Root Crop Agronomist - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Root Crop Agronomist, Tanzania (Ref No: DDG-R4D/RCA/T/09/16)
Background: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) invites applications for the internationally recruited position of Root crop agronomist, Tanzania.

IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

We are seeking a Root crop agronomist to lead implementation in Tanzania of a 5-year Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project that aims to increase the availability of appropriate and affordable technologies to sustainably improve short and long-term agricultural productivity in cassava in the target countries. The project is composed of six Work Streams [(i) Strategic cassava agronomy research, (ii) Geo-spatial information, (iii) Cassava agronomy decision support tools, (iv) Facilitating use of these tools, (v) Capacity development, and (vi) Project management]) and will operate primarily by improving the capacity of both the public and private sector actors in their respective roles in development and dissemination of cassava agronomy technologies. The Project will be closely integrated with other IITA and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiatives and development partner projects in the region.

Position Responsibilities:
 Lead the planning, implementation and analysis of agronomy activities of the project in Tanzania in close cooperation with development partners, national research systems, and other relevant stakeholders.
 Cooperate closely with team members transforming agronomy information into applications for use by stakeholders.
 Manage the monitoring and accounting of the project budget in Tanzania.
 Compile technical reports from activities in Tanzania for forwarding to the East Africa project leader and project coordinator.
 Contribute to the preparation of project reports and new proposals for funding.
 (Co) supervise PhD and MSc students.
 Provide technical and administrative support to the Tanzanian partners in the implementation of their activities.
 Communicate research results to various audiences and in various forms, with specific focus on top quality, peer-reviewed journals.
 Supervise national project staff as designated.
 Represent the project leader in meetings, conferences, workshops etc. as delegated.
 Collaborate with CGIAR centers and other research institutes to support/enhance project outputs and develop synergies with other projects to maximize impact.
 Engage with other IITA staff and projects operating in the East Africa Region and beyond.

Educational Qualifications
The candidate should have a PhD in Agronomy or related fields, with at least 10 years of experience in cassava research and development.

Core Competencies:
 Minimum 10 years' experience in sub-Saharan Africa.
 Good knowledge of and at least 3 years’ experience in working with the agronomy research community in Tanzania, as well as development organizations in Tanzania.
 Experience in managing teams effectively.
 Experience in collecting, processing, and analyzing experimental data recorded in field trials with relevant statistical software packages.
 Expert knowledge of cassava agronomy and smallholder production systems in sub Saharan Africa
 Excellent inter-personal skills and ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multicultural settings.
 Experience working and interacting effectively with a variety of stakeholders (farmers, extension workers and other service providers, public and private sector entities, national programs), and demonstrated ability to collaborate well across disciplines and with key collaborative institutions and agencies.
 A proven track record in publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals.
 Proficient in spoken and written English.

Duty station: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Applications: Applications must include covering letter which should address how the candidate’s background/experience relates to the specific duties of the position applied for, curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three professional referees (which must include either the Head of the applicant’s current or previous organization or applicant’s direct Supervisor/Superior at his/her present or former place of work). The application should be addressed to the Head of Human Resources. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://www.iita.org/careers

Closing Date: 12th October 2016

IITA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the workforce, therefore female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Grants Program Officer - World Vision Tanzania

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

Under the direction of the Business Development and Quality Assurance Director, the Grants Program Officer will support the efforts of World Vision Tanzania to develop and diversify its sources of funding.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Development and Resource Acquisition:

Working with BDQA Director, SMT and Technical Leads identify funding opportunities from Support Offices, government donors, multilateral agencies and other donors.

Draft synopsis of funding opportunities to facilitate decision making on whether to pursue new grant and other external funding opportunities.

Coordinate the development of concept papers and prepare proposals (including logical frameworks, draft budgets, budget narratives, and monitoring and evaluation plans) for Support Office (SO), government, private and multilateral

donors.

Maintain the grant tracking tool to track the status of active funding opportunities, submitted proposals, and proposal approvals and next steps.

Assist grant staff in preparation of annual operating plans and sector strategies and implementation plans.

Ensure adherence to Business Development Partnership Policies and Procedures.


Relationship Management, Engagement and Networking:

Assist WVT in the development and strengthening of relationships with key stakeholders including Support Offices, donors (multilateral, government, foundations and private) and other international agencies.

Act as focal point for assigned SOs and donor relationships and portfolio.

Work with SOs to coordinate donor and SO program visits.

Ensure WVT programs provide opportunities for supporting the development of new alliances and collaboration.

Develop and maintain effective external and internal relationships with various stakeholders.

Ensure program updates as needed by key SOs, the Regional Office, donors and partners.

Develop key engagement material (e.g. capacity statements, talking points, stakeholder strategy analysis etc.).

Liaise regularly and build relationships with key internal (EARO, GC and SOs) and external (bi-, multi-lateral donors and government entities) stakeholders.


Donor Compliance:

Ensure all grant-making processes are completed upon awarding of grants.

Coordinate grant start-up workshop and process for new projects/programs with relevant stakeholders.

Together with Senior Officer Grant Compliance/SO representative/QA staff advice the CoP/Project manager on key donor compliance standards, including reporting, programmatic standards and M&E tools.

Oversee grant close-out for projects/programs.

Engage project managers and grant finance manager on monthly financial reviews and quarterly project implementation and financial reviews, and follow up on budget adjustments (amendment requests) where necessary, according to donor

requirements.


Reporting:

Ensure full and timely compliance of the Business Development division on all required organizational dashboards and indicators.

Ensure effective and timely formal and informal reporting to SOs, donors and partners on GAM issues.

Ensure timely reporting of WVT GAM information to the Region and SO.


Knowledge Management:

Coordinate the implementation of Horizon 3.0 that will support the organization’s efforts to track information on project implementation, to store vital program documentation, and to gather and store information vital to communicating

project impact and promote pro-active learning.

Participate in reviews and lesson learned exercises for grants as guided by WV policies and principles.



KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:


Masters degree in a relevant field from a recognized University.

Minimum of 5 years experience in programming (designing, implementing, evaluating and monitoring) of integrated development, relief and/or advocacy of donor funded projects.

Be a results orientated leader with the ability to handle a heavy work load, manage and satisfy multiple conflicting organizational, donor and other stakeholder demands.

Ability to provide spiritual leadership to the team.

Ability to think strategically and innovatively, constantly pursuing new and better ways of working.

Be committed to empowering others for transformation – both inside and outside of the organization.

Be committed to pursuing tangible and lasting impact in the lives of the poor through an empowerment approach.

Ability to inspire across a wide range of audiences and to communicate effectively.

Highly effective people management skills.

Working knowledge of programs/projects cycle management.

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with all staff and other key partners.

Demonstrate leadership and team building ability.

Working knowledge of proposal writing and negotiation skills.

Ability to teach others.

Good planning and organizational skills.

Must be a committed Christian who is able to stand above denominational and cultural diversity challenges.

Must be willing to perform other duties as required.


Work Environment/Travel:

Office based environment with frequent travel to the field and National Office in Arusha.

Travel required: 35% domestic travel and occasional international travel (approximately 2 to 4 trips a year).

On call: 20%

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