Agronomy & Livelihoods Officer at Plan International

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.  Plan has gained vast experience since 1937 when it was established, and it works in more than 75 countries across the world.  We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, partners and host governments. Our work supports marginalised children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to grow up physically and mentally healthy and ready to shape their future.  We create an enabling environment and empower girls to be active drivers of change in realising their rights.  Plan International has been working in Malawi since 1994 in 14 districts, and its current strategy aims to reach 3.5 million adolescent girls and young women between 2022-2027 through different interventions

ROLE PURPOSE

The Agronomist and livelihood Officer will be in charge of facilitating market actors to support adoption of Climate Smart technologies to smallholder producers in the impact area. She/he will be responsible for facilitating different value chains production and related interventions including adoption of Good agronomic Practices and Solutions.

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Working with smallholder Producer Groups in the project areas to facilitate adoption of Climate Smart solutions for improved value chain production and post-harvest management.
• Facilitating market actors to provide on farm demonstrations and promotion of Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) tailored to improved value chain production.
• Coordinating field activities that involve public and private extension officers that focus on improved value chain production.
• Coordinate inputs supply chains and managing extension services delivery systems by working with the identified inputs market actors
• Ensuring public and private agriculture extension services are accessible by smallholder’s producers in the affordable packages.
• Brokering relationships among various market actors including Inputs suppliers/agro dealers and help them to tap opportunities available for investing with Smallholder farmers in different value chains production.
• Taking lead in documenting cases for changes occurring in the production level of value chain
• Developing inventory of all project supported smallholder producers in all project villages for the aim of tracking and documenting changes in their production activities.
• Facilitating access to markets and extension information for smallholder producers through farmer friendly ICT platforms.
• Mapping all value chains fields allocated for production by the project target farmers.
• Coordinating value chain related demonstrations, farmer field days, agri-technology demonstrations and seasonal opening session in the targeted areas basing on the demand and feasibility.
• Reporting and documenting project implementation status on monthly and quarterly basis

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Extension and Agronomy.
• At least 2 years of work experience in agricultural production with at least 1 year in supporting farmers to increase crop productivity. Experience in different value chains production will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Agriculture sector, particularly participation of Smallholders farmers in the crops production and marketing.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders including Government institutions and Regional and Local levels; private sector, Agri-inputs suppliers, research institutions and Producers groups /Market Associations.
• Practical knowledge on agronomy and agriculture extension
• Demonstrated experience on preparing documentation and reporting

Location: Mzuzu Programme Area

Type of Role: Fixed Term

Reports to: Project Manager

Grade:  Level 13

Closing Date: 30 May 2024

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

Qualified females are encouraged to apply!