Agriculture Livelihoods Officer at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Band:                  7

Department:      Programs

Reports To:       Program Manager II - STaR

Location:           Biu, Borno State

Job Ref Code:    ALO180219

Full JD Link:      https://bit.ly/2DAxqPq

Job Summary:

The Agriculture / Livelihoods Officer will provide technical leadership, guidance and capacity strengthening to STaR project in the areas of agriculture-based livelihoods and food security. S/he will provide guidance in the implementation of STaR agriculture & livelihoods activities using CRS approaches and methodologies as articulated in the project proposal documentation to improve household food security and resilience of targeted communities.  Focus areas will include improved agricultural practices, increasing yields, diversification of livelihoods, value addition to existing agricultural produce, improved storage, strengthening of producer groups, agro enterprise, and collective marketing of focus crops. S/he will liaise with relevant government ministries, other technical experts and agencies working in the field of agriculture-based livelihoods. The position will liaise with private sector partners to deliver the market optimization model.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in agronomy, agricultural economics, crop/animal science or relevant field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in management of agriculture production and/or value-chain activities in developing countries.  Experience in Nigeria and particularly the North East will be a bonus.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing agriculture projects in rural and peri-urban settings.
• Demonstrated experience in training design, development of training curriculum, delivery and mentoring in subject matter relevant to this position.
• Experience with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sustainable agriculture development and food security
• Experience with market development approaches such as agricultural value-chain development (linking producers to markets) programming.
• Previous experience carrying out and using the results of technical capacity assessments in the areas of agricultural production, value-chain development, food security and related fields.

• Strong team player with the ability to take initiative and work well independently.
• Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Travel Required 60% to field locations in Borno and Adamawa