Project Officer Agroecology at SWISSAID

Job Overview
Project Officer Agroecology at SWISSAID

Duty station: – Dodoma -Bihawana

Background:

SWISSAID is a non-government organization headquartered in Switzerland with operations in nine countries. It operates in Tanzania since 1972 with a focus on small scale farming, gender equality and extractives.

Swissaid Tanzania has joined hands with other likeminded AE stake holders to support efforts of the government Bihawana FTC to become a center of excellence of Ecological Organic agriculture. Together with other supports,
Swissaid Tanzania will station one Project Officer to be part of the implementing team for Bihawana FTC.

The overarching objective of Swissaid Tanzania is to improve sustainable rural livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

Areas of intervention on small scale farming:

Increasing smallholder farmers’ productivity and production through diversified agro-ecological
farming.
Improving smallholder farmers’ capacity to generate net income through productive agro-ecological value
chains.
Strengthening smallholder farmers’ organizations to enhance sustainability and accountability.
Promote agro-ecology in national agriculture policies, plans and programmes, as a solution to sustainably increase the productivity and profitability of the agriculture sector and to enhance the
livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Project Officer Agroecology at SWISSAID

Regions of operation:

Field operations are mainly taking place in the regions of Mtwara, Lindi, Ruvuma, Morogoro but also to a limited extent in Pwani and other regions.

The intended project officer will be responsible for selected districts in Dodoma

Further information on SWISSAID is available at www.swissaid.ch ; and on agroecology at www.fao.org/agroecology/en/

Job purpose:

Join other staff at Bihawana FTC to promote the center and become Ecological Organic Agriculture credible training
center.

Some of the key duties and responsibilities:

Take a leading role in the coordination and implementation of activities related to agro- ecological farming but not limited to, the implementation of project “Enhancing agro- ecological demonstration & training capacity of the BFTC
As part of this project, coordinate the implementation of a training plan across selected EOA farming communities
Organize and conduct training sessions and contribute to the production of training material.
Provide technical backstopping on agro-ecology and conduct regular field visits to farmer groups, including in remote areas.
Promote and use new technologies, in particular dedicated smartphone applications.
Foster good coordination and synergies with other elements of the EOA imitative in the country.

Qualifications and experience:

Hold a first university degree in the area of agriculture, preferably in agronomy/horticulture, with a minimum of three years working experience.
Hold a certificate or diploma and/or a significant experience in the area of ecological agriculture / agro-
ecology.
Demonstrated experience with project management and leadership, with capacity to effectively manage multi-
years projects and lead a team of up to 10 people.
Interest and experience with grassroots communities in
the agriculture sector.
Practical experience and interest in working with multiple partners including the government, civil society
organizations, academia and the private sector.
A commitment to equal opportunities and promotion of
gender equity.
High level analytical and report writing skills in English.
Fluent in English and Swahili and Must be computer
literate.
Ability to work independently, multitasking and under pressure, be focused on results, with strong work ethic
and self-motivation.
Be a team player.

Mode of application:

Candidates should submit a letter of intent describing how they qualify for this position, a CV, two referees including contact phone numbers and email address at their earliest convenience.

Deadline: September 30th September 2022.

Applicants MUST indicate expected gross salary in Tanzania shillings
Send application to: [email protected]

Qualified women candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position