Agronomist officer

Overview

Mobilize communities for agricultural involvement and training.

You have:

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy, or Agriculture Extension.
• Minimum 2-3 years of progressive work experience in roles related to food security, livelihoods, agricultural extension, value chain, and marketing projects with UN agencies, INGOs, or Afghan NGOs.
• Demonstrated experience in agricultural marketing, business linkages, and delivery of field-level extension activities.
• Proven ability to organize and deliver training sessions; training received in related subjects is a plus.
• Experience in developing agriculture/horticulture-based training curricula, agriculture value chain, marketing, and business development.
• Familiarity with facilitating agricultural extension methodologies, especially Farmers Field School (FFS) and Self-help Groups, with a demonstrated ability to conduct participatory research and technology development.
• Understanding of research and survey methodologies, with the ability to design and implement food security and nutrition surveys, value chain studies, and market assessments.
• Proficient in spoken and written in English, Pashto, and Dari languages.
• Strong report-writing skills.

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

- Mobilize target communities for active participation in agricultural activities. - Conduct regular counseling sessions and training programs to enhance community capacity. - Facilitate a broader understanding of agricultural activities such as horticulture, FFS, and kitchen gardening. - Collect, analyze, and report on data related to agro-based initiatives. - Conduct thorough data collection on agricultural practices and community needs. - Analyze data to inform programmatic decisions and improvements. - Organize and deliver high-quality agricultural-related training sessions. - Ensure that training aligns with the needs and context of the target communities. - Prepare comprehensive reports on community mobilization, training activities, and project progress. - Provide regular updates to the Provincial Program Manager and other relevant stakeholders. - Conduct comprehensive studies on sustainable land management. - Develop actionable plans for agro-based interventions based on study findings. - Provide technical support and input to farmers, farmer groups, and cooperatives. - Deliver agricultural extension services to optimize the production and handling of high-value agricultural and horticultural commodities. - Facilitate training sessions for farmers on innovative agricultural technology. - Implement Farmer Field School (FFS) principles through field visits, fostering hands-on learning. - Conduct specialized training for female beneficiaries in poultry production. - Oversee the effective implementation of poultry activities. - Lead the development of standardized agricultural technical guidelines. - Create comprehensive training manuals and tools for effective implementation. - Establish and manage Farmers Field Schools and Resources Committees. - Train members on advanced production methodologies and community-based natural resources management (CBNRM). - Develop and maintain a demonstration farm for participatory trials and research. - Showcase comparative results of improved agro-based production methodologies to FFS members. - Ensure meticulous selection of households and FFS members. - Distribute agro-inputs for FFS/demonstrational plots, providing necessary technical support. - Foster connections between farmers, kitchen gardeners, poultry and livestock beneficiaries, and local markets. - Collaborate with Community Development Committees (CDCs) for joint agro-production to generate income. - Conduct thorough value chain and market assessments. - Identify potential farming groups and FFSs. - Formulate and execute value chain and marketing projects. - Foster collaboration with existing dairy farms. - Design and develop comprehensive training manuals, presentations, and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials. - Undertake frequent field visits to monitor progress. - Document lessons learned and best practices. - Collect, compile, and analyze Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) data. - Prepare and submit detailed progress reports. - Maintain regular and effective communication and coordination with the project team, district authorities, and community elders. - Actively participate in meetings, organize joint field visits, and submit timely reports. - Conduct essential training for district and provincial extension staff involved in the project. - Enhance their skills and capacity to implement demonstration and FFS. - Regularly review operational strategies and implementation guidelines for demonstration plots and FFS in collaboration with project staff. - Organize necessary field visits to schemes with established demonstration plots and FFS. - Assess progress and provide essential technical support to farmers and district extension staff. - Offer informed recommendations to farmers for improving soil fertility. - Advise on irrigated agronomic measures, including raised-bed furrow irrigation, fertilizer application rates and methods, and water-saving practices for increased crop production. - Facilitate training sessions for university and Agriculture department interns, focusing on the principles of FFS. - Perform any other job-related duties assigned by the line supervisor.

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Horticulture, Agronomy, or Agriculture Extension. - Minimum 2-3 years of progressive work experience in roles related to food security, livelihoods, agricultural extension, value chain, and marketing projects with UN agencies, INGOs, or Afghan NGOs. - Demonstrated experience in agricultural marketing, business linkages, and delivery of field-level extension activities. - Proven ability to organize and deliver training sessions; training received in related subjects is a plus. - Experience in developing agriculture/horticulture-based training curricula, agriculture value chain, marketing, and business development. - Familiarity with facilitating agricultural extension methodologies, especially Farmers Field School (FFS) and Self-help Groups, with a demonstrated ability to conduct participatory research and technology development, including the establishment of Demonstration Farms. - Understanding of research and survey methodologies, with the ability to design and implement food security and nutrition surveys, value chain studies, and market assessments. - Proficient in spoken and written in English, Pashto, and Dari languages. - Strong report-writing skills.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: rescue.org