Agro Climate Advisory and Agricultural Development Officer

I. Role Purpose

The Agro‑Climate Advisory and Agriculture Development Officer plays a pivotal role in strengthening climate‑informed agricultural decision‑making among smallholder farmers in Wag‑Hemra. The position bridges meteorological information with practical agricultural extension, ensuring farmers receive timely, actionable, and context‑specific agro‑meteorological advisories. The Officer leads the promotion of climate‑smart agricultural (CSA) practices, supports technology adoption through demonstration plots, builds capacities of local service providers, and enhances climate‑service integration across extension systems, research institutions, and development partners.

The role directly contributes to improved productivity, resilience, and sustainability of smallholder farming systems under the ARCS project.

II. Main Tasks

Climate Services & Agro‑Met Advisory

• Coordinate with the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI), woreda agriculture offices, and extension systems to access, interpret, and disseminate seasonal, monthly, and 10‑day weather forecasts.
• Translate meteorological data into actionable agro‑meteorological advisories (planting windows, crop variety selection, soil moisture guidance, irrigation scheduling, pest and disease alerts).
• Lead the preparation and timely dissemination of advisories through SMS platforms, extension agents, community groups, and local media.
• Ensure high‑quality, timely dissemination of climate advisories and training services.
• Promote equal access to climate information and agricultural services for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

Agriculture Extension & Field Support

• Establish and manage demonstration plots showcasing CSA technologies such as drought‑tolerant varieties, integrated soil fertility management, water‑efficient practices, and conservation agriculture.
• Train farmer groups, cooperatives, agro‑dealers, and community facilitators on improved agronomic, climate‑adaptive, and risk‑reduction practices.
• Provide continuous technical backstopping to frontline extension staff and village‑based advisors.
• Lead technology adoption processes, ensuring that recommended practices are tested, demonstrated, and contextualized.

Stakeholder Engagement & Coordination

• Collaborate with government ministries (MoA, MoWE, DRM), MET agencies, research institutions, NGOs, and private actors to align climate‑service interventions with national and regional priorities.
• Strengthen coordination platforms for integrated climate‑service planning and knowledge sharing at woreda and zonal levels.
• Maintain strong partnerships with government structures, ensuring alignment with national climate‑service strategies.

Value Chain Development & Market Linkages

• Support farmers and cooperatives to access quality agricultural inputs, improved seed systems, weather‑indexed services, and market information.
• Facilitate linkages between producers, buyers, extension actors, and input suppliers to strengthen crop value chains.

Monitoring, Learning & Evidence Generation

• Collect field‑level data on advisory uptake, climate‑smart practice adoption, and agricultural performance.
• Contribute to MEAL processes, outcome tracking, and documentation of lessons learned and best practices.
• Prepare technical briefs, progress reports, and monthly updates as required.
• Contribute to resilience knowledge‑sharing platforms within HELVETAS and regional networks.
• Uphold HELVETAS values, anti‑corruption principles, and downward accountability mechanisms.

Capacity Building

• Coach and mentor extension staff, community facilitators, and village‑based advisors on agro‑met interpretation, CSA practices, and farmer training methodologies.
• Support the development of local capacities to sustain climate‑advisory systems beyond project timelines.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Plant Science, Agro‑meteorology, Climate Change Adaptation, NRM, or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in agricultural extension, climate services, rural development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers preferably in rainfed, semi‑arid, or drought‑prone systems.
• Strong understanding of climate–agriculture linkages, agro‑met advisory systems, and climate‑smart agriculture.
• Experience coordinating multi‑stakeholder processes, including government, research, private sector, and community institutions.
• Training design, facilitation, and knowledge‑sharing skills.

Key Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Ability to convert scientific and technical content into practical, farmer‑friendly messages.
• Strong organizational and time‑management abilities.
• Proven commitment to gender equity, social inclusion, and youth engagement.
• Fluency in English and Amharic; knowledge of local languages is an advantage.

Required Skills

• Strong decision‑making, problem‑solving, and facilitation abilities.
• Good digital literacy: MS Office, mobile‑based advisory tools, digital extension platforms.
• Ability to produce high‑quality technical reports.

Key Deliverables

• Timely dissemination of climate advisories to targeted communities.
• Functional demonstration plots established and regularly monitored.
• Increased adoption of climate‑resilient agricultural practices among farmers.
• Accurate and timely reports, including field data, success stories, and lessons learned.

Strengthened farmer–market–extension linkages.