Crop Management and Innovation Expert – Stichting Wageningen Research (SWR)

Background

Stichting Wageningen Research (SWR) is an international NGO registered in Ethiopia since March 2021 with the FDRE Agency for Civil Society Organizations. The organization is established with the objectives of promoting a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems in Ethiopia. One of the projects implemented by SWR is Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP).

The Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP)

You will implement planned activities that increase selected seed businesses’ access to finance and further strengthen their capacities for seed business management with the intended outcome of doubling their production, both in terms of value and diversity of products in their portfolio. You will do this in support of the Partnership’s overall mission to enable the private sector in Ethiopia to deliver farming men and women high quality seed of improved varieties much needed for food security and nutrition, and climate resilience. The Partnership is development cooperation between Ethiopia and the Netherlands, implemented by a consortium of the Ethiopian Seed Association in Ethiopia, and Plantum and Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

We are looking for

An experimental agronomist with meticulous planning and coordination skills to oversee a widespread variety testing and demonstration, and farmer field training campaign. If you have more than seven years’ experience working in crop improvement, agricultural innovation and/or agricultural research for development projects, then we welcome your application. The Crop Innovation Expert will support both domestic seed businesses and international breeding companies and their partners in setting-up and managing trials sites to support variety release, and the demonstration of already-registered improved varieties and farmer trainings on sustainable agricultural practices for the uptake of innovations.

Key Responsibilities

• (Co)Designs and promotes state-of-the-art protocols for variety testing and demonstration, and farmer field training
• Monitors and technically supervises sites of experimentation and learning
• Captures learning from crop innovation in knowledge products for research, extension and technology promotion
• Provides technical knowledge of agronomy to farmers, extension workers, researchers, regulatory inspectors, and participating seed companies
• Builds collegial relationships with the representatives of collaborating seed companies
• Manages agreements made with seed companies to demonstrate varieties and train farmers
• Coordinates site and crop selection and the provision of both technical and financial support to sites of demonstration and training
• Facilitates smooth execution of demonstration and training by liaising with stakeholders and troubleshooting practical problems in implementation
• Contributes data to the monitoring and evaluation system of the project for accountability and learning
• Practices sensitivity to gender in demonstration and training, and is both responsive to and transformative of dynamics between men and women in crop innovation

What we offer

Depending on candidate’s education and work experience, we offer a competitive salary as per the organization scale which is negotiable within the range of the salary scale assigned for the position. We also offer other benefit packages as per the internal HR manual.

Project:  Ethiopia-Netherlands Seed Partnership (ENSP)

Duration:  Four years, subject to annual renewal based on performance

Reports to:  ENSP Project Manager

 What we ask

The Crop Management and Innovation Expert should have a research background in agronomy, breeding or another relevant plant science, a sufficient amount of rigour to their methods to satisfy crop researchers, and the practical experience of overseeing hundreds of trials and demonstrations and trainings with thousands of farmers in a given season in order to manage a successful campaign. This will require someone who strikes a good balance between being systematic and pragmatic in planning. S/he should be patient and diplomatic, whilst also effective in managing contractual agreements with companies, and constructive in problem solving.

Minimum requirements:

• At least MSc in Agronomy, Crop Production, Agricultural Extension and relevant subject
• At least 7 years’ experience working in a related function
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Amharic
• A good communicator who avoids misunderstandings and disagreements
• Strong background in plant science and research methodology
• Proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint