COMPANY OVERVIEW

The Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organisation that runs philanthropic programmes as well as for-profit Social Ventures. The Vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The Mission is to achieve the Vision by investing in the human and physical capital of Africa, with an emphasis on job creation.

Established in 2011 as a UK based non-profit, the Foundation has already carried out more than 30 projects, primarily in Ethiopia and Somaliland. The key themes for the philanthropic side of the Foundation are education, health, water and agriculture. Social enterprises cover all sectors where the Foundation can make an impact financially, create jobs and add value in a sustainable manner.

Headquartered in London, the Foundation also has an operational Head office in Nairobi and other offices in Addis Ababa, Assosa and Hargeisa.

As part of its development of Social Ventures, the Foundation has acquired 484 Ha of land in the BGRS region of Ethiopia. The first phase of the development of the commercial farm on this land is development of 50 Ha, with a view to develop the remainder over the next 4 years.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Agronomist is a key role, which will be based at the farm that is approximately 60km from Assosa in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. The position holder will report directly to the General Manager. The Agronomist is responsible for the planning and management of all farm activities and proper technical flow of Pharo Farms.

 He/She will assist the General Manager in generating plant growth activities survey and forecast, preparation of schedules and employee assignments as well as developing methods of improving farm productivity.

DUTIES ANDRESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare the farms production plan and budget;
• Ensure that all aspects of production and post harvest handling are carried out on time and to an acceptable standard.
• Ensures that production targets are met with acceptable budget utilization;
• Supervise the activities of Assistant workers and other staff under his/her supervision.
• Ensures the setting and proper implementation of operational plans and programs in all aspects of the farm;
• Ensures that pesticide, fertilizer, irrigation and other chemicals are applied accurately and on time as per the standard;
• Identify training needs and arrange trainings for employees in all aspects of the farm;
• Ensure that all activities of the farm are recorded and reported timely and properly;
• Regularly inspect the farm to ensure that plants are up to the standard and are protected from diseases pests and improper application of chemicals etc;
• Assists the manager and unit farm heads in generating plant growth activities survey and forecast, preparation of schedules and employee assignments
• Ensures the proper management of the farms agronomical resources.
• Observe plants and develop new methods of growing plants, cultivation and harvesting to secure more efficient production, higher yield and improved quality;
• Any other duties as and when required by immediate supervisor that are reasonably within the capabilities of the incumbent and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals.

 REPORTING TO:    

• The General Manager

FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Head of Social Enterprises
• Finance Manager, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Country Representative , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
•  Farm Project Manager, Assosa, Ethiopia

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Local authorities in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
• Community leaders around the farm.
• Suppliers and service providers.
• Government stakeholders such as tax authorities.

Job Requirements

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• A self-starter, capable of working independently
• Motivated to learn and perform and not afraid to ask questions.
• Willing to challenge status quo and add value by introducing positive change.
• Good communicator and comfortable to work in a team environment.
• High professional and ethical standards.
• Excellent communication and team-working skills, with the ability to build good relations, both internally and externally

How to Apply

The application deadline is 6^th November 2020.

Review of complete applications will be on a rolling basis. In the event that we identify an outstanding early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested candidates to apply at the earliest possible time. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact short-listed candidates.

Please send the information listed below, as a single PDF file, to the following email address:

addisoffice@pharofoundation.org

 Please indicate ‘’FARM AGRONOMIST ’’ in the email subject line.

• A detailed CV and Covering Letter,
• A 1,000-word essay on both of these:
• What experience have you gained that makes you think that you are the most qualified candidate for the role?
• What major agronomical challenges do you envisage on a Farm and how will you resolve these using your experience?
• A one-page list of five references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts.