New Job Openings at DanChurchAid (DCA) November 2024

Agriculture, Agro-Allied, Project Management, Data Science, Research,

Project Officer (PO)- Market Development for Cooling Solutions- 1 Post

The main responsibilities of the Project Officer (PO) are:

Project Implementation & Support:

Oversee the set up and management of cooling facilities and optimal utilization to enhance profitability.
Work with project partners to customize/contextualize the SHF cooling business model.
Support the integration of Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in all aspects of the L2V project.
Development and execution of detailed implementation plans, having a teaching and facilitative role, staff supervision as well as monitoring and evaluation of the project.
Assist in the preparation of procurement plans ensuring compliance with DCA regulations and guidelines.

Market Development and Value Chain Enhancement:

Lead in identifying market opportunities for the target value crops and proactively engage with off takers for market linkages.
Facilitate farmer contracting for production of target crops ensuring RBC principles are adhered to during the business engagement.
Conduct market assessments to identify potential market opportunities and value chain enhancements related to the project.
Provide recommendations for value chain improvements and market linkages.

Stakeholder Management:

Engage with internal and external stakeholders to build strong relationships and foster collaboration.
Coordinate with county government agencies, financial institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to secure project financing and incentives.
Represent the project team in meetings, presentations, and discussions with stakeholders.

Project Monitoring and Reporting:

Monitor project activities, milestones, and deliverables to ensure adherence to project plans.
Prepare regular reports on project status and risks/issues.
Identify and escalate any deviations from the project plan and propose corrective actions.

Other roles and responsibilities

Network and coordinate with other field operational I/NGOs, local agencies and County Government and explore / advise on possible areas of collaboration / partnerships to enhance project synergy.
Perform any other responsibilities as determined and assigned by the Project Coordinator from time to time.

Qualifications & Skills

Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, agronomy, business administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
A deep understanding of how to facilitate and support export horticulture business for SHFs is highly desired.
Previous experience working with INGOs/private sector in areas of project management, business development, entrepreneurship, or market system development.
Strong business management acumen with the ability to develop business plans, incubate business ideas, analyse budgets and financial statements.
Excellent business negotiation and export related contract management.
Experience in business and financial modelling is an added advantage.
Proficiency in project management tools and software.
Good interpersonal skills and a proven team player.
Self-driven and results oriented in challenging rural working environments.
Experience in engagement at field/community level and excellent reporting skills.
Excellence in English, oral and written.

Preferred years of experience

6-8 years of relevant experience in business or NGO sector
3-4 years in a supervisory role

Project Assistant – Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability Learning & Documentation- 1 Post

The main responsibilities of the Project Assistant-MEAL&D are:

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Design of L2V Project MEAL systems:

Support in development of monitoring and evaluation systems and processes for the implementation of L2V Project.
Building capacity of project staff, partners and other relevant stakeholders on implementation of project MEAL actions.

 Monitoring and Reporting:

Keep track of project activity implementation and progress against output indicators.
Lead the documentation of project results, impact, best practices and significant changes. Document learning and best practices; disseminate learnings, reports, publications and participate in learning sessions, and ensuring that the lessons learnt are utilized to inform programming and advocacy.
Regularly collect the relevant data as indicated by Project MEAL plans to measure progress against indicators, expanding contextual knowledge of the organization, build positive relationships, and trust with people of concern and promote programmatic learning.
Conduct internal data quality assessments to ensure that all reported observations and indicators are supported by verified data sources, including activity-level monitoring forms and participant lists.
Maintain an updated Indicator Performance Tracker (IPT) for L2V project including maintenance of an agile and accessible secure physical and digital filing system and project database.
Support the PC in the design and delivery of research initiatives and assignments related to the project.
Document and publish/disseminate regular success stories/case studies, white papers and briefs to communicate project achievements/ impact.

Evaluation of Project:

Conduct periodic project assessment, post-monitoring, and evaluation data collection as per MEAL framework.
Using quantitative and qualitative methods generate datasets, assessments, and reports analysis to support project staff in generating high quality reports for various audiences.

Accountability and Complaints Handling System:

Ensure that a functional complaint & feedback system is in place in collaboration with PO MEAL & Project Coordinator.
Assist in mainstreaming accountability in all activities and responsible for the operations of reporting and complaints mechanism as well as receiving regular feedback from key stakeholders.

Innovation:

Lead in field testing and piloting tools and provide feedback and inputs to the MEAL Officer after the piloting phase.

Qualifications & Skills

A holder of a degree in Statistics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Project Management or other relevant field.
Hands on experience in the design of data collection tools, data collection, analysis, Quality assurance and visualisation.
The candidate MUST be adept at the use of key Digital Data Collection software such as Kobo Collect, ODK, Commcare, Google Forms etc.
Strong skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and visualisation using at least three software tools: MS-Excel, STATA, SPSS, Power Bi and other data management software.

Preferred years of experience:

A minimum of three years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, preferably with International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGOs).
Experience working in projects focused on the Agricultural Value chains, previous experience working with small holder farmers will be an added advantage.

Project Assistant – Agronomy & Marketing- Nakuru

The main responsibilities of the Project Assistants are:

Technical Support and Guidance:

Mobilize and onboard farmers, cooperatives, and trader associations and provide technical assistance during implementation of L2V project.
Enhance organisational capacity of farmer, farmer organisations and trader associations through training and exposure.
Conduct training programs on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), post-harvest management, food safety cold storage best practices, and efficient utilization of the units.
Facilitate markets linkages & trade between SHFs and identified market.

Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement:

Assist in establishing linkages between farmers, cooperatives, and financial institutions for potential financing options.
Facilitate linkages between farmers and off takers/exporters for effective trade in target value chains.
Foster strong partnership with farmers, county officials, input suppliers and other key stakeholders to facilitate achievement of project objectives at the local level.

Project Implementation and Monitoring:

Assist in the identification and setup process of cooling units through participatory approaches.
Provide regular progress reports, data collection, and documentation of field activities.
Contribute to project monitoring and evaluation, identifying challenges and proposing solutions.

Communication and Representation:

Represent the project at relevant meetings, workshops, and conferences to promote project objectives.
Document and share key achievements / impact created by implementation of the project.
Collaborate with project partners and stakeholders to raise awareness about the project and its benefits.

Qualifications, skills & experience

3-4 years of relevant experience in community development, Business development or related fields.
Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agricultural economics, or a related field.
Proven experience in agricultural extension services, preferably in GAP training, agroecology post-harvest management and cold chain systems.
Sound knowledge of smallholder farming practices, value chains, and market system development.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively engage with farmers, cooperatives, and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to deliver training programs and facilitate workshops to build capacity and knowledge among project beneficiaries.
Self-motivated, proactive, and able to work independently in remote field locations with limited supervision.
Proficiency in computer applications and data management software.
Fluency in English, Swahili and local languages is a requirement.
Must be a licensed motorbike rider & be willing to reside in the county of placement.

Project Assistant – Agronomy & Marketing- Nyandarua