Technoserve Plant protection Business Advisor - TOV Jobs in Ethiopia

Technoserve Plant protection Business Advisor - TOV Jobs in Ethiopia

Job Id: 220944

Category: Agriculture

Location: Based at project site (either East Shewa, Oromia or Gurage/Siti, SNNPR), with some travel to Addis Ababa or other program sites, SNNPR

Career Level: Mid Level ( 2+ - 5 years experience)

Employment Type: Full time

Salary: Per the organization scale

Job Description

I. TechnoServe Background:

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets.

With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

II. Program Description:

Tikkun Olam Ventures (TOV) is a new philanthropic development fund and program established by the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

Ethiopia is TOV’s pilot country of operations. TOV supports social businesses in emerging economies to access, invest in, and adopt Israeli technology and innovations to improve the lives of smallholder farmers.

Additionally, the fund promotes sustainable business models by facilitating loans for small and medium enterprises (cooperatives, unions, and private Agri-businesses) and by providing them with technical support services that increase their chances for success.

TOV addresses all barriers to the introduction of new technologies – and facilitates access to finance, technology, learning, and market channels.

The first year and a half of the program will serve as the program pilot and focus on supporting enterprises working with smallholder farmers in various horticulture market systems. There is a special focus on increased engagement/empowerment of women and youth.

III. Position Description:

Support Program Manager in set-up of program operations at field sites. Implement and follow-up on program interventions to facilitate enterprises’ successful purchase of and support to their member smallholder farmers in investing in and adopting Israeli technologies and innovations that ultimately improve their incomes.

Interventions include but are not limited to do primarily plant protection activities and agronomic practices, follow-up supply of Agro-chemicals to and proper application of the agro-chemicals by farmers and capacity building for experts, DAs and farmers to improve their agronomic and plant protection skills.

The position will also include site layout, plot design, system installation and maintenance, supporting enterprises in access to finance, general business and governance skills, loan management, technology utilization, and marketing.

Mobilize and facilitate other key market system players (farmers, local government, research centers, traders, and input/equipment suppliers) to implement program interventions, which will require negotiating, collaborating with, and providing follow-up support to these players.

IV. Duties & Responsibilities

Implement TOV project interventions:

Conduct continues pest and disease monitoring methods at the field level using scouting and assess the threshold of pest and disease attack to take the necessary action;

Make chemical calibration based on the field assessment;

Train BAs, experts from woreda and cooperative unions, and DAs on pest and disease control, support woreda experts and DAs to train the farmers at the field levels;

Develop training materials of plant protection to the DAs to facilitate farmers’ training;

At the field level, doing continuous follow-up and technical support to cooperatives and individual farmers to ensure the vegetable crops are well protected from pest and diseases;

Provide technical support on crop protection and agronomic practices, safe use of chemicals at farmers’ fields, and post-harvest handling of vegetables to reduce product loss;

Facilitate supply of Agro chemicals to the vegetable producers;

Providing technical support to SMEs that includes Farmers cooperatives, Unions and other business organizations engaged in input supply (Agro-chemicals and other inputs), marketing and other related activities.

Working with woreda experts, cooperative unions, Development Agents (DAs) and private actors to manage pest diseases and implement the project activities effectively.

Facilitating round tables and collaborative problem solving meetings with a range of market system actors at the field and woreda levels;

Negotiating with potential private sector or other implementing partners; persuade market

system players of the business benefits and means to adopt more inclusive business models;

Setting Up and Supporting Program Operations

Provide technical service and training to farmers on plant protection and agronomic practices, drip system operation, maintenance and lateral stretching, folding and storing kits at end of season;

Supervise and monitoring pest and diseases at the farmers’ fields together with BAs, woreda experts and DAs and recommend the necessary action to the problems;

Support in finalizing selection of enterprises participating in TOV;

Participate actively in developing site plan, design drip kits installation, and install drip kits on farmers’ fields;

Supporting planning meetings and workshops with selected enterprises and other key stakeholders;

Develop and closely manage relationships with local government agencies, and other key stakeholders;

Coordinate team and guest visits, facilitate travel arrangement, provide assistance, and appropriate information and/or facilitate their visit as per schedule provided;

Enterprise Capacity Building

Build capacity of enterprises through facilitating trainings, including but not limited to: train-the-trainer, plant protection and agronomic practices, business model generation, financial and loan management, good governance, horticulture agronomy, TOV technology adoption, marketing, and nutrition

Support and facilitate growth in enterprises’ farmer membership and sustainable services offered to members

Facilitate enterprises’ access to finance

Teamwork and Reporting

Collaborate with other project team members to plan administrative and M&E activities

Provide strategic feedback to improve the TOV program to Interim Program Manager, M&E Coordinator, and teammates based on successes, challenges, and other analysis of ongoing activities;

Perform other duties as assigned by the Interim Program Manager

Lead ongoing research into horticulture as well as technologies and innovations relevant to the project scope; working with project team, update the analysis and understanding of the market systems on a regular basis;

Ensure benefit to women and youth as well as men;

Work together with and support Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) coordinator, as required

Job Requirements

V. Required Skills and Experience:

Education

Bachelor degree in plant protection, plant science, horticulture and other related fields;

Special training on plant protection is an advantage

Experience:

Experience in plant protection for at least four years in well-known vegetable farms;

Experience in scouting methods of pest and disease;

Practical experience in integrated pest management, chemical calibration and safety application;

Understanding of relevant legislation, policies and procedures of agro-chemicals;

Attributes and skills:

Excellent customer service skills;

High level of organization and efficiency;

Clear and concise communication skills;

Computer skills (emails, scanning, word processing) and proficiency Google Drive, Skype, and familiarity with Excel and Word software;

Perform basic Excel functions such as custom sort, filter, copy, paste, freeze rows/columns and can conduct search find and replace in Excel;

Keen attention to detail;

Ability to manage multiple tasks at once for different individuals in the office;

Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion;

Results focused and aware of the different challenges faced by individuals;

Culturally aware and able to speak English and Amharic fluently.

VI. Preferred Qualifications and Capabilities

Skill in pest and disease identification and protection;

Experience in safe use of and proper application of chemical, agriculture technologies and innovations, or other relevant experience;

Experience working with farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses at the field level;

Experience in planning and coordination of events;

Computer skill;

Experience with computer programs related to data analysis in addition to Excel.

How to Apply

VII. Application Instruction:

Qualified and interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and salary history as a single document (either Word or PDF) to ethiopiajobs@tns.org or send through post office in the below address until September 7,2019.

Please identify the position for which you are applying in the subject line. Only applicants meeting minimum qualifications will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Address: TechnoServe Inc.

PO Box 100598

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

TechnoServe is an equal opportunity employer. Women are highly encouraged to apply.

TNS has the right to cancel this advertisement

Technoserve Plant protection Business Advisor - TOV Jobs in Ethiopia