Field Expert

Vacancy Announcement for

Field Expert for REFOOTURE II project

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 objective of promoting a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems in Ethiopia. One of the projects implemented by SWRE is Food Futures Eastern Africa II, (REFOOTURE II)

REFOOTURE II is a project designed to contribute towards agriculture transformation with a primary focus to improve the Regenerative inclusive food system (RIFS) through the support of functional and vibrant innovation platforms and living labs. Moreover, it aims to validate one timad package using organic and inorganic fertilizers combined use under on-farm and on-station experimental conditions in the Amhara region. The projects bring key stakeholders together to create and co-create innovation processes to address the challenges of food and nutrition security, environmental sustainability, and livelihoods. The direct beneficiaries of the project are the Regional Bureaus of Agriculture and RARIs through the implementation of living lab members that will be established in Achefer Woreda. In addition, smallholder farmers in South Achefer Woreda will directly benefit from the testing and validation of improved practices.

The Field Expert

The Field Expert (FE) is based in South Achefer Woreda Dur Bete town and is the Senior Advisor for Soil Health and Project Manager. The FE will be the frontline representative of the project in the woreda. S/he will introduce REFOOTURE technologies and approaches that are aimed at introducing the concept and practices of regenerative, inclusive food systems through platforms and experimentations. To this end, s/he will work closely with the consultants, partners, and SWR Ethiopia office. The FE will work closely with his/her colleagues from the SWR (RAISE FS) project.

Key responsibilities:

• Ensure a truly bottom-up planning process and ensure continuous community participation in the work at hand;
• Work with woreda staff and relevant stakeholders and community organizations on:

a.     Compost experimentation;

b.     Facilitate the establishment and running of living labs (platforms)

c.     Training (of trainers) in various skills related to community development, regenerative agriculture (best-fit practices);

d.     Promote landscape development approach in a selected watershed

e.     Innovative pilot activities;

f.      Institutionalization and scaling of best-fit practices mainly preferred by beneficiaries and others

• Responsible for ensuring that both men and women and youth participate in and benefit from project activities;
• Maintain close and collaborative relations with key program partners, including (but not limited to) the woreda level staff, the Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources staff, the agricultural research partners (RARIs), and the collaborating stakeholders;
• Strategically position the project in the playing field in the area covered by the projects,
• Actively participate in the projects’ endeavors and SWR Ethiopia;
• Within reasonable limits, respond to pertinent technical assistance requests from other SWR projects;
• Any other assignments were given by the Senior Advisor and Project Manager; and
• Serve as an ambassador of the REFOOTURE in the area covered by the project.

Project:            Food Futures Eastern Africa, (REFOOTURE)

Duty station:    South Achefer Woreda/Dur Bete town

Duration:         One year with possible of extension depending on performance and available funding

Reports to:      Senior Advisor

Professional requirements:

• A MSc. in the field of Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, and/or socio-economic sciences, and or knowledge of seed systems;
• At least 5+ years of professional experience in positions pertinent to the assignment;
• Experience with research and development issues;
• Experience in working with or within the GoE structure for agriculture, especially at the woreda level;
• Experience with bottom-up planning processes;
• Experience with participatory approaches and stakeholder networks;
• Experience in the management of partnerships with a wide array of partners, including Previous BENEFIT partnership programs, government at the woreda level, REFOOTURE and OTIPAVA projects, NGOs, and local community organizations.

Additional skills and qualities:

• Excellent team player, able to bring out the best in the team members as well as collaborate with the SWR. Able to inspire colleagues;
• Excellent connector to the world around REFOOTURE, creating a strong institutional and personal professional network that will contribute to the success of the projects;
• Adhering to the highest standards of integrity, honesty, and loyalty, and demanding the same standards from the SWR team;
• Affinity with and dedication to the goals of the projects: providing support to the smallholder farmers through the introduction of more productive regenerative and inclusive agriculture practices and innovations;
• Able to work independently while still maintaining good contact with the consultants;
• Able to express him/herself in English in speaking and writing;
• Up-to-date computer skills; and
• Proven ability to work in multidisciplinary research teams.

Other:

Duty station: Project sites

Travel:  Able to travel frequently to target kebeles covered by the project. Travel may include visits to the field under challenging circumstances.

What we offer

Depending on the candidate’s education and work experience, we offer a competitive salary as per the organization scale. We also offer other benefit packages as per the internal HR manual.