ROLE PURPOSE: 

Save the Children is seeking an agronomic specialist for a 5-year program. This project aims to strengthen agro-economies, climate resilience and well-being of smallholder tea farmers, women and children, in Nandi County through enhanced integration of climate sensitive sustainable land-management practices and access to carbon market finance. The project will reach smallholder farmers with climate-smart agriculture extension services and agroforestry, enhance reafforestation/afforestation in community and protected areas, strengthening market linkages and supply chain infrastructure. This will be complemented by targeted nutrition awareness interventions.

In close coordination with the child poverty technical specialist S/he will promote or implement best agronomic practices and technology for sustainable intensification of crop production at project sites. The Agronomist will support resilient food systems mechanisms, train staff and farmers on methods to improve crop production including agroforestry. She/he will participate in conducting field visits to project sites to advise, coach and mentor farmers about better planting, cultivation, and harvesting techniques, improving crop yield, and solving problems for the successful management of agricultural production operations. In addition, the post holder will engage in documentation of best practices, learnings and lessons in the areas of climate-smart crop production, agroforestry and productivity.

The role holder will ensure that gender, child rights and safeguarding approaches are mainstreamed in the program, ensuring education and training addresses topics of inequity and that participation is balanced. He will ensure that girls and boys and women are protected in all their diversity from violence, abuse and exploitation alongside their right to meaningful participation in decisions that affect them in this project.

He/she will lead in the design of work plans and implementation of technical support to local implementing partners and networks, including sharing and coordinating with all stakeholders in the project implementation sub-counties. The position will be based in Nandi County headquarter town with frequent travel to project sites.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to: Operations Manager with secondary reporting relationship to Child Poverty Technical Specialist.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None.

Country Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1950. As of 2024, Save the Children operates throughout Kenya with 6 field offices. In 2024, we directly reached more than 695,000 people through our humanitarian and longer-term development work in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Education, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Child Protection and Child Rights Governance. The Country Office oversees several active awards from a variety of governmental and institutional donors, including some of our largest donors such as USAID, ECHO, LEGO, BHA, and FCDO.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Programme Design and Oversight:

Lead design and oversee the implementation of agroforestry systems, such as indigenous forestry integration, fruit trees, hedgerows, companion planting tailored to local needs.

Provide technical guidance on sustainable land management techniques, including terracing, alley cropping, and erosion control measures.

Advise on the cultivation of food crops including vegetables crops with climate-smart thinking and action.

Establish frameworks for monitoring food crops and agroforestry systems to ensure adherence to climate-smart principles and carbon credit methodological requirements.

Work with project stakeholders to ensure they are inclusive in crop farming approaches that support small holder farmers.

Provide technical advice on agricultural related program/project design at CO level.

Support donor engagement and other related strategic engagement at CO level

Performs other duties as assigned by the line manager

Capacity Building and Collaboration:

Facilitate training sessions and workshops for farmers on agroforestry practices, focusing on native and high-value tree species.

Facilitate training sessions and workshops on monitoring, verification and reporting for carbon credit processes. 

Engage with local farmer cooperatives, government agencies, and community organizations to build partnerships and foster collaboration.

Collaborating with the project staffs, provide technical support and liaise with the staffs of relevant government partners and research organizations in the areas of agriculture.

Provide training on climate smart crop production for project beneficiaries including sensitizing of climate change and its adaptation

Develop training manuals and other knowledge products relevant to climate-smart crop production and agroforestry.

Advisory Services and Recommendations:

Provide expertise in tree species selection and agroforestry design to maximize ecosystem and economic benefits.

Advise on risk mitigation strategies for issues such as land degradation, soil erosion, and human-wildlife conflicts.

Deliver recommendations to enhance programme scalability and sustainability.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation:

Implement tools for tracking programme outcomes, including carbon sequestration, improved farmer incomes, and enhanced biodiversity.

Compile progress reports with actionable insights and present them to key stakeholders.

Lead studies, assessments, documentation of best practices/lessons and activities related to climate smart crop production.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

BSc in Agronomy, Plant Sciences, Crop sciences, Extension and other related disciplines, MSc in Agronomy preferred.

At least 10 years of practical work experience in rural development particularly in diversified livelihood and participatory research approaches

Demonstrates good understanding of the Village Based Advisor (VBA) business model. 

Demonstrated consultancy experience in designing and executing agroforestry or sustainable land management projects.

Knowledge of the agriculture development & policy environment in Kenya

Strong expertise in climate-smart agricultural practices and working knowledge of Kenya's rural farming systems.

Exceptional interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Attributes:

Familiarity with Nandi County’s biophysical and socioeconomic landscape.

Experience collaborating with entities such as the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), farmer cooperatives/SACCO’s and Community Forest Associations (CFAs).

Proven ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines and resource constraints.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.

Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities, giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Creates a managerial environment to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding. 

Collaboration:

Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to; builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives; knows when to lead and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross-boundary working.

Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage and influence; promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate messages, building confidence and trust. 

Invests time and energy to actively develop self and others to help realise their full potential, and to build the organisation’s capability for the future. 

Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

Honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence.

Displays consistent excellent judgement 

Creativity:

Applies the required technical and professional expertise to the highest standards; promotes and shares best practice within and outside the organization. 

Develops and implements innovative solutions to adapt and succeed in ever-changing and uncertain global and working environments. 

Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organization.

Ambition:

Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same

Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.