TechnoServe
Recruitment Notice
Title: Senior Training Advisor–Agronomy
Reports to: Deputy Chief of Party Location: Gitega, Burundi Grade: 8
Travel: Up to 50% Travel in the field
TechnoServe Background:
Every one deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics, and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing. When incomes increase and living conditions for families get
Better, they are able to access healthcare and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.
Program Description:
TechnoServe is currently implementing a 5-year, multi-million-dollar USDA-funded coffee sector development project in Burundi. The Burundi Better Coffee Initiative (BBCI) aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Burundi’s coffee sector by improving on-farm production, local processing, marketing, and the supportive ecosystem. A big team that manages and delivers field project operations of different program components is active in the project area. The inclusion of women and youth in all components and activities of the project is critical.
Position Description:
In this role, the incumbent will support the deputy chief of party and the senior agronomy
Advisors to refine and implement TechnoServe’s Agronomy Coffee Farm College, Farm Support, and staff training programs in Burundian Coffee projects.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Agronomy Training
- Lead reviews and updates of coffee agronomy lesson plans and materials on a monthly basis for all coffee projects with agronomy component in Burundi
- Organize and review translation of training materials and provide feedback for improvement of translation work.
- Update and Maintain training calendars with support of the program teams
- Support maintenance updates of the country specific Farm College Manuals and
- Directly support and manage the field implementation team and training team when appropriate and upon request.
Support start up and roll out of the Coffee Farm College
- Support the country teams in planning, setting up and rolling out of new Agronomy Farm college cohorts in the country. This will include playing a key role in, developing work plans Identification and selection of implementation districts, organizing and leading local government officials’ meetings to communicate about the project, participating in farmer mobilization, farmer sign up, Farmer Trainers recruitment process and all activities associated with setting up a new cohort
- Support the agronomy program staff to follow the Coffee Farm College implementation practices and procedures, including work-planning and budgeting, in consultation with the senior agronomists and the project management.
- Provide feedback and coaching to agronomy program staff to enhance staff
- Deliver training and technical support to agronomy program staff as required
- Support coffee seedling nurseries strategy and management as required
- Support Farm support strategies innovation and management as required
- Support the agronomy teams with stakeholder relations activities including write up of government reports, attending stakeholders’ meetings and presentation of Agronomy work to the relevant stakeholders as well as working on action plans derived from these meetings
- Support inset up and coordination of agronomy related pilots and trials –Support with materials preparations, supervision and report writing, data and story collection and compilation when need be
Agronomy Monitoring, Learning & Evaluation (MEL)
Support the team to ensure consistent and effective implementation of MEL methodologies, including:
- Review and test agronomy best practice surveys, support update of survey instructions and survey training materials as required.
- Ensure the agronomy team captures all required monitoring
- Review tablet reports on a weekly basis and advise on implementation improvements particularly the PIMA dashboards.
- Work with the Senior Advisors to address implementation challenges and training gaps as
- Research & Knowledge Sharing
- Support identification of solutions to overcome identified constraints to agronomy best practice adoption including both new technical innovations and training innovations.
- Coordinate with project agronomy staff to share best practices and lessons
- Work closely with the Regional Agronomy Advisor to ensure feedback and lessons learned information about Agronomy (Lesson plans) and MEL tools are reviewed and incorporated
- Any other related duties assigned by the supervisor
Washing station support
- Developandoptimizelessonmaterialsforwashingstationcohorts,ensuringcontentis relevant, engaging, and aligned with program objectives
- Manage the overall planning and scheduling of the cohort calendar, coordinating activities and timelines for effective program delivery
- Train new staff members on program procedures and best practices, while creating and updating follow-up tools to support the coaching period of cohorts
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field,(e.g., agriculture, sciences) with5-7 years related work experience; or, Master’s Degree with 3 -5 years of related work experience
- Experience in coffee agricultural extension
- Ideally with management experience
- Excellent computer skills, especially in Google suite, Excel and PowerPoint
Required Languages:
- Fluency in oral and written Kirundi
- Fluency in French with excellent oral and written communication skills
- Proficiency in English is strongly preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Strong project planning abilities with proven proactive nature
- Solution and results oriented, with demonstrated experience in bringing solutions and achieving program targets.
- Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical, and quantitative
- Ability to work collaboratively with in a team; with strong interpersonal and communication skills, including influencing without authority.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Coordinate input from arrange of program staff and partners. Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams is desired.
NOTE:
We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks. If you have a disability that affects your ability to use our online system to apply for a position at TechnoServe please contact Human Resources at recruitment@tns.org or call +1 202 785 4515.
- Only selected candidates will be invited to take the recruitment
- Female candidates are strongly encouraged to
SENIOR TRAINING ADVISOR LINK:
