Good Agronomic Practice Lead at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is a non-profit organisation set up by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with the ambition to help make globalisation work for the many, not the few. Helping countries, their people and their governments address some of the most difficult challenges in the world today - beginning with those where we think we can break new ground, offering leaders new thinking and new approaches.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Good Agronomic Practice Lead

Job Reference: tbigc/TP/132/50
Location: Abuja
Contract Type: Fixed Term/Full Time
Contract Details: Ongoing
Working Hours: 35
Job Category: Advisory
Business Area / Division: Advisory - Africa
Business Unit: Nigeria

Job Introduction

• Our Governance (Africa) pillar supports the governments and leaders of developing and emerging states to enhance their effectiveness
• We are focused on helping governments and leaders make their vision for the development of their country a reality
• We work in the centre of government and key line ministries and our work is shaped by national priorities.

Main Responsibilities

• Following the recent Presidential election, the Federal Government of Nigeria has set agriculture transformation as a top priority. It is establishing an agriculture coordination secretariat in the Office of the Vice-President, with responsibility for the coordination of the implementation of two flagship programmes: the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) and the Green Imperative (GI) - a partnership with Brazil to improve access to mechanization and technology in Nigerian agriculture.
• The Good Agronomic Practice (GAP) Lead will be assigned to work with the Office of the Vice President to apply principles of global GAP on soil and cultivation up to harvesting toward smallholder land and production management. The role will work closely with the Mechanisation Lead, Lead and the Agro-Processing Lead and will report to the Mechanisation Lead.
• The role will require travel across Nigeria, and potentially to a few international locations.

Responsibilities

• Work with extension workers, development partners, and private sector actors to develop programs and extension that will educate farmers to apply climate smart agriculture practices and the business of farming.
• Facilitate Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops at national and regional level
• Work with extension, universities and ag-economics experts to develop crop budgets that will be used to advise farmers on which crops to plant based on comparison of return on investment, viability and season of the year
• Facilitate partners to conduct training on:
  • Best practice agricultural skills and techniques, including better ways of using pesticides
  • Integrated soil management techniques to improve soil fertility and function for crop production
  • Pre-production techniques for site selection and land preparation related to the soil, water, chemicals, nutrients, air, waste disposal etc.
  • Production processes related to fertigation and pesticide spray schedules, water and nutrient management (irrigation schedule), planting material, storage and handling of agro- and non-agro chemicals etc.; germination test, plant spacing, weed control, fertilizer application
• Examine and evaluate options for the introduction  of new processing and storage techniques that reduce post-harvest loss due to spoilage and ensure farmers apply GAP to maintain inherent quality at harvest time
• Examine and evaluate options for the introduction  of  appropriate harvesting, handling, storage and transportation techniques covering timely harvest, equipment, containers and materials, buildings and structures, cleaning and sanitation, animal and pest control, personal hygiene, produce treatment, storage and transport safety and quality during handling, storage and transportation; and
• Develop extension tools and systems that will raise awareness amongst farmers of consumers’ expectations and safety concerns
• Develop extension tools and systems that will Improve access to practical, farmer-friendly information and resources – using factsheets, knowledge hubs and working with the service centre operators
• Work with extension, universities and development partners to facilitate the evaluation of  farming systems assessment in selected areas based on understanding of farm household, community inter linkages, reviews and constraints and assesses potentials
• Provide recommendation for risk reduction with monoculture activities and crop divarication linking to nutrition improvement, value addition and efficient utilisation of farm utilisation
• Prepare and submit period progress reports as required
• Publish regular articles and recommendations to farmers

The Ideal Candidate
Experience and Qualifications:

• Ideally 8 years relevant experience in agronomy in the context of mechanisation, farming systems or related field
• Advanced University Degree in Agronomy or other relevant field
• In-depth principles of global GAP on soil, cultivation up to harvesting, enhancing resilience of small holder farmers, reducing dependence on inputs, cutting edge innovations toward smallholder land management, production management, vegetation, tech transfer, extension services, fertiliser, and disease management
• Practical experience in setting up agronomy and market-led extension systems, training and management of extension officers
• Solid understanding of interconnectivity of crop production and livestock
• Clear understanding of cropping calendar, weather information and climate smart agricultural practices
• Experience in farming system approach and communication systems to farmers
• Knowledge on climatology for agriculture and water resources, soil physics, agricultural environment and forest sciences
• Proven track record in planning, implementing, and promoting farm mechanisation projects, plans or programs
• Hands on approach to work, with the ability to deliver on deadlines in a fast-paced and fast-changing environment, with minimal or no supervision

Essentials Skills:

• Exceptional oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Effective inter-personal and leadership skills with an ability to develop and foster relationships across a wide range of diverse and senior stakeholders
• Ability to operate and succeed in a highly political environment;
• Strong analytical and management skills, including sound knowledge of strategic planning and project management tools;
• Ability to use own initiative and actively look for opportunities to have an impact rather than simply be reactive
• A decent understanding of how governments, businesses and international development organisations operate and how to succeed in them
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office products Word, Excel and PPT and other relevant  software and tools

Personal Specifications

• Drive, motivation and ability to consistently achieve results in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of living and working in developing countries is desirable but not essential.

Values We Look For:

• Courage… because to tackle global challenges, we must innovate and take smart risks
• Collaboration… because when we work together and with external partners, we can overcome even the largest problems
• Compassion… because our work is ultimately about improving people’s lives.

Salary

• Competitive.

Application Closing Date
1st November, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: We require all successful candidates to be in post by the beginning of January.