Senior Program Officer - Agriculture at Mercy Corps Nigeria

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Program Officer - Agriculture

Requisition Number: SENIO002255
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-time
Position Status: Full-time, Regular

Program / Department Summary

• The Senior Program Officer will be based in Maiduguri to support the planned agriculture activities in the USAID-BHA funded THRIVE program (Transitioning Households to Recovery from Vulnerability) in JERE LGA, Borno State.
• It is a 24-month program implemented by a consortium led by CRS and will provide context-specific humanitarian assistance with the goal of initiating early recovery in four wards in Jere LGA: Mairi, Mashamari, Dusuman, and Maimusari. THRIVE program covers various sectors i.e., Food Assistance, Multi-purpose Cash Assistance, Shelter & Settlement, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, Agriculture & Economic. Recovery and Market Systems (ERMS).
• To complement the nutrition treatment services and food assistance, this program has integrated climate and nutrition-sensitive agriculture that includes promotion of simple subsistence agriculture and livestock production techniques to improve availability, access, and consumption of diversified nutritious diets through long term and sustained approaches.
• These emphasize the production of vegetables, fruits and animal source foods that are high in protein and micronutrients.
• The support will include equipping households with tools and skill-building activities to foster year-round production in both rainy and dry seasons using mainly the Perma gardening method that uses locally available/easy to get resources and backyard poultry production using the Noiler Chicken.

General Position Summary

• The Senior Program Officer – Agriculture will provide field level managerial and technical oversight to the day-to-day implementation, coordination, and supervision of THRIVE program agriculture activities.
• He/ She is also responsible for ensuring that activities are implemented according to schedule, budget and required quality.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Collaborate with other team members for effective integration between other services like Nutrition, Food Assistance, WASH and protection.
• Collaborate with local authorities and other partners to harmonize different efforts for better impact and sustainability.
• Able to learn and update his/ her information or knowledge to adapt to the changing situation and context.

Program Management:

• Manage the agriculture activities implemented in assigned LGA and ensure that staff are effectively engaged in their tasks.
• Train targeted beneficiaries on Perm gardening methods & / climate-smart agriculture and poultry production through formal trainings, on-job mentorship and supportive supervision to ensure that it is adopted and practised during the dry and wet seasons.
• Supervise day to day field level implementation of planned agricultural activities i.e., Kitchen gardening and backyard poultry farming.
• Coordinate and or supervise community mobilization and sensitization activities that promote increased consumption of nutritious diets especially vegetables, fruits, and poultry products.
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Raise procurement requests to initiate procurements following MC policy and periodically evaluate and update project procurement and supply needs.
• Draft monthly financial forecast and quarterly financial need forecast in line with the detailed project activity plan/Monthly activity plans.
• Consolidate and submit quality agriculture and related activity reports (including success stories and lessons learned reports).
• Closely collaborate with other sector teams at the field level to ensure an integrated Nutrition-Sensitive agriculture approach internally with MC sectors and externally with complementary activities implemented by other actors.
• Discuss and follow up on any technical problems related to agriculture programming and brainstorm solutions.
• Ensure sound monitoring and joint supervision of program activities in close collaboration with LGA Agriculture, food security and nutrition Offices.
• Actively participate in area-level Agriculture, food security and nutrition sector meetings.
• Serve as technical focal person for all field level engagements.

Team Management:

• Track project teams’ daily attendance and validate monthly attendance for supervisees.
• Communicate with HR for necessary staff meeting, performance reviews, appraisals.
• Work with the team to develop a detailed project implementation plan and orient the project teams on their roles and responsibilities.
• Identify specific technical gaps in project implementation teams and in liaison with the Technical Advisor organize internal training for them.
• Organize area level weekly agriculture team meetings and provide feedback on improvements, gaps and standardization of the service provision and reporting.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.

Influence & Representation:

• Train and support Village Agents and Agriculture Extension Workers and make sure they transmit/convey messages clearly to targeted participants.
• Creates and maintain relationships with local Agriculture, food security, Nutrition and other authorities to link services with the existing LGA structure smoothly.
• Upholds the image and values of Mercy Corps at all times.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Agriculture and Livelihood Officers, Assistants, and community level/ field volunteers.

Accountability:

• Reports Directly to: ERMS and Agriculture Coordinator, with a dotted line to Sector Advisors.
• Works Directly with: The senior program officer will work closely with other sector coordinators & teams i.e. Nutrition, Food Security, CASH, WASH, MEL team, and operations staff (including finance and operations).

Knowledge and Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, a relevant master’s degree is a plus.
• Minimum of (3) years experience in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and/or food security and livelihood programming, policy or research, with at least a years’ experience in a resource-challenged setting.
• Substantial hands-on experience in social and Behaviour change programming is required.
• Familiarity of the intervention areas
• Knowledge of nutrition/ agriculture assessments and or surveys is a plus.
• Microsoft Office Skills (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills.
• Willing and able to be based within remote areas, where services are limited.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, including cross-cultural teams.
• Fluency in Hausa, Kanuri and English.

Success Factors:

• The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building.
• S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.
• We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
• We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

• Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.
• We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all.
• We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

• Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity.
• We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC.
• We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.
• Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Application Closing Date
11th March, 2022.

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

Note

• Female candidates who are qualified are strongly encouraged to apply.
• This position is contingent upon funding approval.