This position is open to Ghana nationals only.

A local NGO is currently recruiting for the position of Crops Specialist for a new project in northern Ghana. The incumbent will work out of the project office in Tamale, Northern Region.

Project Overview:
The ultimate outcome of this 6-year project is to enhance food security and resilience for poor male and female smallholder farmers (35% male/65% female) and their households in the three northern regions. This ultimate outcome is to be achieved through increased, diversified and more equitable agricultural production; and increased, diversified and more equitable incomes and assets.

Position Summary:
The Crops Specialist is directly answerable to the project’s Deputy Director (based in Tamale). He/she is responsible for leading and coordinating the crops strategy and related activities within the project and to provide timely and relevant information and support to project stakeholders. This includes working in close collaboration with other project specialists based at the Tamale office (including climate change adaptation/environment, monitoring and evaluation, gender equality, livestock, marketing and income generating activities specialists) to ensure a holistic approach is used within the project.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:
Scope of work

• Review existing production and market activity data on crops grown in the northern regions, and crops that could potentially be grown. Identify gaps in knowledge. Identify high income earning market opportunities.
• Develop and maintain good working relationship with relevant Ministries/Departments and agricultural research organizations in the northern regions;
• Together with the project’s climate change adaptation/environment specialist, marketing/IGA specialist, gender specialist and project beneficiaries, assess the suitability, sustainability and marketability of proposed crop production in the targeted areas and advise project staff on suitable crops/varieties to be supported by the project for both men and women
• Working closely with the marketing and IGA specialist, as needed, assess and identify capacities and needs of project staff and implementing organizations on various aspects of crop production, post-harvest management techniques; design and deliver appropriate training courses;
• Assess and identify the capacities and needs of the targeted communities in various aspects of crop production; design and facilitate appropriate training;
• Provide support and guidance to crops officers based in the regional offices;
• In collaboration with the project’s monitoring and evaluation specialist, support baseline data collection for the project and regular monitoring of indicators;
• Support the development of annual work plans and budgets, including annual milestones;
• Support crops officers based in the regional offices in preparing progress reports to ensure timely, high quality reporting to the donor and other project stakeholders;
• Ensure efficient use of project resources;
• Document, in collaboration with the organization’s Documentation and Publication Unit, information on crops grown by the project, results and lessons learned.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Master’s Degree in Agriculture or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years work experience in crops production, preferably with a variety of crops in northern Ghana.
• Experience in building capacity of staff and project beneficiaries in crop production and post-harvest management techniques, in both formal and informal settings.
• Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Experience in developing and implementing climate change adaptation strategies in agriculture and livelihoods is considered an asset.

Requisite Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong leadership skills, facilitation skills, interpersonal skills with colleagues and project beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated capacity to work in teams with colleagues and collaborators from different organizations/government ministries.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of gender equality.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; knowledge of other languages commonly spoken in the northern regions is an asset.
• Basic computer skills (word-processing, presentations, spread-sheets).
• Willingness to travel throughout the northern regions.

Location: Tamale

How To Apply For The Job

Suitably qualified persons are invited to submit their cover letter detailing how their work experience and academic/professional qualifications meet the requirements described above, CV, and 3 professional references no later than February 8th, 2013 via e-mail to:

jobsapplications@yahoo.com

Closing Date: 08 February 2013

Please indicate in the subject line of the email which position is being applied for.

The principles of employment equity are adhered to. Suitably qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. While all applicants are thanked for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.