Agronomist Intern

Role Overview

This internship places you at the heart of a large-scale resilience project spanning multiple sub-counties in Nandi, where day-to-day field presence is essential. Working under the Agronomic Advisor, you will support agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture, tree planting, and farmer engagement activities across dispersed sites. Your role is to strengthen field-level follow-up, assist with monitoring and documentation, and help ensure that project activities reach even the most remote farmer groups effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture activities across assigned project locations, ensuring alignment with the project's technical plans.
• Carry out regular field visits to nurseries and farmers' plots to monitor tree planting progress, seedling survival, and overall crop health.
• Assist with nursery management tasks, including seedling propagation, watering, pest control, and post-planting care, under the guidance of the Agronomic Advisor.
• Facilitate farmer training sessions, demonstration plots, and community meetings by preparing materials, mobilising participants, and providing basic agronomic guidance.
• Act as a communication link between farmers and the technical team, promptly reporting field challenges and supporting timely problem-solving.
• Help register farmers, verify land parcels, and support digital or physical mapping of project intervention sites.
• Collect and record data on tree survival rates, nursery outputs, and adoption of climate-smart practices, then submit accurate and timely activity reports.
• Coordinate with community-based organisations, cooperatives, and local extension officers to organise learning forums and Farmer Field Schools, while upholding safeguarding and inclusion standards.

Requirements & Qualifications

Essential:

• A completed or nearly completed bachelor's degree in agronomy, crop science, plant science, agricultural extension, natural resource management, or a closely related field.
• A genuine interest in climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry, and community-led rural development.
• Willingness to work extensively in rural settings, often requiring travel to remote project sites.
• Familiarity with the Nandi County landscape, especially Emgwen, Nandi Hills, Tinderet, and Aldai sub-counties, and their local farming contexts.

Desirable:

• Previous internship, industrial attachment, or volunteer experience in agriculture, extension services, or rural development.
• Understanding of smallholder farming systems and common crops in Kenya.
• Basic knowledge of agroforestry practices or tree nursery management.
• Current residence in or strong local knowledge of Nandi County.

What We Offer / Why Join

This internship provides a practical pathway to build early-career expertise in agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture. By working closely with farmers, cooperatives, and field staff, you will gain hands-on experience in extension support, field monitoring, and data collection, all within a project that directly contributes to community resilience and improved livelihoods.