Job Openings at International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

Position Summary

• The Capacity Building and Dissemination Specialist will be the driving force behind strengthening the capabilities of our to ensure the widespread adoption of proven soil fertility and Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) technologies. He will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to strengthen the capabilities of local implementing partners and drive the widespread adoption of proven Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) technologies. This involves conducting training needs assessments, designing and overseeing cascade training programs, and creating effective dissemination channels to ensure that innovative practices reach and are adopted by small-scale food producers, market actors, and policymakers across the Sahel, thereby directly contributing to the program's core goals of enhancing soil health, agricultural productivity, and farmer resilience.

Responsibilities

Specific task

• Develop, implement, and regularly update the program’s comprehensive Capacity Building Strategy and Dissemination Strategy for technologies and approaches;
• Conduct iterative capacity needs assessments for different Soil Values stakeholders and link this to tailored approaches per type of stakeholder;
• Strengthen the capacity of partners in participatory co-design methods and Inclusive Landscape Management approach;
• Design and oversee the delivery of tailored training programs, including cascade training models, and learning sites within selected watersheds, for partners on ISFM technologies, such as: Production and use of organic amendments, Soil and water conservation techniques and Use of improved seeds and agroforestry;
• Facilitate the large-scale dissemination of proven technologies and practices from the program’s inventory of innovations to farmers and value chain actors through facilitate workshops, field days, and learning events to promote the adoption of ISFM practices;
• Lead the use of context-specific, user-friendly dissemination materials and digital support tools (manuals, fact sheets, audio-visual tools) for identified innovations;
• Collaborate with knowledge partners (e.g. WUR, ISRIC, IWMI, ICRAF, IITA) to integrate the latest research and best practices into program activities;
• Include youth training on decision support tools to support youth business led development on DST for soil fertility management;
• Ensure all strategies are aligned with the program's objectives of social inclusiveness, gender equality (GESI), and resilience to climate change;
• Establish and manage a Community of Practice for partners to share lessons learned, challenges, and successes;
• Document and share success stories, case studies, and best practices for internal learning and external communication.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in agriculture, Agronomy, Rural Development, Extension Services, Natural Resource Management, or a related field;
• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in capacity building, agricultural extension, technology dissemination, or rural development, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa (experience in the Sahel is a strong advantage);
• Proven experience in developing and implementing capacity-building strategies and training programs for diverse audiences;
• Strong understanding of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), climate-smart agriculture, and agroecology;
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and presentation skills in French and English (proficiency in both is highly desirable);
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including national governments, NGOs, research institutions, and farmer organizations.

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Position Summary

• The Grants and Contracts coordinator supports the entire Soil Values (SV) program staff to finalize and monitor partnership agreements or MoUs/, sub grants, as well as service contracts, in SV’s implementation countries. She/ he is responsible for developing and monitoring subgrants, in consultation with the country teams and in compliance with partnership agreements and the SV subgrants manual. She/ he is also responsible for building the financial/ administrative capacity of the local Implementing Partners (LIPs) that were awarded a subgrant.

Responsibilities
Specific task

• Update the subgrant manual of SV and all its annexes (in both English and French). Ensure its application by the SV team in all countries;
• Design and update clear flowcharts for the elaboration of partnership agreements, MoUs, contractual agreements, subgrants, and service contracts in SV, considering the specificities of host offices (managed either by IFDC or by SNV);
• Support SV technical staff in finalizing partnership agreements, MoUs, contractual agreements, subgrants, and service contracts. Give specific attention to legal clauses, consistency of the document (including annexes), formatting, budget and payment aspects;
• Update the system to monitor key deliverables agreed upon in the partnership agreements as well as in MoUs/ sub grants and service contracts related to all active partnerships;
• Conduct and document the due diligence of potential new LIPs identified for specific related services, as per the country's plan or related action plans. Document the selection of consultancy organizations for service contracts;
• Review action plans (or terms of reference, depending on the assignment) and budgets proposed under subgrants and service contracts. Whenever needed, assist in revising or finalizing them;
• Submit partnership agreements, MoUs, contractual agreements, subgrants, and service contracts for approval and monitor the contract making process until the document is fully executed;
• File each fully executed document and related payment documentation, through SV’s agreed-upon filing system;
• Develop a subgrant/ service contract tracker, monitor schedules for installment disbursements, alert field teams about deadlines and make disbursement projections for the following month;
• Identify and prioritize needs and gaps of LIPs in financial management and governance systems, including operational policies and manuals;
• Develop an efficient (replicable) approach to guide and train LIPs in the management of the subgrants;
• Visit the selected organizations that are implementing activities through SV’s subgrants. Monitor LIPs to assess performance, attainment of targets, adherence to contractual obligations stated in subgrants and quality of interventions;
• Write and submit quality progress reports and notes with strict respect of deadlines;
• Prepare monthly contract recaps and projections for all countries;
• Collaborate with the admin and financial officers of host offices (from both IFDC and SNV) to ensure adequate financial reporting/ forecasting to the management team.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in management, Accounting, or a related field;
• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in contract management;
• Proven experience in developing and implementing subgrant process with donor funded programs especially with DGIS;
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and presentation skills in French and English (proficiency in both is highly desirable);
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including national governments, NGOs, research institutions, and farmer organizations.