Technical Specialist, Agricultural Landscapes. Application Pack. Innovative conservation since 1903

Transcription

1 Technical Specialist, Agricultural Landscapes Application Pack In the past century FFI has consistently saved species from extinction and protected habitats from destruction. Their solutions have always been practical, efficient and sustainable in local circumstances. Sir David Attenborough, FFI Vice-president Innovative conservation since 1903

2 FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL Founded in 1903, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is the world s longest-established international conservation organisation. Our vision is to create a sustainable future for the planet where biodiversity is conserved by the people living closest to it. We aim to do this through the conservation of threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, based on sound science and take account of human needs. We have become a trusted entity in the world of conservation. Today FFI is active in over 40 countries. AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES PROGRAMME Agriculture and farming communities have been central stakeholders in FFI s work for decades and we have now built a strong network of projects and partners around the world. Agricultural Landscapes was established as a programme in The programme works closely with, and provides support to, local staff and partners in the design and delivery of the agricultural components within the conservation programme of work. It works with the agribusiness sector to influence policy and practices around biodiversity impacts and management within supply chains. Supporting cross-site learning is an important role of the programme. We are working to advance our understanding of, and ability to, influence the behaviour of the many agricultural related stakeholders at a local, national and landscape scale. It is a rapidly growing area of work for FFI. Country programmes currently being supported and where work is developing include Liberia, Guinea, DRC, South Sudan, Mozambique, Uganda, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Belize and Nicaragua. THE OPPORTUNITY FFI is seeking a qualified candidate to play a leading role in the design and implementation of sustainable agriculture within FFI conservation projects around the world. Delivering scalable sustainable agriculture is central to improving livelihoods and reducing conservation pressures. The Technical Specialist will build excellent working relationships with in-country conservation teams, agribusiness and our local partners, and ensure we are jointly designing the approaches and building trust with the communities and farmers involved. You will have a proven track record in operational, project and financial management at a similar level and be skilled in providing strategic advice and technical input to the design, development, implementation and evaluation of projects. You will have strong technical skills in relevant aspects of sustainable agriculture, including soil management in the tropics, improving yields on staples, post-harvest storage loss and developing cash crops. You will be experienced in designing and delivering sustainable agriculture projects and effective farmer training. A clear understanding of cultural behaviour change and the application of agro-ecological principles such as conservation agriculture are essential. You will have the necessary communication and interpersonal skills to establish trust and engage farmers and local partners, and expertise in the identification and use of locally-appropriate technology. This position will be based in Cambridge with regular international travel as required to meet project needs. In return, the role offers the opportunity to work within a ground-breaking and entrepreneurial organisation, at the forefront of global conservation.

3 TERMS AND CONDITIONS Start Date: Duration of Contract: Probation Period: Salary Range: Location: Benefits: As soon as possible Two-year, fixed-term contract Six months 32,000-35,000 per annum Fauna & Flora International, Cambridge 25 working days annual holiday entitlement plus Public/Bank Holidays and any normal working days that fall between 24 December to 1 January inclusive, during which time FFI UK offices are closed For employees on UK-based contracts, FFI currently provides a pension contribution of 8% of salary after 3 months continuous employment. Group Life insurance, currently set at a benefit of 4 x basic salary Hours of Work: This is a full-time position, working Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.30pm, with a one-hour lunch break. JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Reporting to: Technical Specialist, Agricultural Landscapes Senior Programme Manager, Agricultural Landscapes Key Relationships: The post-holder must have a highly collaborative approach and will work closely with FFI colleagues in country programmes and the UK, national partners and other stakeholders on all aspects of the role. Key internal relationships include: Senior Programme Manager, West Africa Senior Programme Manager, East Africa Senior Programme Manager, Americas & Caribbean Conservation Finance & Enterprise Team Agricultural Specialist, Liberia Project Manager, Ziama Forest, Guinea Livelihoods Specialist, Cambodia Senior Technical Specialist (Livelihoods and Governance), Africa

4 Working with: The Technical Specialist, Agricultural Landscapes will routinely work with FFI staff field teams, local partners including national NGOs, local government agricultural departments and international NGOs, communities and community-based organisations, academic institutions, funders and donors. Purpose: The purpose of this role is to ensure technically-strong, sustainable agricultural approaches linked to a demonstrable conservation gain are effectively integrated into FFI s regional programmes and projects, and to evaluate and clearly communicate the impact of this work internally and externally. The role will assist with the effective development, management and delivery of sustainable agricultural components within selected conservation programmes, and will provide strategic guidance and technical support to these and other projects as required. Responsibilities: Management Assist in-country teams and local partners with the technical management and logistical challenges of the sustainable agricultural projects on a day-to-day basis for a selection of strategically-identified programmes Provide direct technical input through the design, oversight, delivery of training and other activities relevant to agriculture within a range of projects across FFI s regional programmes Assist in the development of project budgets supporting adherence to FFI s financial management system and policies, and specific donor requirements and support financial tracking and oversight of these budgets Provide on-going support and mentoring to identified staff and project partner staff Work closely with Project Managers and other key members of project teams to ensure continued alignment of the agriculture component of the project with the wider conservation programme objectives Support the development of work plans and review implementation activities for a selection of strategically-identified programmes Conduct frequent site visits to projects for consultation, planning, technical and implementation support, and monitoring of activities Support the project teams with donor reporting requirements related to agricultural programmes Guide the design and selection of agricultural programmes including appropriate selection of technical approaches, learning platforms, advising on appropriate procurement, adaptive management and scaling of successful approaches In collaboration with the Conservation Finance and Enterprise team, identify and develop opportunities for improved management of crops and access to markets Maintain regular communications with the Senior Programme Manager, Agricultural Landscapes and regional project leads and promptly raise with them any delivery issues / concerns Monitoring and Evaluation Lead coordination of FFI s approach to monitoring and evaluation of agriculture activities and the expected associated conservation gain in collaboration with the FFI Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team

5 Support teams with the design of the M&E for the agricultural components of projects allowing for adaptive management of activities, establishing suitable indicators with robust baseline data, data analysis and recommending revisions to the implementation plans as needed Provide technical reviews for both internal and external grant funds on a range of sustainable agricultural development issues Development Identify new sustainable agricultural opportunities for FFI in line with strategic objectives Lead on coordination and proposal development to secure funding and present to donors/funders within the sustainable agriculture development sphere Design and develop new initiatives and collaborative partnerships in sustainable agricultural development for a livelihoods and conservation gain Undertake continuous professional development and maintain appropriate awareness of other relevant / inter-related technical areas Keep abreast of latest technical and policy developments in the agriculture and development sectors, at all levels, relevant to design and delivery of the Agricultural Landscapes strategy Contribute to the review of the Agricultural Landscapes strategy globally Programme Learning and Communications Lead on the development of internal and external communications, documenting learnings from the sustainable agricultural development programme, to significantly enhance the internal body of knowledge and inform similar projects within the FFI portfolio, and also benefit peers within the sector Provide internal training and support to other areas of FFI to transfer technical knowledge where appropriate Interpret specialist and emerging concepts/issues and communicate these appropriately to different target audiences including smallholder farmers, business, donors and staff General Represent FFI at key agricultural development and conservation fora, including partnerships, consultations, negotiations, conferences, platforms, workshops and briefings as requested Liaise regularly with relevant authorities, agriculture and conservation organisations and local partners to ensure mutual awareness, appropriate collaboration and/or harmonisation of relevant agricultural development initiatives Engage in relevant policy dialogues with a view to influencing positively policies that impact on agricultural development, sustainable land use and biodiversity Maintain an effective record of contacts and project activities With agreement of Line Manager, perform any other tasks that may be requested from time to time, which are appropriate to the Technical Specialist s skills and experience, and relevant to the scope of this role

6 PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential Skills Excellent agricultural project management skills with proven experience in implementation of sustainable agricultural development projects Strong technical skills relating to soil conservation management Strong technical skills related to yield improvement with subsistence agricultural systems particularly in relation to rice Excellent training skills with the ability to bring about long-term behavioural change Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate individuals to achieve excellence Ability to plan and think strategically and to adaptively manage complex agricultural projects Ability to assess and prioritise tasks effectively and to deliver projects to deadlines Proven ability to collaborate effectively with partner organisations, including governments, NGOs, community groups and businesses Strong verbal communication and diplomacy skills, with ability to present, negotiate and persuade at all levels with confidence and credibility Strong written communication skills, including report and proposal writing Fluency in written and spoken English Current driving licence Desirable Technical skills in management of cocoa, coffee, palm and rubber Technical skills in Integrated Pest Management design and application suitable for the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem in West Africa or Indo-China bio-region Technical skills related to tree/cash crop development Ability to converse in French Knowledge and experience A Masters degree or equivalent higher education qualification in agriculture, soil sciences, land management, agroecology, or a related field Strong, relevant experience of managing sustainable agricultural development projects in the field Proven experience in improving soil management and fertility of fragile soils Experience of both upland (dry) and lowland/wet rice development Experience of working with shifting cultivation systems Strong experience of addressing market access issues, supply chain analysis, market development and increasing value (of commodities) for producers A strong technical background and understanding of behaviour change in farming Experience of managing coffee and cocoa projects including access to markets Experience of managing human wildlife conflict from an agricultural perspective Experience of Integrated Pest Management Experience of monitoring agricultural development for a conservation gain Experience in managing statutory funding Experience of working with sustainable livelihoods models and approaches, such as the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and SLED

7 systems Experience working with partners, authorities and communities in varied cultural and political contexts in Africa and / or South East Asia Knowledge and/or experience of using / developing Climate Smart Agriculture and more generally of climate change adaptation approaches Knowledge and/or experience of using / developing Conservation Agriculture Knowledge and/or experience of using / developing livelihoods in relation to REDD+ projects Behavioural qualities Highly collaborative, output-driven and transparent team player Ability to work within a dynamic and often high pressure environment Ability to build and maintain positive personal and organisational relationships, including managing long-distance working relationships by phone, , Skype and other communications channels Ability to deal with challenges in a positive way Sensitive to cultural and gender considerations Demonstrated commitment to supporting sustainable livelihoods of marginalised peoples Honesty and integrity with a rigorous approach to work Commitment to FFI s mission and vision Commitment to organisational and legal compliance Commitment to responsible management of donor funds Team player, demonstrating ability to seek out and harness the views and contributions of others Other Ability to travel regularly and at short notice internationally

8 HOW TO APPLY Applications, consisting of a covering letter explaining why you are applying for the position and relating your experience and skills to the role, a full CV, and contact details for two referees (who will not be approached without your permission) should be submitted via to laura.fox@fauna-flora.org Please mark your application Technical Specialist, Agricultural Landscapes and indicate in your covering letter where you saw this position advertised. The closing date for applications is Friday, 29 June Interviews are expected to be held during the week commencing 9 July Regrettably, due to limited resources and the high number of applications we receive, we are only able to contact shortlisted candidates. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion. APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES FFI encourages applications from individuals with a disability who are able to carry out the duties of the post. If you have special needs in relation to your application, please contact Jade Bedwell, HR Administrator, FFI, on Tel: +44 (0) or jade.bedwell@faunaflora.org. FFI values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity