GAFCo Academy Director at Great African Company (GAFCo)

Application deadline 2017-08-15

Location

Arusha Mjini Arusha

Description

1. POSITION: GAFCo ACADEMY DIRECTOR ( 1 Post ) Re-advertise

Department:
GAFCo ACADEMY
Reporting Direction:
CEO
Location:
HQ- ARUSHA, 50%-90% travel to farms
The mission of the GAFCo Academy is two-fold:
o Train smallholder farmers in good agricultural best practices and their contractual responsibilities as a commercial out-grower. Develop standards for Demonstration Plots and use for farmer training.
o Train GAFCo Smallholder Procurement Point (SPP) field staff in company standard policies for budgeting, personnel roles & responsibilities, field reporting, farmer contract terms and conditions, farmer training, input storage and disbursements, post-harvest logistics and transport, and use of farmer data collection software (Farm Force) to register farmers and manage and monitor crop production activities.
The GAFCo Academy will create course curriculum; define methodology for effective training; and coordinate and implement field training programs.
The smallholder farmer training will facilitate empowerment through educational and participatory methods for learning and farmer-to-farmer exchanges. GAFCo Academy will use aspects of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) as a group-based learning process. Farmers participate in Demonstration Plot learning activities to help them understand best practices. Activities involve simple experiments using agricultural best practices, regular field observations, and group analysis. The knowledge gained from these activities enables the smallholders to make their own locally specific decisions about crop management practices.
Job-Duties:
o Design Farmer Field School (FFS) training program for crops produced by smallholders (e.g., sunflower, food beans).
o Coordinate with SPP field personnel on the seasonal implementation of Demonstration Plots used by the FFS.
o Recruit and hire Master Field Instructors and GAFCo Training Assistants.
o Develop compensation incentive programs for village FFS Facilitators in collaboration with GAFCo senior management.
o Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the FFS and GAFCo field staff training programs for continuous improvements based on farmer and GAFCo staff feedback surveys.
o Define components of the FFS extension kit (e.g., smart phones, GPS, soil testers, soil compression testers, threshing tarps, rope, ruler, measuring cup, knapsack sprayers, DAP/MAP/NPK, Herbicide, Insecticide, Folio Feed, Fungicide, harvest bags, etc.) used by Master Field Instructors and FFS facilitators.
o Ensure the SPPs have the requisite FFS extension kits to conduct training.
o Develop curriculum and train GAFCo Smallholder Procurement Point (SPP) field staff in company standard policies for budgeting, personnel roles & responsibilities, field reporting, farmer contract terms and conditions, farmer training, input storage and disbursements, post-harvest logistics and transport, and post season planning activities.
o Coordinate with internal stakeholders (e.g., accounting, legal, HR, and Farm Force IT experts, SPP Lead Admin) to assist in training SPP field staff.
o Respond to questions from SPP field staff and Master Field Instructors as they conduct their day-to-day jobs.
o Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the training for continuous improvements based on student feedback surveys.
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Skills/Attributes/Competencies:
• Great leadership, academic and management skills.
• Skills and knowledge in commercial planning and production of legume seeds, oilseeds and horticultural crops
• Good understanding of cultural diversities within East African (Tanzania) context
• Desire to work with small holders farmers and the ability to explain farming concepts in clear terms as critical points to poverty alleviation for the wellbeing of the children
• Knowledge of cover crops and plant rotations appropriate to East African soils and climates
• Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) and Global Gap as required by European markets.
• Superb planning, analytical, project management, numerical skills and problems-solving ability;
• Good communication( verbal and written) and interpersonal relationship, administration and IT skills and comfortable working in a team and using own initiative;

• Endeavour to achieve highest standards of work and the ability to organise and manage own workload;
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations and procedures and flexibility and a willingness to work in a busy and varied and harsh environment;
• Management skills and business awareness and hands-on, practical and realistic approach to work.
  Educational & Professional Qualifications:
  • BSc or MSc in Applied Agricultural Education and Extension from an accredited University
  • Experience in creating course curriculum; define methodology for effective training; and coordinate and implement field training programs.
  • Ability to carrying out variety performance tests know as National Performance Trial (NPT) including national variety performance trials, DUS tests, and pre and post control tests in accordance with the Seed Law 2003 and Seed Regulations 2007
  Working Experience:
  Has at least 5 years direct experience in developing and managing large-scale agricultural extension training programs for smallholder farmers such as Farmer Field Schools and other training extension paradigms

Mode of Application: Send in an application including: Cover letter in English, copies of Relevant Certificates and latest CV/Resume including three referees one of them being the current or last employer.
Send email application or drop off physically the application packet at our address – Burka Estates, Plot 175/786/3 Dodoma Road, After Arusha Coffee Lodge.
Application Deadline: 10th June, 2017 at 17:00 hrs
Please if you do not meet the requirements do not apply

APPLICATION
Send in an application including: Cover letter in English, copies of Relevant Certificates and latest CV/Resume including three referees one of them being the current or last employer.
Send email application by filling form below or drop off physically the application packet at our address – Burka Estates, Plot 175/786/3 Dodoma Road, After Arusha Coffee Lodge.
Application Deadline: 10th June, 2017 at 17:00 hrs
Please if you do not meet the requirements do not apply.