Agricultural Specialist At OIKOS – Cooperação e Desenvolvimento

Job description summary:
The Agricultural Specialist will be responsible for the technical management and work of the field team in the implementation of activities to promote the agricultural sector, with a focus on agroecology and forestry systems, in the rural beneficiary communities of Oikos projects in São Tomé and Príncipe.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Under the direct supervision of the Rural Program Coordinator, the Agricultural Specialist will have the following main functions and tasks:

Implementation:

• Support for the identification and development of sustainable production models for communities, taking into account the social, cultural, economic, productive, environmental, technical and commercial context of the communities and regions benefited, within the framework of an integrated, sustainable and resilient land management approach that promotes the protection of biodiversity and greater resilience to climate change in communities surrounding areas of high conservation value and environmental conservation units;
• Implementing activities in communities to generate income for families and improve their livelihoods, including the development of sustainable businesses, income-generating alternatives and marketing channels.
• Support for the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products and new lines of production, such as syntropic agroforestry, livestock, beekeeping and non-timber forest products, as well as support for other community enterprises.
• Support for certification processes and the marketing of products according to established criteria;
• Support for organizing farmers to sell products on national markets;
• Support for the establishment, organization and management of small-scale economic initiatives, within the framework of sustainable production models for communities, taking into account the productive, environmental, technical, commercial and cultural context of the communities;
• Support for the identification of innovative agricultural and/or non-wood forest products with development potential and market demand;
• Technical assistance, training, planning and monitoring of the work of community multipliers, including the development of appropriate technical and training materials;
• Liaison with the Rural Program Coordination in the development of systems for collecting, processing, systematizing and archiving information on activities, results and objectives, as well as analyzing problems and proposing solutions, including support for the collection of data necessary for the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of rural sector projects;
• Support for the development of relevant content for communication and community awareness activities.
• Support for the specialized technical assistance needed to implement project actions on the ground;
• Contribution to the analysis and supervision of project progress, the analysis of data (quantitative and qualitative) collected for the measurement of indicators, the correction of any deviations and the achievement of required goals within the established deadlines and with the expected quality.

Articulation:

• Liaison with the Rural Program Coordination to ensure the application of appropriate approaches in the execution of activities;
• Supporting the technical team in the field to ensure the proper execution of activities, both in technical and methodological aspects, under the supervision of the Rural Program Coordinator;
• Liaison with individual and/or organized beneficiaries in the communities, other community actors, implementing partners, local entities and their technical services, private entities and other relevant actors for the implementation of activities in the field;
• Promoting the involvement of the relevant technical services (agriculture/forestry) in project activities, in particular in the technical decision-making process, in monitoring production activities and in training processes, together with the team of technicians;

Management:

• In collaboration with the Oikos teams and partners, in liaison with the Rural Program Coordinator and the Administration, ensure the efficient and effective management of projects and all their resources, in accordance with the approved proposal and contractual rules;
• Technical and operational planning of the activities under their responsibility, in accordance with the requirements of the funders and Oikos procedures;
• Supporting the Rural Program Coordinator in drawing up procedures for contracting goods, works and services, in accordance with the funder’s regulations and Oikos’ policies;
• Contribute to and support the Rural Program Coordination in writing technical reports, specifically on the results and activities within the scope of their duties, in accordance with the deadlines and requirements of headquarters and contracts.

Others:

• Ensure that field activities integrate cross-cutting approaches that promote gender equality, social inclusion, environmental protection and the human, social, economic, environmental and cultural rights of the population;
• Support the identification and preparation of project proposals, particularly those that contribute to complementing and/or strengthening activities in the rural sector and the sustainable management of natural resources (namely agriculture and forestry), in line with Oikos’ intervention strategy for São Tomé and Príncipe.

PROFILE REQUIRED

• Higher education in agronomy, forestry, rural development, environment or other relevant field (minimum Bachelor’s degree, postgraduate studies will be considered as a preferential element in the selection process) (mandatory);
• At least 3 years’ experience in projects in the field of agroecology, development in the agricultural sector and management of terrestrial natural resources (mandatory);
• Experience in providing support and technical assistance for the implementation of agro-sylvo-pastoral systems, agro-forestry systems, syntropic agro-forestry, diversified and sustainable agro-ecosystems;
• Experience in the technical and operational management of teams in the context of development projects;
• Experience of working with rural communities around areas of high conservation value and environmental conservation units, such as national parks or forests, biological reserves, ecological reserves, environmental protection areas and sustainable development reserves;
• Experience of working with partners and in consortia.
• Training and technical assistance capacity for local technicians and beneficiaries;
• Experience in working with rural communities to develop grassroots organization processes, build protagonism, political advocacy for rights and collective economic and commercial actions to improve families’ income and living conditions;
• Experience in providing support and technical assistance to rural communities in the development of livelihoods, sustainable businesses, income generation alternatives and marketing channels, local economic development, circular economy;
• Value and respect local communities;
• An interest in working on the ground with local communities;
• Ability to delegate and supervise, set priorities and work to deadlines;
• Dynamic, with initiative and the ability to communicate and coordinate between different players;
• Ability to develop good interpersonal relationships and teamwork;
• Good command of computers (Word, Excel, web tools, operating systems);
• Driving license for light vehicles (mandatory);
• Good knowledge of spoken and written Portuguese. Proficiency in English and/or French will be considered an asset;
• Sensitivity to the conservation of biodiversity, natural resources and adherence to good environmental practices;
• Awareness of and interest in issues related to youth and gender equity and equality.