Agricultural Specialist

Agricultural Specialist

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.

Country: São Tomé and Príncipe

Base: São Tomé Island, with possible trips to Príncipe Island

DESCRIÇÃO DO POSTO

Under the direct supervision of the Rural Programme 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 beneficiary communities and regions, within the framework of an integrated, sustainable, resilient land management approach that promotes the protection of biodiversity and greater resilience to climate change;
• Implementation of activities in the communities to generate income for families and improve their livelihoods. Support for the production, processing and commercialisation 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.
• Implementation, together with the rest of the technical team, of the production activities promoted by the projects, introducing the most appropriate and sustainable production processes, techniques, methodologies and materials that contribute to an increase in income and food security for the communities, accompanying and providing technical guidance to producers at the different stages of the agricultural production process;
• Support for product certification and commercialisation processes according to established criteria;
• Support for organising farmers to sell products on national markets;
• Support for the establishment, organisation and management of small-scale economic initiatives within the framework of sustainable production models for the 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;
• Coordination with the Rural Programme Coordination in the development of systems for collecting, processing, systematising and archiving information on activities, results and objectives, as well as analysing problems and proposing solutions, including support for the collection of data needed for the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of rural sector projects;
• Support for the development of relevant content for communication and community awareness-raising activities.
• Support for the specialised technical assistance needed to implement project actions in the field;
• Contribution to analysing and monitoring the progress of projects, analysing the data (quantitative and qualitative) collected for measuring indicators, correcting any deviations and achieving the required targets within the established deadlines and with the expected quality.

Articulação:

• Liaising with the Rural Programme Coordinator to ensure that appropriate approaches are applied when carrying out activities;
• Support for the technical team in the field to ensure the correct execution of activities, both in technical and methodological aspects, under the supervision of the Rural Programme Coordinator;
• Liaison with individual and/or organised 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 Programme 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 for which they are responsible, in accordance with the requirements of the funders and Oikos procedures;
• Support the Rural Programme 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 Programme 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 drafting 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

• Proficiency of spoken and written Portuguese (mandatory). Good knowledge in English and/or French will be considered an asset;
• 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);
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in projects in the field of agroecology, development in the agricultural sector and management of terrestrial natural resources (mandatory);
• Experience in the technical and operational management of teams in the context of development projects;
• Experience of working with partners and in consortia. Ability to provide training and technical assistance to local technicians and beneficiaries;
• Experience of working with rural communities to develop grassroots organisation processes, build protagonism, political advocacy for rights and collective economic and commercial actions to improve families' income and living conditions;
• Value and respect local communities;
• Interest in working on the ground with local communities;
• Ability to delegate and supervise, prioritise and work to deadlines;
• Dynamic, with initiative and the ability to communicate and liaise between different players;
• Ability to develop good interpersonal relationships and teamwork;
• Good computer skills (Word, Excel, web tools, operating systems);
• Driving licence for light vehicles (compulsory);
• Awareness of biodiversity conservation, natural resources and adherence to good environmental practices;
• Awareness of and interest in issues related to youth and gender equity and equality.