AGRA

Associate Program Officer – Seed Systems, Mozambique

Location: Maputo, Mozambique

Job Reference: APO/PD/MOZ/04/2024

AGRA and its Work to Transform Agriculture

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income.

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets.

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

1. Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation.
2. Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes.
3. Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation.
4. Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers, and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.

Why Join Us?

People are the heartbeat of our organization and remain the true drivers of our delivery, impact, and success.

We have cultivated a workplace that fuels Depth in Collaboration, Excellence in Execution, Constructive Engagements, and a spirit of being Increasingly Entrepreneurial; all underpinned by our cherished I-RISE Values (Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity)

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the African continent combined with an inclusive, diverse, and talented workforce from over 25 nationalities. Our commitment to a call to action goes beyond ourselves as we arise to catalyze African Food Systems transformation and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

We are looking for people who are passionate about being part of a mission-driven team that is making a real difference on the continent; love to work on cutting edge Ag technologies; and able to grow their skills, expertise, and experience career growth, while enjoying very competitive compensation and benefits.

Are you ready to embark on this exciting transformative journey with us?

The Position

Associate Program Officer – Seed Systems, Mozambique Job Reference: APO/PD/MOZ/04/2024

The Associate Program Officer – Seed Systems will coordinate country programs to strengthen the seed sector and promote the commercialization or availability of technologies that are critical for meeting seed adoption and yield gap.

S/he will support country programs in building capacity of public and private sector groups to deliver quality seeds and improve the capacity of smallholder farmers to adopt quality seed of improved varieties and ensuring a positive policy and regulatory mechanisms for an effective and efficient seed industry.  S/He will guide the country team in proposal and grant development and implementation of related activities.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist the Country team in the process of creating road maps, documenting the country’s particular mix of resources and constraints to increasing supply improved seed through sustainable channels led by a strengthened private sector.
• Representing the country team in key meetings of government officials, leaders of private industry crop breeders, agronomists and other scientists that contribute to the advancement of AGRA investments in the country.
• Coordinate regular meetings to discuss barriers to success, opportunities for advancement, and progress made toward achieving program goals and objectives in the seed system.
• Assist in planning and coordinating implementation of supported investments in the country.
• Assist in the strengthening of the country seed sector and quality assurance with strong private sector involvement.
• Assist in identification of opportunities for investments via competitive grants that facilitate seed supply, and other technologies.
• Assist in collection and maintenance of databases which documents progress of the targeted program
• Conducts regular monitoring tours to field sites of technical resource person and grants.
• Identify constraints to the implementation of improved seeds and fertilizer policies including seed harmonization.
• Provide regular verbal and written updates and briefings on program operations,
• Participate in the development of workplans and timelines for implementation in the target country.
• Ensure timely, accurate and complete collection of all data needed to analyze seed dissemination impact to include country questionnaires, interviews, surveys and site visits, desk research, and other approaches as identified.

Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or equivalent, preferably in seed systems, breeding or Agronomy with experience in Africa.
• Experience in seed systems program management and good command of English required.
• Experience working on joined projects with African governments, researchers and development partners.
• Strong understanding and the ability to interpret and action smallholder farmer seed needs.

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV in English (including your e-mail and telephone contacts) to recruit@agra.org. Please quote the job reference number in the subject line of the application e-mail.

Applications must be received on or before 30^th April 2024. Due to the large volumes of applications we usually receive, we will only be able to contact those candidates who are shortlisted

For more information on the AGRA, visit www.agra.org.

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer