Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Lead – Africa at Heifer International

Responsibilities & Deliverables

• Embedding CSA in Signature Program Implementation (50%)
• Work with Africa regional and country teams to ensure the environmental aspects of the Signature Program project portfolio are delivering high quality, on-time deliverables, meeting or exceeding their contractual targets and contributing to relevant environmental, social and development objectives.
• Lead or support CSA delivery in Heifer Africa region’s projects by providing specialized technical assistance on issues related to climate, biodiversity, and land degradation.
• Ensure that all projects in the Africa region are fully compliant with Heifer and donor-required environmental and social safeguards standards, policies, and operational procedures.
• Engage with project teams to identify, adapt, and refine technologies, tools, solutions, and approaches that advance the project’s environmental goals and plans.
• Oversee continuous monitoring and evaluation of environment-related workstreams, ensuring that outcomes, impacts, and lessons learned are captured to inform future CSA strategy.
• Participate in cross-sector initiatives that builds Heifer’s technical leadership on environmental topics.
• Lead development of CSA quality knowledge products, reports, articles, blogs and/or opinion-leading pieces and ensures their effective communication to target audiences including donors and other key stakeholders.
• Provide CSA technical guidance/recommendations and support the development, implementation and mainstreaming of CSA technologies across all Signature Programs and interventions in relevant value chains for Heifer Africa.
• Liaise with M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation) teams and implementing partners to conduct relevant CSA assessments to gather feedback and input to support program reviews and improve delivery.
• Contribute to regular program/project reporting by providing and/or consolidating CSA field data and lessons gathered from the field.
• Lead efforts in the Africa region to conduct climate change vulnerability and risk assessments and identifying appropriate adaptation measures for selected agri-food value chains
• Manage a team of full and/or part-time consultants responsible for leading specialized technical strategy development, new business growth, proposal development, supporting existing projects, and expanding Heifer’s market position with donor, partners, and counterparts.
• Lead CSA talent and performance management within the Africa region that are related to environment topics.
• Identify, recruit and onboard consultants with skills necessary to achieve Heifer’s growth and high program quality related to promoting sustainable and regenerative approaches for smallholder-led agriculture.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, international development, agriculture, environment, or a related field, and at least 15 years of related programmatic experience.
• Significant CSA technical experience in the design and/or implementation of projects involving climate-smart agricultural value chains, climate change (mitigation and adaptation), biodiversity protection, land/ecosystem restoration, and regenerative agriculture approaches targeting smallholder farmers.
• A minimum of 5 years in a supervisory capacity.
• Must have existing strong networks with high-priority bilateral and multilateral donors for Heifer, Tier-1 foundations, the private sector, technical and research partners, and other implementing organizations.
• Successful experience in bringing together both private and public funding for large-scale programs, and a proven track record of leading proposal development processes and successfully securing large-scale funding to support impactful growth in programs.
• Proven team leadership, management, and capacity-building skills with the ability to train and work cooperatively with diverse staff and consultants.
• Fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking).

Preferred Requirements

• Master’s degree in agriculture, business, environment, or a related field.
• Have lived abroad and/or spent significant time working in the Africa region.
• Managed institutional donor projects in the past.

Most Critical Proficiencies

• Knowledge and experience in complex partnerships that include multiple partners and donors – with multiple and sometimes competing interests.
• High energy, collaborative, leader with outstanding interpersonal skills, enthusiastic relationship-builder, and strong negotiator.
• Change leader with demonstrated persistence and resilience when things go wrong and the ability to get things back on track.
• Leadership skills, with the ability to provide others with a clear direction and motivation.
• Strong analytical skills including the ability to synthesize complex or diverse quantitative and qualitative information from a wide range of sources.
• Superlative problem-solving skills: identifying and resolving problems in a timely manner; gathering and analyzing information skillfully; using strong rationale even when dealing with difficult topics.
• Experience in forming new partnerships, alliances, and relationships that integrate private sector partnerships, local community funds, innovative financing, and impact investment.

Essential Job Functions And Physical Demands

• Willingness to support Heifer’s mission, Cornerstones Model, and values.
• Ability to serve as a thought leader in relevant technical areas for Heifer.
• Ability to prepare and present speeches/presentations, reports, business correspondence, and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format with superior attention to detail.
• Proven interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to relate to individuals and groups diplomatically and tactfully.
• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours, including within business hours that are regular in other time zones worldwide.
• Adequate physical condition necessary to travel to and walk to project sites in rural areas if needed.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and to maintain confidentiality.