AGRA EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES MAY 2012

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2006 to work with African governments, farmers, donors, NGOs and the private sector to reduce hunger and poverty in Africa through agricultural development targeted at resource-poor farmers. AGRA has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and an office in Accra, Ghana.

AGRA is seeking to recruit exceptional and experienced individuals to fill the following positions:

Associate Program Officer for Commercialization - Program for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS)

Ref: APOC/ 04 -12

The Program for Africa’s Seed Systems (PASS) is an initiative sponsored by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver seed of improved, adapted crop varieties to Africa’s smallholder farmers.

This position is nationally recruited and will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, on a 3-year renewable contract. The position will report to the Director, PASS and will require the job holder to travel up to 50% of the time.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating joint ventures between public breeders and private seed companies to bridge existing gaps in technical support and marketing;
• Working with breeders to ensure sufficient production of seeds to meet industry requirements;
• Providing information to all stakeholders regarding availability, location and release of improved and adapted crop varieties;
• Working with Government agencies and other stakeholders to identify and resolve issues blocking the commercialization of improved crop varieties; and
• Liaising with other breeding and seed production Program Officers in designing and implementing strategies for disseminating improved crop varieties.

Key Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field;
• 5 years’ post-qualification experience, with special focus on systems management, agri-business, or marketing; and
• Fluency in French will be an advantage.

Grants Assistant

Ref: GA /04 -12

The Grants Assistant has the overall responsibility for providing administrative, financial and logistical support to the AGRA grants administration team. The individual will be expected to work flexibly and collegially to make grants management work well for AGRA.

This position is nationally recruited and will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, on a 3-year renewable contract. The position will report to the Grants Officer, working closely with the Grants Manager.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Receiving and logging-in all funding requests and enquiries and forwarding them to relevant program units for review while maintaining a tracking system to ensure timely response;
• Developing and maintaining an effective filing system for all documents related to the grants unit for easy retrieval;
• Ensuring that all correspondence to grantees and contractors are dispatched to the relevant grantees in a timely manner;
• Initiating grants’ payment requests;
• Conducting an initial review of grantee and consultants financial reports and updating the financial report monitoring system; and
• Generating disbursement and grantee reporting status and processing grantee reminders for report submission.

Key Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

• A relevant Bachelor’s degree;
• Minimum of 3 years’ post-qualification grant management experience;
• Excellent numerical skills, computer proficiency and experience in organizational financial management; and
• Ability to work independently with little supervision, but also participate as a team member in accomplishment of duties.

Grants Officer

Ref: GO/04-12

The Grants Officer has overall responsibility for providing program support to AGRA in ensuring that AGRA’s grant making procedures are adhered to by program staff and grantees.

This position is nationally recruited and will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, on a 3-year renewable contract. The position will report to the Grants Manager, working closely with the Program Coordinators and the Finance Manager.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Assisting the Grants Manager with the review and compilation of grant materials for the grants committees,
• Ensuring that all grant and contract documentation assembled by program staff is complete and accurate and complies with all AGRA policies and procedures;
• Managing and reviewing AGRAs GIFTS grant management system to ensure completeness and accuracy of entries;
• Reviewing grants and contracts to ensure completeness and accuracy before their final review by the Grants Manager;
• Managing the Continually reviewing electronic grant documents;
• Managing the flow of grants over the course of a year and advising the Grants Manager potential issues that need to be addressed; and
• Serving as the AGRA contact person to receive, acknowledge and log in all grant reports ensuring that they are reviewed and subsequent actions are handled in a timely manner.

Key Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

• A relevant Bachelor’s degree, preferably business related;
• Minimum of 5 years’ post-qualification grant management experience;
• Strong accounting background in a grant making environment;
• Proficiency in GIFTS grant management system will be an added advantage;
• Ability to work independently with little supervision, but also participate as a team member in accomplishment of duties; and
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain a timely and efficient work flow.

Communications Specialist

Ref: CS/04 -12

This position is nationally recruited and will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, on a 3 year renewable contract. The position will report to the Nairobi- based Director of Communications and will work with members of the Communications team both in Nairobi and in Accra.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Handling all AGRA media activities in Nairobi and elsewhere when required.
• Leading the production of various communication products for the communications unit, e.g. monthly bulletins, and articles for the Program’s website;
• Organizing press conferences for AGRA management and senior scientists;
• Writing, distributing and disseminating press releases for both local and international media;
• Coordinating digital photography, and managing the appropriate storage of photographic images;
• Supporting the activities and efforts of the AGRA President, senior officials, Director of Communications and Communications Officer by scheduling appropriate interviews, field visits and appointments; and
• Making necessary arrangements for meetings, workshops and conferences by providing printed materials and distributing background documentation, with support from the Executive Assistant.

Key Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Agriculture or other relevant field;
• Minimum of 7 years’ post-qualification experience in communications;
• Must have experience in photography;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with computer proficiency;
• Excellent command of English and working knowledge of French.
• Ability to work and thrive in a multi-cultural environment.

The ideal candidates should be attentive to detail, have excellent oral and written communication, relationship-building skills with the ability to work analytically, both with autonomy and with a team in diverse cultural contexts.

The candidates should also have high levels of integrity and objectivity.
Attractive remuneration packages commensurate with the responsibilities of these positions will be negotiated with the right candidates.

If you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for these roles, please submit your application with a detailed CV, stating your current position, remuneration, e-mail and telephone contacts and quoting the relevant reference number on the application letter.

For more information on these positions, applicants can visit http://www.agra.org/

To be considered, your application must be received by 16 May, 2012
addressed to:

The Director
Executive Selection Division
Deloitte Consulting Limited
Deloitte Place, Waiyaki Way
Muthangari, Westlands
Email: agra@deloitte.co.ke
Tel: +254 20 423 0000