and budget
• Demonstrated competency in sericulture, beekeeping, bee health, bee forage and honey processing
• Good scientific communication skills, as demonstrated in peer reviewed publications, public seminars and lectures
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information at various levels
• Capacity to take initiative, demonstrate good judgment and work under minimal supervision
• Strong organizational and analytical skills

Duty Station:   Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Position level:   HG 17

Minimum Base salary:                  

•  Birr 57,880 per month (Negotiable depending on salary history of the selected candidate)

Terms of appointment: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position, initial appointment is for three years with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and the availability of funding. icipe offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits in line with ILRI salary applicable for its Nationally Recruited Staff. icipe is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence. 

The ILRI campus is set in a secure, attractive campus with dining and sports facilities that are located on site.

Applications: Applicants should provide a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae including names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees and a letter providing a point by point response to the essential and desirable person specifications. The position and reference number: DPC/38/19 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ on or before 30 October 2019.