Summary
Date Posted: Friday, February 16 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Job Purpose
The agronomy and soil health Advisor is part of the SNV Uganda Organisation and is appointed to be the leading expert on agronomy and soil health farming systems for the future INCLUDE project in the rural countryside being stationed in the INCLUDE project management office in Mbarara. The Agronomy and soil health advisor will lead in addressing all aspects of agronomy farming challenges within a large team of subject matter experts and 20 PIP field officers, all located in the four project areas. The advisor should also understand that livestock farming is an integral part of the SHF farming systems, being a mixture of farm enterprises such as crops, livestock, agroforestry, and fruit crops. In this system, the family allocates its resources. It is to manage the existing environment to attain the family goal efficiently. The farming system represents a proper combination of farm enterprises and the resources available to the farmer to raise them for profitability. Farm enterprises include cropping systems, horticulture, livestock, forestry, poultry, etc. It interacts adequately with the environment without dislocating the ecological and socioeconomic balance on the one hand and attempts to satisfy the smallholder farming and income goals on the opposite.

Job Description
Responsibilities
• Advisory Services
Agronomy and soil health advisor acts as a technical expert in the field of SHF agronomy and soil health management for the PIP field officers as well as for the regional coordinators and project management aiming to create an enabling environment (by sharing knowledge, understanding stakeholders and environment) for the implementation of specific agronomy and soil health interventions and extension into the project activities for the project to meet its objectives. Ensures, monitors progress and reviews quality of own expertise and ensures project management support and satisfaction during projects. Provides technical support to partners and smallholder farmers on integrating livestock climate-smart solutions in production. Promotes household diversification and supports linkages between business champions and climate-smart service providers to promote adoption at scale. The expert will also act as a coordinator for all INCLUDE activities for the Greater Ankole region.
• Knowledge Development
Contributes to internal and external knowledge development, ensures lessons learned are harvested, documented, communicated, and applied in daily practice, and may be appointed as an expertise network's (national) focal point. Initiates/coordinates the review process and evaluation of agronomy and soil health management and extension services to collect lessons learned in farming systems, including CSA and draft power, proposes corrective measures, and ensures identification of follow-up assignments. Participates in knowledge development/expertise groups and internal and external networks.
• Project and process development
Identifies and proposes technical process improvements to the project team, partners, and smallholder farmers. Acts on improvement areas suggested by stakeholders or informed by the lessons learned. Ensures on ground adaptive management where all stakeholders adopt agronomy and soil health farming systems and CSA lessons learned in daily practice.
• People Management
Steers colleagues and coaches associated partners/smallholder farmers, and other external stakeholders on quality within the farming system context of assignments. Applies process improvements in projects and coaches’ colleagues, partners, and smallholders on quality and effective goat and sheep farming systems, agronomy, and soil health technologies and practices important for improved resilience to climate and price-related shocks and stresses.
• Positioning
Identifies and analyses agronomy and soil health farming systems, identifies development opportunities and threats, and ensures relevant colleagues are informed. Actively participates in strategic positioning meetings and acts as a knowledgeable face of the SNV organisation to the client. Analyses, understands, and develops (local) networks with relevant stakeholders, identifies new clients, farmer groups and smallholders.
• Business Development
Builds, maintains, and utilises relationships with relevant stakeholders, represents SNV and identifies opportunities for Business Development policies and procedures. Initiates assignments on a local/(sub)national level, supports proposals, and develops technical processes during the inception phase of projects.
• Facilitate annual work Plan.
Facilitate implementation of SHF village vision/work plans regarding improved crop productivity and livelihood related to agronomy and soil fertility. Conduct technical trainings/ meetings to organize SHF, villages, as well as with relevant project partners to restore degraded soil fertility and productivity and contribute to improved livelihood, income, and resilience.
• Establish agronomy and soil fertility learning platforms.
Establish agronomy and soil fertility learning committees in each district and project region. Facilitate the development of visions and action plans for the agronomy and soil fertility sector. Facilitate the formation of committees.
• Collect data for studies.
Collect data for baseline study, GESI analysis, agroecological systems, and farming systems while analysing market opportunities and bottlenecks.
• Study market spaces
Prioritize identification of general market access bottlenecks and opportunities in selected commodities. Identify entrepreneurial initiatives in target villages and districts. Develop work plans with input from technical experts for activities to be implemented.

Qualifications
Qualifications & Experience
• A minimum of a University Degree in Agriculture with specialisation in agronomy and soil health farming systems, smallholder development, and extension and communication techniques
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant work/field experience in programmes in areas of agronomy and soil health farming systems, smallholder farming development and resilience
• Ability and demonstrated experience in designing and appraising inclusive business cases.
• Ability to meet deadlines and to work within a large multidiscipline team.
• Able and willing to support other INCLUDE regions by conducting 4 to 5 days field visits/trip.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Command of local Uganda languages is preferred.
• Computer literate, proficient with MS Word, Excel, and financial applications.
• A self-motivated achiever with excellent leadership, teamwork, coaching,
• Extension, Communication, analytical and organisational skills.
• Strong work ethics, high level of confidentiality and Integrity
• Ability to ride a motorcycle with a valid riding permit is a MUST.



Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 96

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure

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