This position is open to Ghana nationals only.

A local NGO is currently recruiting six persons for the position of Crops Officer for a new project in northern Ghana. Three of the incumbents will work out of the project’s regional office in Wa, Upper West Region, and three will work out of the regional office in Bolgatanga, Upper East 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 Officer is directly answerable to the Regional Coordinator. He/she is responsible for implementing the crops strategy and related activities within the project and to provide timely and relevant information and support to project beneficiaries. This includes working in close collaboration with the project’s crop specialist based in the project’s Tamale office, as well as the project’s other crop officers, livestock officers, marketing and income generating activities officers and gender officer based at the regional office.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:
Scope of work:

• Under the guidance of the project’s crops specialist (based in Tamale), assess the sustainability and marketability of proposed crop production in the targeted areas and advise project beneficiaries on suitable crops/varieties to be grown;
• Working closely with the Marketing/IGA Officer, as needed, assess and identify capacities and respective needs of male and female project beneficiaries on various aspects of livestock/poultry production, post-harvest management techniques, and marketing, and deliver/coordinate appropriate training;
• Distribute inputs to project beneficiaries and maintain accurate records of same;
• Establish and maintain a good rapport with project beneficiaries, as well as local government officials and community elders;
• Keep the regional coordinator and crops specialist informed of good practices observed in the field, as well as any challenges that the project beneficiaries are encountering;
• In collaboration with the project’s monitoring and evaluation specialist (based in Tamale) and the monitoring and evaluation officer (based at the regional office), participate in baseline data collection for the project and regular monitoring of indicators;
• Provide input into the development of annual work plans and budgets, including annual milestones;
• Prepare regular progress reports that will be incorporated into reports to the donor;
• Ensure efficient use of project resources;
• Under the leadership of the organization’s Documentation and Publication Unit, document information on crops grown by the project, results and lessons learned.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Degree in Agriculture or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years work experience (over and above national service) in crops production, preferably with a variety of crops in northern Ghana.
• Experience in building capacity of farmers in crop production, in both formal and informal settings.
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis is considered an asset.
• Environmental knowledge/work experience is considered an asset.
• Experience in post-harvest management techniques is considered an asset.

Requisite Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong facilitation and interpersonal skills with colleagues and farmers.
• Demonstrated capacity to work in teams with colleagues.
• Basic level of gender awareness and commitment to effective integration of gender equality in project implementation.
• Ability to speak at least one language commonly spoken in the region of posting. Oral and written communication skills in English an asset.
• Willingness to spend 75% of time doing field work in the region of posting.

Location: Wa And Bolgatanga

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.