Kenya Country Coordinator at Digital Green

Job description

USAID’s Bureau for Food Security (BFS) and Digital Green have launched the five-year Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC) project, in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CARE International, the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), and multiple resource partners. By collaborating with USAID missions, host country governments, public and private extension advisory service (EAS) providers, rural civil society organizations, and host country research institutes, DLEC will help host-country extension systems become more effective, accountable, scalable, and sustainable. DLEC has conducted diagnostics in multiple countries and is in the process of implementing on-the-ground activities in a select few.

Job Summary

The Kenya Country Coordinator will play a critical role in pursuing, scoping, designing, and launching new activities for Digital Green and/or DLEC, especially with respect to strengthening extension in the context of improving soil health to ensure sustained increase in productivity. Working closely with Digital Green, and other partner organization colleagues, the in-country coordinator will serve as point of contact for activities in the country and will play a key role in (i) initiating and strengthening partner relationships; (ii) researching and designing new programs; (iii) representing Digital Green in stakeholder meetings, workshops, and other fora in the country; (iv) enabling implementation of new programs; (v) monitoring progress of activity; (vi) establishing relationships with the Government to institutionalize practices; and (vii) establishing or collaborating with a community of practice in Kenya to galvanize discussion and action on current engagement results and potential future activity.

The successful candidate will have an understanding of rural farming communities, best practices in agricultural extension, and effective partner management. They will have experience managing ICT4D programs and managing implementation of development programming (preferable related to improving soil health). The candidate will also apply his/her entrepreneurial attitude and professional networks to generate funding to set up and manage extension-related agriculture programs; cultivate a network of relevant stakeholders; and represent Digital Green at meetings with the Government, USAID, and other donor representatives.

The position will report to the Deputy Director, Strategy at Digital Green, and will work closely with Director of Africa and the DLEC team. The location of the position is flexible but must be within Kenya, preferably in Nyeri county or Nairobi.

Responsibilities And Duties

• Work closely with the Digital Green and DLEC team to do the following tasks which include but are not limited to:
• Researching, scoping, designing, and launching new project activities
• Applying own knowledge, networks, and current Digital Green progress-to-date to plan and execute a comprehensive Digital Green Kenya growth strategy
• Communicating progress and challenges, and iterating upon Digital Green’s Kenya strategy
• Liaising with the broader Digital Green team based in India and Ethiopia to coordinate their involvement on in-country activities, as needed
• Collaborating with Program Manager to share updates relevant for outreach materials as well as qualitative/quantitate MEL-related results for accurate tracking of results and impact
• Coordinating with DLEC country engagement manager, finance manager, or program manager on financial and program management of current engagement and potential future activities
• Apply entrepreneurial skills to create linkages between experts, donors, partners, and stakeholders within Kenya to identify new project opportunities, advance the DLEC learning agenda and expand Digital Green’s presence in Kenya
• Monitor agricultural development and food security landscape for RFAs and potential opportunities as it relates to Digital Green's Kenya strategy
• Leveraging existing communities within Kenya, initiate, launch, or participate in community of practice (CoP) events for DLEC to serve as a platform to generate discussion and action on engagement results and apply to other programming
• Monitor ongoing activities including conducting site visits, regular meetings with partners to ensure current and future activities are on-track, delivering results and impact
• Anticipate challenges in advance and prepare to address them
• Support visits by DLEC and Digital Green staff by arranging meetings, planning training sessions, and helping with logistics and travel
• Track progress on multiple varied streams of work, including research, analysis, business development, among others
• Prepare regular progress reports, deliverables and other ad-hoc summaries and reports on the project as required
• Prepare progress reports and other deliverables of Digital Green project/s
• Travel to rural areas to meet with farmers and other partners, as needed

Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor's degree required in international development, agriculture, or related field (Masters preferred)
• Experience in ICT4D and extension programming (preferably exposure to soil health related programs)
• Experience working with Government functionaries (e.g.,
• Experience setting up and growing an enterprise, business, or project
• At least 4 years of program and partnership management experience on international development projects in the area of agriculture, soil health, food security, or nutrition
• Hands-on experience working with rural farming communities
• Previous USAID project implementation experience preferred; Other donor, such as World Bank, UN, EU, DFID, or BMGF, experience may also be substituted and is also preferred

Skills, Competencies, And Attitude

• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit and approach to networking, forming partnerships, designing and implementing programs, and problem-solving
• Excellent partnership building and management skills
• Excellent verbal presentation and articulation skills as well as leadership presence
• Strong ability and interest in applying research and fact-finding skills to ensure sound bases for future programs
• Demonstrated programmatic, management, and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with other professionals
• Ability to apply professional networks as well as strategic and analytical thinking skills to grow an initiative or implement a strategy
• Flexible attitude towards changing priorities and ability to multi-task by working at both a detailed, analytical level as well as at a high level with a strategic executive perspective
• Ability to act with urgency for continuous improvement and with a bias towards action, promote development of breakthrough solutions, and embrace innovations that improve results
• Willing and able to work in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple processes at once
• Skills in managing projects in compliance with US Government contracts and agreements
• Excellent analytical, organizational, writing and spoken communication skills in English

To be successful as a member of the Digital Green team, you will also:

• Have a passion for the Digital Green mission and a strong desire to impact an up-and-coming non-profit organization
• Be an innovative and creative thinker – you are not afraid to try something new and inspire others to do so
• Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
• Be able to create and maintain one's own work plan and daily tasks
• Have a strong work ethic, take initiative, and require minimal direction
• Work well independently as well as part of a team
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Benefits And Perks

Digital Green is a great place to work and prides itself on a competitive compensation package. This opportunity is on a contractual basis and has a fixed short-term duration (of 1 year), with a potential for long-term extension/renewal based on organizational needs. The hired consultant would be categorized as an Independent Contractor working with Digital Green. Digital Green is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Instructions

Please submit an application form (including resume / CV and cover letter) no later than September 14, 2018.