Background:

The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) invites applications for the nationally recruited engagement of Cocoa Systems Agronomist. The mission of WCF is to catalyze public-private action to accelerate cocoa sustainability. WCF champions multi-stakeholder partnerships, aligned public and private investment, policy dialogue, and joint learning and knowledge sharing to achieve transformative change in the cocoa supply chain. WCF’s members include cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, processors, supply chain managers, and other companies worldwide, representing more than 80 percent of the global cocoa market. WCF’s programs benefit farmers and their communities in cocoagrowing regions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. For more information, visit www.worldcocoafoundation.org.

Engagement Summary:

• WCF seeks to engage Cocoa Systems Agronomist consultant to support its Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP) at plot, farm, and landscape levels for the improvement of cocoa cropping systems in the target projects areas. The successful consultant will work in collaboration with the Director of Agricultural Productivity and the CLP program management unit (PMU).
• He/she will work based in Accra and will be under the immediate technical supervision and guidance of the Director of Agricultural Productivity and report programmatically to the CLP Director.

Engagement Responsibilities

The main responsibility of the Cocoa Systems Agronomist will be to provide technical backstopping to the Matching Grant companies (i.e. implementers of the Cocoa Livelihoods Program) to enhance the knowledge and skills of their technical teams to accelerate the achievements of targets and program objectives while contributing to sustainability of cocoa sector and socioeconomic empowerment of cocoa farmers in Ghana. He/she will specifically:

• Foster high quality interventions and support in the field with the matching grantees for provision of services such as association of food crops with cocoa, access to improve planting material, pruning, pollination, ISFM technologies, AF practices, agrochemical application, and other services.
• Develop quality, accessible, sustainable extension services and farmer organization support services to provide farmers with the knowledge and technologies they need to increase their incomes and improve their food crops production and food security through CLP.
• Review and validate the CLP Food Crops Curriculum and training manual as well as the CLP Training toolkit.
• Coordinate activities among cocoa authorities and CLP Matching Grantees, liaising with their extension operations to engender effective collaboration in service delivery through training, monitoring, dissemination and support for project management about implementation of recommendations derived from the CocoaAction, Climate Smart Cocoa
and ACI II experimental trials.

• Coordinate and support a team of master trainers who will be involved in dissemination activities under CLP in a partnership for delivery context.
• Build a lasting foundation for change by institutionalizing the capacity of Matching Grantees to implement, manage and monitor validated methodologies for farmer training and strengthening of farmer organizations in food crops production and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
• Work with M&E Manager to develop analyses of field results and learning and communicate these results to diverse Matching Grantees.
• In consultation with the WCF Communications team and the Ghana Country Director, utilize lessons and observations from the field to contribute to the production of technical reports and other knowledge management tools such as blogs, WCF bulletins, WCF social media and other relevant publications.
• Support Matching Grantee partners to identify market opportunities for food crops and link them to such markets.
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualification Required & Experience

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

• The successful consultant will have a Master’s degree in agronomy or crop science with complementary experience in at least two of the following disciplines: soil science, crop protection, rural development and agricultural extension.
• Knowledge in good agronomic practices in food crops (mainly cassava and plantain) will be added advantage. The consultant will also have a proven track record in training trainers in the agricultural sector or agricultural commodity chains.
• Proven skills in field and multi-stakeholder partnerships (e.g. private companies in commodity sectors, Research Institutions, Farmer NGOs, Farmers Groups and Organizations).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the proven ability to produce wellcrafted reports and clearly present information to various audiences.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Ghana.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (ability to communicate in Akan language would be an added advantage).
• Ability to work independently in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Candidates are requested to upload their cover letter describing their interest in this engagement and WCF, with their CV/résumé to:

Click Here To Apply Online

Please address the letter to “Human Resources” and name your files using the following convention: ‘J.Doe Cover and ‘J.Doe Resume’. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling bases until position is filled.

Closing Date: 24 July, 2018

No phone calls please. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.