Lead – Program Management Unit REGAIN

Lead – Program Management Unit REGAIN

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Job Reference: LPMU/PD/02/2025

AGRA and its Work

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 small-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 link 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:

Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation.
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.
Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation.
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.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

People are the heart of our organization and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact.

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our commitment to a call to action goes beyond ourselves as we arise to catalyze African Food Systems’ transformation by being Deeply collaborative, Executing Excellently, Sincerely Constructive, and Increasingly Entrepreneurial aligned with our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship, and Equity).

The Program

The RE-GAIN program – Scaling solutions for food loss in Africa, aims to address the impacts of climate change on harvest and post-harvest food losses in seven African countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The program focuses on strengthening food security by supporting the innovative adaptation of the harvest and post-harvest value chain. It seeks to reduce food loss, improve food quality, enhance local capacity, and reduce climate risks through the wide-scale adoption of Food Loss-Reduction Solutions (FL-RS) among smallholder farmers. The program operates across three primary pathways: farmer-centric, supplier-centric, and institutional support.

We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems by improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

The Position

Lead – Program Management Unit REGAIN Job Reference: LPMU/PD/02/2025

The Program Management Unit Lead – RE-GAIN, will be responsible for the overall program management, and implementation of the GCF-funded program across AGRA’s countries of operation, including overseeing and coordinating the successful program delivery of the GCF-funded program, implementing program and project plans, ensuring alignment with the Fund’s strategic objectives, in close collaboration with the Program Delivery Division, the Centre for Technical Expertise (CTE), and other institutional Divisions of AGRA. S/he will provide operational management and oversight for the program ensuring that it is delivered on time, within budget, and to the required standards.

The ideal candidate will support, coordinate, and guide the program implementation and delivery teams throughout the project implementation lifecycle, and manage relationships with stakeholders and partners, including government officials, donors, AGRA Country teams, and implementing partners ensuring effective alignment of institutional strategic objectives, communication, and collaboration. He/she will guide, coordinate, and manage the day-to-day work of the Program Management Unit, this will include providing oversight into procurement processes, financial management, compliance, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, communication, and providing technical advice.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership, Planning and Alignment:

Lead the effective planning and program management cycle to develop and implement a comprehensive program delivery strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
Lead the development of an integrated RE-GAIN program work plan on an annual basis in collaboration with the relevant government implementing ministries, the technical project implementation teams, AGRA country, regional, and HQ teams, particularly the Country Directors and Country Programs Leads.
Coordinates country-level interventions set out in the REGAIN program, working with program teams, and common program and development partners to deliver innovative intervention models across the value chain.
Oversee program implementation, monitoring, and evaluation to ensure successful and timely results.
Provide monthly program implementation status reports to the Program Advisory Group (RAG status).
Function as the key focal point for the REGAIN Program and interface with the AGRA country teams, their stakeholders, Government, and implementing partners.

Program Quality and Compliance:

Lead the project implementation team to deliver the project outputs and outcomes as per schedule.
Ensure that all REGAIN program activities are designed and executed with a focus on reducing post-harvest loss. Identifies and prioritizes actionable solutions addressing post-harvest food loss related to climate change.
Implement and maintain robust quality assurance processes to ensure that REGAIN meets the established standards and delivers intended outcomes.
Monitor and assess program activities for compliance with environmental regulations and best practices, promoting sustainability and minimizing negative environmental impacts.
Lead high-quality, results-oriented planning, implementation, and reporting in compliance with the GCF and AGRA as per the donor contractual agreement.
Lead in the areas of day-to-day collaboration with the Development Cooperation team, to advance strong programmatic partnerships with GCF.
Assist program officers in researching and developing grantee portfolios dealing with constraints, resources, and opportunities for broader implementation of solutions aimed at reducing climate-related harvest and post-harvest food loss.
Ensure program quality, adherence to ESS, gender, safeguarding and enforcing policies and procedures.
Provide training and resources to program staff and stakeholders on quality standards, gender sensitivity, safeguarding, and environmental practices to enhance overall program effectiveness.
Manage the performance of the Program Management Unit team including ensuring timely goal setting, performance appraisals, coaching, and development.

Portfolio Oversight:

Monitor program achievement against targets, consolidation of lessons, and insights to inform future strategies and enhance overall YEFFA program effectiveness.
Manage program budgets and regularly track budget depletion and variations to ensure financial resources are utilized efficiently and effectively across all programs.
Prepare and present portfolio performance reports to key stakeholders, highlighting key program findings, successes, and areas requiring attention.
Identify, monitor, and manage key potential implementation risks associated with the delivery of the project including the implementation of appropriate mitigation strategies to address these challenges proactively.
Convene and build relationships with national governments, the private sector, donors, civil society organizations, and others with a presence in the country, to build and nurture country-level partnerships deemed essential to AGRA’s mission in the country.
Maintain working knowledge of national agricultural sector development plans to identify and pursue opportunities to (i) mobilize resources and/or (ii) advocate for public and private sector stakeholders to scale AGRA’s demonstrated intervention models in countries.
Draw on the expertise of AGRA program officers in the areas of climate-related harvest and post-harvest food loss, and policy to enhance and raise awareness and build capacity to promote the adoption of Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FL-RS) among the smallholder farmers.
Lead and drive regular communication with all the relevant Government focal points for the effective, efficient, and timely implementation of program activities.
Oversee the full implementation of the Gender action plan and the safeguarding policy considering both AGRA and GCF policies.
Collaborate with research institutions to identify emerging trends and best practices in addressing food loss and climate resilience.
Oversee the reporting requirements to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are kept appropriately informed of programming progress and are provided with effective opportunities to provide feedback on implementation issues.
Collaborate with the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team to monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) projections versus actuals and initiate correction actions.
Design and implement training programs to enhance the capacity of local stakeholders and communities in sustainable post-harvest practices.
Lead the operationalization and integration of the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)- appropriate assessments and risk mitigation action plans.

Key Qualifications and Experience Required:

A Bachelor’s or Advanced Degree in International Development / Relations, Climate Change, Environmental Science, Agriculture, or a related field.
A Doctorate in relevant fields and a certification in Project Management will be an added advantage.
Demonstrate experience in managing complex projects and/or other development partner-funded programs and ability to communicate effectively with development partners.
Proficiency in various models of market linkage; understanding of regional trade issues; and models of access to finance to smallholder farmers, input and services providers, traders agro-processors, and other value chain actors.
Must have experience working with multinational agriculture development agencies, especially in a program delivery and coordination role.
Possess experience working in agri-food systems development in Africa.
Must understand post-harvest loss issues, sustainable agricultural practices, and climate change impacts on food security. Familiarity with innovative technologies and solutions aimed at reducing food loss and enhancing resilience.
Demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding of project management principles and practices, including planning, execution, monitoring, control, and closure of projects.
Demonstrate an understanding of financial principles related to program budgeting, funding, and financial reporting.
Ability to clearly communicate project/program status, milestones, risks, and issues.
Demonstrate proactive risk management skills to anticipate and prevent potential obstacles.
Must be able to develop and inspire commitment to a vision of success, supporting, promoting, and ensuring alignment with the AGRA’s vision and values.

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail and telephone contacts) to recruit@agra.org. Please quote the job reference number LPMU/PD/02/2025 in the subject line of the application e-mail.

Applications must be received on or before 14^th March 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer