Senior Project Officer - Agriculture at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Summary: 

• You will support the implementation of agriculture activities at the field level in DRIVE, based in CRS Maiduguri.
• You will provide technical support and mentoring to the JDPC Agriculture Office working directly with project participants, agriculture extension workers (AEW) and local stakeholders to ensure implementation of agriculture activities according to project standards.
• You will work collaboratively as a CRS team member under the leadership of the Agriculture and Livelihood PM.
• You will support the JDPC team to sequence and layer all sector interventions to achieve optimal integration and impact for the poor and vulnerable.
• You will support the JDPC agriculture team in the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, program quality and reporting for agriculture and livelihood activities.
• Your technical, facilitation and management skills and knowledge will ensure that DRIVE implements high-quality, cost effective and locally appropriate agriculture activities in the target communities. You will provide active capacity building, facilitation, and technical coordination to the JDPC field program team.
• You will coordinate with the BSG Ministry of Agriculture and the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) to provide technical capacity to JDPC and program participants.
• This position is contingent upon the award of the grant.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Support the JDPC agriculture team in developing and implementing agriculture sector plans.
• Engage JDPC team to work with AEWs seconded from the BSG and LCRI in building the technical capacity of project participants on crop production, through field level demonstration-based training events.
• Support JDPC to organize and implement group-based learning for participants. 
• Engage JDPC to coordinate and implement needs-based input provision for farming participants.
• Guide JDPC in working with communities and local authorities to identify accessible and safe land for farming in the target communities.
• Guide JDPC to support target communities in setting up agreed and equitable utilization schemes for access to dry season water sources for farming. 
• Support JDPC in the implementation of agriculture activities according to the DRIVE proposal.
• Ensure that JDPC provides accurate, complete, and timely reporting and field level documentation of all agriculture activities.
• Support multi-sector coordination in CRS and JDPC and area-based committees (ABC) in the implementation and monitoring of agriculture activities.
• Under the direction of the supervisor, assist JDPC in context analysis, gap identification and problem solving in agriculture.
• Under the direction of the supervisor, support JDPC in implementation of MEAL systems, including but not limited to identification of project participants, monitoring and evaluation of the sector activities.
• Assist JDPC in in farmers training and monitor the practical application of the knowledge, skills and techniques acquired and adapted by farmers.
• Assist JDPC in reporting on farmers’ performance and improvement in crops and vegetable husbandry.
• Report weekly and monthly on project progress to the agriculture and livelihoods PM.
• Carry out any other duties as assigned by the supervisor for the implementation of the project. 

Required Languages – English and Hausa are essential. Knowledge of one or more of the languages spoken in Jere, such as Kanuri or Shuwa Arabic is an advantage. 

Travel - The post is based in Maiduguri, with field level work in MMC/ Jere. Includes 60% travel to field locations in target communities of MMC/Jere.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated skills in working with subsistence crop farmers.
• Demonstrated experience of working with women farmers.
• Basic agriculture extension skills.
• Ability to work closely with government AEWs and Ministry of Agriculture.
• Strong facilitation and mentoring skills.
• Good MEAL and reporting skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize and organize community groups for project implementation.
• Capacity to work in insecure and physically and mentally challenging environment.
• Project management experience in agriculture and livelihood is essential.
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Demonstrable capacities in team working and cross-sectoral planning and implementation.
•  Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse groups.
• Experience in managing relationships and performance with partner organizations and representing programs to local stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to author reports and make presentations.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
•  Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in the implementation of early recovery agriculture, vegetable farming and cereal crops under both rainfed and irrigated systems is desirable.
• Experience in working with IDPs in agriculture projects.
• Experience of using market-based mechanisms and CVA modalities, including the RedRose platform, for provision of agriculture inputs to project participants.
• Experience in supporting local partners in project implementation.

Basic Qualifications and requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in general agriculture/ additional years of experience could be substituted for in place if 
• Three years’ experience in Northeast Nigeria in the implementation of similar projects.
• One year’s experience supporting farming interventions in peri-urban locations with settled IDPs, host communities and returnees.