Technical Advisor-NRM

Adeso, formerly known as Horn Relief, is an expanding and vibrant African-based international organization, working with communities to create environments in which Africans can thrive.

We work to prevent and overcome situations that adversely affect community well-being by: reinvigorating the economy, developing skills for life and work, providing humanitarian aid, and influencing policy.

Our belief that economic, social and environmental security is the bedrock of a healthy community drives the nature and intent of our programming.

Adeso has been strengthening rural livelihood and delivering innovative humanitarian aid and development programs for the past 20 years. Currently, we have programs in Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan.

Our present donor portfolio includes the European Commission, USAID, SIDA, and UNICEF, among others.

Adeso is an exciting, dynamic organization experiencing managed rapid growth. Employment with Adeso offers opportunities for personal growth and development.

The core objective of the two-year WASH program is to assist the Kenyan government and drought-prone communities to increase resilience to drought and flash floods while increasing access to improved water supply and sanitation services, and improving hygiene for poor and vulnerable populations in the arid counties of Turkana, Marsabit (including Moyale District), Garissa, Isiolo, and Wajir in Kenya.

Position Summary

The Technical Advisor will be responsible for technical leadership of the project in the area of NRM and climate change adaption.

S/he will oversee land and water management activities and will provide leadership in formulating innovative and sustainable land management approaches and designing project interventions in ways that contribute to the enhancement of the natural resource base of selected sites in 5 counties in the arid lands of Kenya.

The TA/ NRM is responsible for technical support to an experienced team focusing on the following key objectives:

• Increase water storage capacity in arid lands, through improving natural and artificial storage.
• Improve WASH conditions at health facilities and nutrition centers frequently utilized during emergency response.
• Improve access to safe drinking water sources, improve access to and usage of point of use water treatment products, promote good hygiene behaviors and use of sanitation facilities as a means of reducing diarrheal disease in areas with recurrent emergency levels of malnutrition and around areas of improved water storage.

Specific Roles And Responsibilities

• Facilitate community engagement, program coordination on NRM and advocacy, including technical assistance for multi-stakeholder participation, clarifying land and resource rights, and inclusion of climate change adaptation and mitigation;
• Support analyses required to inform spatial planning, land-use decisions, and climate change adaptation in pastoralist areas, including costs/benefits of alternate land use options, perverse or unintended consequences of policies and regulations, ecological appropriateness for intended use, likely impacts of climate change, and identification of low carbon options for development;
• Support development/strengthening of local-level NRM governance institutions;
• Oversee capacity building of communities in the integration of natural resource management and climate change activities, in particular, USAID’s Climate Change and Development Strategy;
• Provide technical advice to program management, partners, and field-based staff on NRM strategies, climate change adaptation and sustainable land management methodologies;
• Develop tools for tracking impact of project NRM interventions on a large spatial scale;
• Lead Environmental Impact Assessments on all construction/rehabilitation micro-projects, ensuring compliance on national standards;
• Manage and train field teams in data collection, participatory methods, and community-based NRM.

Skills And Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have “not-for-profit” experience and/or development partner experience.

The ideal candidate will have experience developing, managing and implementing projects, including partnering with like-minded organizations on the definition of objectives and deliverables and monitoring and evaluation of results.

S/he will have a strong record of progressive responsibility and a demonstrated record of service.

• Minimum Master's degree in environmental studies, natural resource management, agriculture, livestock or development studies or related degree or equivalent work experience;
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible work experience in technical areas of pastoral land management, natural resource management or climate change adaptation.
• Certified by National Environmental Management Agency (NEMA) to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA); demonstrated experience in conducting EIA’s in Kenya adhering to national and international standards.
• Minimum five years of advocacy in the pastoral areas in relation to NRM, land tenure or land management.
• Prior experience in managing field teams and developing capacity of staff through mentorship and participatory training methods;
• Prior USAID project management experience preferred.

Application Process

This is a challenging opportunity for a dedicated and highly motivated professional.

If you would like to join this dynamic team and be part of building resilience and economic growth in Africa, please submit your application to jobs@adesoafrica.org, quoting the position in the email subject matter, by August 22nd 2012.

Each application should be addressed to the Human Resources Manager and include the following:

• An updated CV; and
• An application letter which should include remuneration requirements and contact information for three work-related referees.

Applications not including all of the above information will not be reviewed.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Adeso is an equal opportunity employer