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Agriculture Climate Change Specialist

Project Description:

Sharing Underutilized Resources with Fishers and Farmers (SURFF) is a US Department of State- funded project that aims to improve the capacity of Tunisian farmers, fishers, agriculture and fishery firms, and cooperatives to adapt to climate change. The project should promote the use of climate and data science to spur innovations and upgrades while working with the private sector, government-run educational institutions, small famers and fishers, and other key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries (MAHRF) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR). The project will also assist small farmers and fishers to improve operations, boost yields, and access new resources and technologies while also connecting Tunisian and U.S research institutions for technology transfer to develop, fund, and deploy local climate smart technologies and innovations.

Summary of Position:

The Agriculture Climate Change Specialist is responsible for direct project implementation and delivery on the subject matter and providing a range of project management, communications, and administrative services at increasing levels of complexity to support project implementation.

They will lead project activities and sub activities and assist with project implementation, ensuring that activities are on track with work plans, with technical expertise informing project implementation. They will ensure compliance with internal and external regulations, monitor expenditures against budget, and ensure completion of project while adhering to budget, scope, and schedule requirements and develop/review work plans, prepare presentations, and support other related project objectives and deliverables.

The Agriculture Climate Change Specialist will be based at the project’s main office in Tunis with significant travel inside the country and will report to the Senior Program Manager.

Duties:

Programmatic Activities/Agriculture Climate Change Component:

• Manage all technical aspects of agriculture climate component that includes different activities to accelerate the adoption of climate adaptation and risk management practices by smallholders and farmers to foster sustainable agriculture production, expand commercialization, and incentivize commercial financing. Another objective is advance marketable innovations and research for climate change in agriculture. Below are illustrative activities that might be included in this component. Other activities will be added based on annual work planning and needs.
• Improve the capacity of farmers, agriculture firms, and cooperatives to adapt to climate change in Tunisia.
• Increase farmers’ awareness of the impact of them to pool resources to better address longstanding farmers issues as well as climate related challenges.
• Support the establishment of farmer’s cooperatives:
• Advise on mechanisms to adopt best practices and learn from the latest research on regenerative farming to support and help all local stakeholders to contribute to the global climate change strategy.
• Advise on mechanisms to improve access to new technological means financing for agriculture producers.
• Collaborate with government institutions, financial operators (including microfinance institutions), and any other stakeholders to test and promote the cooperative approach.
• Increase access to alternate means of finance for farmers.
• Increase efficiency of irrigation water systems if included in the scope of work to decrease stress on water table.
• Increase access to funding opportunities for commercially viable studies and applied research in the agriculture sector.
• Promote cooperation between the Tunisian and U.S. Scientific community and institutions on climate change and resiliency research.

  Programmatic Administration:

  📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

  ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

  The Agriculture Climate Change Advisor is expected to manage technical and managerial aspects of this component and to work as a team member with the technical team. Example of managerial responsibilities include, but not limited to:

  • Manage time, resources, and quality of activities and deliverables Support SURFF management team through coordination of project resources, planning for deliverables, and leading meetings.
  • Ensure compliance with DoS requirements and FHI 360 organizational policies and procedures.
  • Provide review, input and comments on annual work plans and programmatic reports.
  • Oversee reporting process to ensure client requirements are met; may aggregate reporting for oversight of a project.
  • Represent project at meetings and participates in external events.
  • Liaise with stakeholders regarding the overall project and communicates planning and task completion.
  • Serve as project point of contact with sub awardees/partners on the farming climate change adaptation component.
  • Promote and facilitate communication between assigned projects and other relevant internal and external stakeholders, including various units within the country or headquarters.
  • Monitor sub-awardee/partner deliverables and acts, as required.
  • Monitor project risks and informs senior managers of issues Support project’s knowledge management initiatives in documenting approaches and achievements• Provide context and framing in project reporting. Ensure document management site is used appropriately by project team.
  • Provide operations support, e.g., write position descriptions, participate on staff interview panels, and serve as hiring manager, as needed.
  • Conduct new hire onboarding on department procedures and administrative processes.
  • May liaise with FHI 360 home office on matters concerning data integrity associated with HR systems, team finance system, etc. and other administrative matters delegated by senior project staff.

    Applied Knowledge & Skills:

    • Work independently and with other agencies to build local community acceptance.
    • Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, practices, and procedures with project management, process development and execution.
    • Ability to provide know how and coaching to beneficiaries on solutions and ideas.
    • Strong knowledge of project management software and other technologies.
    • Strong negotiator and problem solver
    • Demonstrated project and personnel management skills.
    • Ability to influence, motivate, and collaborate with others.
    • Ability to adapt and resolve problems/issues to bring project to completion.
    • Create and manage systems and processes,
    • Recognize the need for standardization and balances client and organization needs in systems design.
    • Anticipate the effects of process change on people while optimizing task efficiency and simplicity.
    • Strong knowledge and skills in research valorization and general understanding of concepts and principles of health innovation and related areas.
    • Ability to manage own work to job and performance standards.
    • Demonstrate ability to assess needs within agreed upon duties and considers course of action best to meet those needs.
    • Effectively apply knowledge of the technical area to solve a range of problems. Problem solving involves evaluating and resolving discrepancies with data, analyses, processes, within prescribed guidelines.
    • Problem Solving & Impact: Decisions and actions have serious implications with delays in project schedules and operations and may affect overall business activities.
    • Problems are complex and require analysis of situations and data with evaluation of a range of factors
    • Exercises judgment within broadly defined practices and policies to select methods and techniques to obtain results.

      Supervision Given/Received:

      • Manage technical staff and external project members to achieve goals and vision of project from initiation to completion.
      • Coordinate project plans, budgets, training, and resources with management to achieve strategic goals.
      • The Agriculture Climate Change Advisor reports to the Senior Program Manager

        Education and Experience:

        • Master's degree in Agriculture, Economics, Environment, or related fields. A minimum of 6+ years of relevant experience with projects management principles and practices, 2+ years of line management experience required.
        • Has ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities.
        • Possess advanced knowledge in agriculture and climate change challenges in Tunisia.
        • Prior work experience in NGO, government agency, or private organization.
        • Proficiency in management principles and practices (including 2+ years’ experience of line management experience).
        • Proficient with applicable rules, regulations and policies associated with international development and NGOs.
        • Demonstrated experience in multi-sector project management and implementation; strategic planning; staff development; capacity building; and leading and managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national/international in scope.
        • Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English, French and Arabic.
        • Experience operating in insecure environments.

          This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

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