RE-ADVERTISMENT

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT                                       

Position: AGRONOMIST

Country Office: Ethiopia

Work Base: Waghimra-Sekota

Availability: As Soon As Possible

Salary Scale: EMS07

Salary and other benefits: Starting Gross salary ETB 27,000 

Insurance - (Life, Group Personal Accident, and Medical Insurances are covered upon the organization policies).

Seniority Allowance – paid to depend on the years of service.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position

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 hygiene, and food security and livelihood. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Somalia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $50 million in programs and approximately 1,700 staff based in the various country offices, Head Quarter in New York City, and Operational Centre in Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated.

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where Nutrition, Health, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, MHPSS, Gender, and Protection, are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. We operate in 5 different regions with a portfolio of USD20 million of emergency and resilience-building programs, research, and innovation. Our country team has over 600 national staff working out of 17 field offices across Ethiopia. Our main donors in Ethiopia are BHA/USAID, BPRM, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, SIDA, GFFO, EHF, WFP, and others.

Action Against Hunger secured a fund from European Union through ICCO cooperation Ethiopia to implement an innovative project entitled “Terracing, Agroforestry and Farm Optimization in Waghimra – TAF Project’’ for a period of two years. This two-year innovation project builds on the activities of the previous EU funded RESET programs and complements them by supporting interventions at a higher systemic level in order to address the structural underlying causes of vulnerability. The primary goal of the project is to improve sustainable livelihoods and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities in Waghimra through the promotion of innovative Terracing, Agroforestry, and Farm Optimization. The proposed project is expected to move resilience out of the ‘’business as usual’’ approach through influence existing systems. New and appropriate methodologies, approaches, technologies, and practices will be adopted and introduced in partnership with Bahir Dar University, public and private stakeholders, which empower women and youth, including addressing the underlying social, cultural, and economic causes of inequality in their respective societies.

Summary of position

The agronomist is responsible for the technical leadership and management of the innovative terracing, Agroforestry, and farm optimization project that utilizes the social marketing approach and farm design model to improve livelihoods and resilience of the vulnerable communities in Waghimra Zone. S/he will work with other actors and project beneficiaries in the experimental and maximization of plant nutrients and soil health, farm optimization establish or create linkages for agro-input supplies, and promotion of private extension services. S/he will be responsible for the technical capacity-building aspect of the project and government staff, farm innovative agents, and farmers. She/he will support the capitalization of innovative agroecological practices and work closely with the program manager in planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of the project.

The Agronomist’s role purpose, engagement, and delivery are:

Purpose

The Agronomist is responsible for the technical leadership and management of the innovative terracing, Agroforestry, and farm optimization project that utilizes the social marketing approach and farm design model to improve livelihoods and resilience of the vulnerable communities in Waghimra Zone.

Engagement

The Agronomist will collaborate closely with other Food Security and Livelihood Program Manager and Field Coordinator.

Externally, s/he build relationships with other organizations, local government officials and community leaders, farm innovative agents, and farmers in the program implementation area. 

Delivery  

The Agronomist will Support the implementation of farm optimization modeling, and Support the preparation of regular monthly, quarterly, biannual, and annual internal and external reports by providing all the required technical input 

Essential job duties

• Establishment of Sustainable and profitable Farm Innovation Agent network, linking smallholder farmers with farm suppliers
• Enhance smallholder farms productivity, sustainability and resilience is through modification of existing terracing systems, promotion of agroforestry, and optimal farm solutions through individual diagnostic
• Support farmers in the implementation/uptake of agroforestry solution on newly constructed terraces through farm innovative agents and local tree seedling suppliers
• Work with Bahir Dar University for the development of user-friendly advisory optimized farm models for smallholder model farmers
• Build the capacity of farm innovative agents, government Agriculture Officers, and extension workers on the advisory tool that will provide time-efficient services for an individualized farm model.
• Support and strengthen agriculture transition towards optimized farm model is strengthened benefiting smallholder model farmers
• Work with Bahir Dar University and Action Against hunger’s HQ gender and transformation Advisor in undertaking formative researches
• Provide technical inputs to future proposals and concept notes on agroforestry and terracing.
• Identify and train farm innovative agents on Fanya Juu, agroforestry, farm optimization, and entrepreneurship
• Support farm innovative Agents for the practice of Fanya Juu terracing system by smallholder model farmers
• Establish volunteer farmers’ groups for terracing work and facilitate training on the Fanya Juu terracing system to group farmers.
• Capacity building on Fanya Juu terracing sand agroforestry systems to group farmers by FIAs.
• Design and support implementation of Fanya Juu terracing and agroforestry on individual farmer’s plot through the rotation system
• Piloting the cocoon technology on farmers plot
• Support implementation of farm optimization modeling using Farm design software developed by Bahr Dar and Wageningen universities.
• Facilitate for the validation of optimized farm models with farmers
• Based on a set of optimized farm models, develop an advisory tool/app through a human-centered design approach involving farmers-farm optimization agents-university-software development partners
• Create linkage between farmers and innovation suppliers for delivery of selected inputs
• Facilitate the implementation of optimal farm models by farmers
• Participate in external and internal project and country related meetings.
• Ensure timely tasks delivery with attention to the quality as per SOPs
• Ensure timely preparation of all required technical documents to implement the project including a detailed implementation plan.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Direct Management: Farm Innovative Agents

Gender Equality Commitments  

• Foster an environment that supports the values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status. 
• Value and respect all cultures. 

Fiscal Responsibility

• Budget follow up regularly and ensure the utilization of allocated budget in a timely manner and per Action Against Hunger and donor procedures

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread your work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel, and Environment

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. 

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture, (specializing in agroforestry, soil, and natural resource conservation)
• Minimum 5 years of agronomy work experience in arid and semi-arid areas
• Experience in working with all actors in the value chain
• The extent of experience with international organizations, in a multi-cultural setting.
• Experience in community development/organizing and participatory methods

Required Skills & Competencies

• Proficient in MS Office
• Outstanding research and analytical skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• In-depth knowledge of soil and crop principles

How to Apply

 APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested, please send your application composed of none returnable CV, Covering Letter with “Agronomist ” written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to the following addresses:

Through www.ethiojobs.net  OR Directly In-Person to Action Against Hunger Addis Ababa office after Washington DC square to Mayor Muriel Bowser Street, Wollega – Gimbi, Gambella, Waghimra – Sekota, Hararghe- Harar, Borena – Yabello and Somali Gode offices,

NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be, communicated on and the selection process includes technical tests and an interview.