Project Officer - Livestock at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Details

• CRS Nigeria has been awarded the USAID/Nigeria Water for Agriculture Program. This program seeks to develop and implement interventions that will sustainably increase water availability and management, towards increasing agricultural productivity in in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states of Nigeria.
• This effort will contribute to CRS’ agriculture and livelihoods signature program area and ongoing efforts to promote resilience, recovery and development within Nigeria and neighboring countries around the Lake Chad Basin.

Additional project details are contained in the table below:

Job Summary

• As a member of the WFA project team, you will monitor and report on all project activities in support of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your thorough and service-oriented approach will ensure that the project consistently applies best practices and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

• The Livestock Officer will support the delivery of USAID-funded Water for Agriculture (WFA) project by working with livestock owners / pastoralists to increase their productivity and income from livestock value chains. Key performance indicators will include the extent to which livestock owners/pastoralist communities’ access and use sustainable public and private sector livestock services; monetarize livestock products; and diversify their livelihoods to reduce their vulnerability to weather-related shocks and hazards such as drought.

Job Responsibilities

• Work with public and private sectors to increase competitive livestock services including veterinary and livestock watering services for pastoralists.
• Support pastoralist communities to increase quantity and quality of animal fodder through increased fodder cultivation and improved fodder processing and storage.
• With the Financial Inclusion Officer (FIO) to support pastoralists to self-organize, to increase their financial, technical and organizational skills and to access financial services and products.
• Under the leadership of the Senior Agronomist, carry out livestock value chain analyses to determine appropriate interventions; develop and implement livestock value chain models that will enable pastoralists increase their income from animal products.
• Support pastoralists families to engage in small scale agricultural activities to supplement their families’ diets.
• Work closely with other project staff and with Search for Common Ground (SEARCH) to build livestock owners / pastoralists understanding of and capacity to manage competition over water resources and the resulting conflict. The post holder will be required to track and report conflicts over water resources in all targeted communities / LGAs.
• Working through the SPS Assistant, build the capacity of targeted pastoralists’ communities to actively mitigate against water borne diseases. The post holder will be required to track and report on prevalence of / outbreaks of water-borne diseases within targeted communities / LGAs.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual work plans, budgets, and technical reports on livestock activities as part of the overall WFA program planning and reporting cycle.
• Represent CRS in livestock forums.
• Provide effective management, coaching and support to SPS Assistant.

Travel Required: 60% to field locations in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

Required Languages - English and Hausa and Fulfulde will be an added advantage.

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: DCOP, Senior Agronomist, Financial Inclusion Officer, Livelihoods Officer, SPS Assistant.
• External: Government ministries departments and agencies, local and international NGOs, coordination platforms and working groups, community leaders.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Production, Livestock Production; Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture, or other relevant fields.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in similar position. Experience in pastoralist communities will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated and extensive experience in development and implementing cost recovery activities and working with both the public and the private to improve sustainability of basic services.
• Experience in development institutional and community capacity.
• A deep understanding of challenges facing livestock production in the Northeast Nigeria including conflict over land and pasture.
• Prior experience on donor-funded programs of a similar size and scope.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; knowledge of Hausa will be an added advantage.
• Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship