FARA is the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, an umbrella organization bringing together and forming coalitions of major stakeholders in agricultural research and development in Africa. FARA complements the innovative activities of national, international and sub-regional research institutions to deliver more responsive and effective services to its stakeholders. It plays advocacy and coordination roles for agricultural research for development, while the national agricultural research systems (NARS), advanced research institutions (ARIs) and international agricultural research centres (IARCs) develop and promote the adoption of improved technologies and policies along the research-to-development continuum in their respective countries and jurisdictions. Since it was established in 2002 FARA has been able to develop several African-wide initiatives through consultation with stakeholders.

For: African Agribusiness incubator Network-AAIN

The Universities, Businesses and Research in Agricultural Innovation (UniBRAIN) initiative was conceived in 2010 under FARA, as an Africa-wide initiative with the overall objective of enabling universities, business and agricultural research institutions to commercialize agricultural technologies and produce graduates with entrepreneurial and business skills.

The UniBRAIN Facility, having facilitated the establishment and operationalization of six agribusiness incubators, is set to become an autonomous institutional entity, though fully owned by FARA. The facility will be governed by its own independent structure and source its funds independently through the payment for services, membership fees, donors, social capitalists, impact investors and foundations as spelt out in section eight of the programme document.

The African Agribusiness Incubator Network (AAIN) has been created as the autonomous UniBRAIN facility with the discretion to make its own management decision without solely depending on the FARA secretariat’s procedural requirements. The Africa Agribusiness Incubator network (AAIN) is an incubator of incubators that offers opportunity for incubating incubators in Africa through a well-coordinated and systematic approach building on the pool of experts and professionals in Africa and beyond.

It will be one of FARA’s, core private sector development initiatives to strengthen agribusiness incubation capacity; commercialize agricultural technologies and innovations in the African continent. Besides, it is aimed at ensuring long term sustainability of the interventions, achievements registered and impacts realized so far under the UniBRAIN project.

The African Agribusiness Incubator Network (AAIN) was demanded by African agribusiness. To function as an independent autonomous institution capable of delivering on its mandate, AAIN would require the services of an Administration & Human Resource Officer

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Administration Officer shall perform inter-alia the following duties and responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities

•   Maintaining the CEO’S diary and meetings;
•   Coordinate staff meetings and workshop logistics management
•   Support AAIN secretariat human resource management drive and its associate members and partners and assist secretariat human resource management support functions
•   Support secretariat towards staff training and performance appraisal reports and feedback sharing
•   Sort and distribute incoming mail to areas and staff within the organization and dispatch outgoing mail
•   Answer telephone enquiries from customers, attend to visitors and assist other staff in the organization with their enquiries
•   Resolves administrative problems by coordinating preparation of reports, analyzing data, and identifying solutions.
•   Develop and maintain office equipment and other document inventories
•   Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques.
•   Provides information about AAIN by answering questions, requests and distributing promotional materials
•   Maintains supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies.
•   Provides administrative support to AAIN secretariat staff including
o ?Processing all invitation letters for meetings and conferences; Taking minutes at general staff meetings; organization of Board of Directors’ meetings and other meetings specifically convened by the AAIN secretariat; Write business letters, reports and office memos among others
o Support membership recruitment drive and member servicing activities including trainings and mentorship as part of incubation support services
•   ?Performs any other duties that may be assigned by the supervisor.

Compensation/Location

FARA offers competitive salaries according to experience and qualifications. The position is based at the FARA Secretariat in Accra, no 12 Anmeda Street Roman Ridge

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Interested Applicants must have a minimum of BA or its equivalent from a recognized university, majoring in Public Administration/Business Administration or related field.
•   Knowledge of English and French is added advantage. Human resource knowledge is added advantage.
•   At least 5 years of overall post-qualification experience;
•   The successful candidate must be an organised, focused and analytical individual with an eye for detail.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Qualified candidates are invited to submit via email comprehensive Curriculum Vitae together with a motivation letter and names/contact details of three referees to:

Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo,
Executive Director,
FARA,
PMB CT 173,
Cantonments,
Accra, Ghana.

Email:  recruitment@faraafrica.org

Closing Date: 09 December, 2015

•   Please use the job title and reference in the subject line of your email.
•   Due to anticipated high volume of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications which do not meet the stated criteria will be rejected.
•   There is no discrimination on the basis of gender race, religion, ethnic orientation, disability or health status.

FARA Affirmative Action Statement on Employment