Company Description SNV is a not-for-profit international development organization that applies practical know-how to make a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. We use our extensive and long-term in-country presence to apply and adapt our top-notch expertise in agriculture, energy and WASH to local contexts. SNV has an annual turnover of €130 million, over 1,250 staff in more than 25 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are proud to be a not-for-profit organization that uses project financing to implement our mission. This requires us to work efficiently and to invest in operational excellence.
In its new Strategic Plan period (2019 – 2022), SNV will more explicitly aim for systems change during project preparation and implementation - by strengthening institutions and kick-starting markets that help many more to escape poverty beyond our projects. We will continue to position ourselves as a premium organization, with decentralized management.
For more information on our operations in Kenya and SNV generally visit our website: www.snv.org
Background
This “vegetable gap” in Africa is an opportunity to create jobs and income and at the same time improve nutrition. The project will accomplish this by working toward a strong and competitive vegetable sub-sector through a combination of supply- and demand-side interventions. The overall project objective is to create jobs and income, particularly for youth and women, in the vegetable sector in Ethiopia and Kenya, and to improve environmental and human health through safe production of vegetables. The project uses an action-oriented approach in which new tools and technologies are developed, piloted and scaled through Vegetable Business Networks as platforms for networking and boosting the functioning of food systems as well as through public and private sector partners. The project will design, pilot and scale innovative regenerative vegetable production and post-harvest technologies. Value chain development will particularly emphasize traditional African vegetables as they are in increasing demand by urban consumers, create excellent business opportunities, and are easier to grow in regenerative ways.
Job Description
The scope of work in Kenya will cover strengthening and facilitating formation of VBN (Vegetable Business Networks) among smallholder farmers especially the youth. The Program Advisor will work within the Veggies4Jobs team and report to the Project Manager.
Key Responsibilities
- Responsible for the implementation of the Veggies project outputs and activities
- Develop the various KPI metrics for use based on the Veggies framework in measurement and reporting on jobs and income created among the VBNs.
- Implementation of capacity development interventions for VBNs in the vegetable growing enterprises with regards to technical knowledge
- Coordinate various inputs to VBNs by other project resource people and partners; SNV advisors, research institutions, and other partner organizations.
- Regularly monitor results and internal budgets as per donor and SNV requirements and through continuous risk management efforts;
- Coordinate and foster collaboration with SNV Ethiopia which is also implementing the Veggies program;
- Provide support to link country activities on vegetable and nutrition security theme to enterprise development and job creation activities and profiling in Kenya;
- Contribute to knowledge development, in particular regarding evidence based advocacy targeting engagement with GOK;
- Profile and position SNV towards potentially interested donors for vegetable enterprise development beyond for the specific theme and ensure additional funding through submission of successful proposals.
- Stakeholder Mapping and Selection; selection of model farmers, farmers, input suppliers, product up-takers and other service providers based agreed criteria
- Designing vegetable production and business models fitting to the job creation ecosystem
- Training of VBN farmers on vegetable production and marketing models
- Facilitating farmer learning and knowledge development through field days and exchange visits;
- Supporting establishment/strengthening farmer aggregation and marketing enterprises
- Preparing periodical project reports
Qualifications
- Degree in a relevant discipline; Agribusiness, Horticulture, Business Studies, Entrepreneurship; Master’s degree will be an added advantage.
- Thorough and up to date knowledge of academic and donor thinking in the respective thematic field like youth employment and enterprise development;
- Four (4) years’ work experience in an international (development) organization and sound experiencein thematic area of working with smallholder farmers on horticulture production and markets;
- Technical knowledge and familiarity in specific topics of value chain development for small holder farmer’s production, markets, food safety, food losses, resilience etc.
- Skills in agriculture market systems approaches and value chain development processes; including stakeholder engagement; the public sector actors, Research institutions, private sector and consumer organisations.
- Experience with Capacity Development of farmer organizations;
- Demonstrated ability to successfully work in a multicultural teams;
- Strong interpersonal and influencing skills and experience working in a matrix organization;
- Ability to travel to project locations.
Additional Information
Contract Duration:
2 years with possibility of extension.
Desired start date:ASAP
How to apply
Please apply by clicking the I'm Interested tab on this page and submitting application letter and a CV that contains three referees in English to the attention of Human Resources Officer before 23 June 2020 citing the position title as reference.
NB:
Only shortlisted will be contacted.
We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement.
SNV Kenya does not require you to undergo any medical test prior to employment
