Are you interested in joining an Organisation with a long term commitment to fighting poverty?
Would you like to work in
a challenging environment and develop an international career focused
on demonstrating shared core values that achieve results?
SNV Kenya is looking for a:
Business Development & Extension Advisor
Work within Renewable Energy (RE) Sector and based in Nairobi, Kenya
SNV
is a non-profit international development organisation established in
the Netherlands in 1965. For over 40 years, SNV has been at the
forefront of development, helping to build local capacity and empower
local families and communities to break the cycle of poverty.
We are present on the
ground in 36 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the
Balkans and operate in Agriculture & Food Security, Renewable
Energy (RE), and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene.
Our 900 advisors in the
field come from a variety of cultural and technical backgrounds, and
over 60 per cent are nationals of the countries where we work.
In
its Renewable Energy Sector, SNV Kenya working closely with HIVOS
wishes to recruit a Kenyan National as an advisor to serve in an
upcoming project /programme named Sustainable and Secure Smallholder
Systems @ Scale (4S@Scale).
The purpose of the
programme is to create viable smallholder coffee farming systems, that
will allow the coffee sector in East Africa to regain its vitality and
offer long-term business opportunities for 2.4 million smallholder
coffee farms and 16 million people dependent on the sector.
Key
activities of the programme will include incorporating biogas into the
whole farm system; diversification of incomes, in particular through
dairy and horticulture; the provision of credit facilities; enhanced
good agricultural practices including climate resilience; and women and
youth targeted training and support.
Women and young farmers are priority clients as key actors to revitalise the sector and ensure long-term sustainability.
For
SNV Kenya as the “lead country” for this PPP, specific interventions
that the advisor and RE/AGRIC teams will ensure are planned as follows:
- Expand farmer support to include non-coffee activities, in particular animal husbandry.
- Build markets for non-coffee products, lead role for local cooperatives
- Provide biogas digesters to 40% of program farmers.
- Setting up agro-investment support, readily accessible to women and youth.
- Implement whole-farm approach with 30.000 farmers who have received basic training
- Roll out approach to 30.000 farmers who have had no prior training.
- Implement business model for fully self-funding farmer services by project end.
Responsibilities
The advisor will be
reporting to Sector Leader, Renewable Energy (RE) BUT will work closely
with colleagues within the Renewable Energy and Agriculture Sectors.
The advisor will work
directly with KENDBIP, Producer Cooperatives and Extension services and
will be responsible for providing technical guidance for the improvement
of farm productivity utilising bio-slurry to produce high value organic
manure for coffee and other farm crops.
More specifically the SNV advisor will.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with project partners and stakeholders
- Act as the focal point for the project with the technical team in RE and Dairy and partners
- Strengthen synergies between dairy and RE sectors
- Lead in the development and testing of extension models which farmers must be able and willing to pay.
- Support the biogas programme to improve current extension models.
- Assure proper learning and knowledge development (10%)
Candidate profile
- Master’s degree in a
rural development related course (or in Management of appropriate
development technologies), Economics of Sustainable development,
Agro-economy, Rural development;
- A minimum of 5 years
of work experience in agricultural extension and/or rural technology
dissemination. Experience in extension / investments for renewable
energy, business skills will be an added advantage;
- Have proven track
record in capacity building, experience in micro and medium size
enterprise development and insight into problems and constraints in
stimulating private-public partnerships.
- Have experience in
networking, alliance building and facilitation of multi-stakeholder
processes, product development, organizational learning, institutional
change processes, and project proposal formulation.
- Strong applied analytic skills are required.
Desired Skills and attitude
- Leadership skills,
including independent initiative, meeting facilitation, flexibility,
ability to drive multiple aspects of initiatives and projects from
inception to implementation within a limited time frame, and ability to
develop and sustain effective working relationships with people of
diverse backgrounds and levels of expertise.
- Have superior oral,
written, and interpersonal communication skills, including keen
attention to detail and ability to express complex ideas clearly to a
broad range of audiences.
- An advanced knowledge of and experience with MS Office Suite and internet use.
- An ability to travel moderately with readiness to work and travel in rural districts with minimal amenities.
Contract Duration: Two (2) years BUT renewable subject to availability of programme funding
Desired start date: ASAP
Description - Duty Station
Medical facilities: Good, numerous private clinics
Educational facilities: Very good. There are several International Schools in Nairobi, including a Dutch School
Security situation: Peace is prevailing in most parts of the country
Accessibility:
Good telephone fax, email and internet facilities are available. There
are daily flights with KLM and several connection flights
Communication: Good
How to apply?
Please send your application letter and CV with three referees by clicking here to apply online (att. HR Officer) before 20th July 2013 with reference title as “Business Development & Extension”.
For more information, please refer to our website: www.snvworld.org
