On-Farm and Post-Harvest Services Technical Assistance Manager

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.

Program Description:

The ZCAP Grant Manager – Agriculture Sector project, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and managed by the Gabinete do Desenvolvimento do Compacto-II in Mozambique, aims to enhance agricultural productivity and promote sustainable growth in the Zambezia province. The project involves the management of a results-based grant and technical assistance facility, which will provide support to agricultural aggregators. Over a 5-year period, the project will focus on implementing innovative solutions to improve agricultural value chains, strengthen farmer cooperatives, and increase market access. The selected consultant team will be responsible for overseeing grant disbursements, ensuring compliance with MCC’s environmental, social, and fiduciary standards, and delivering technical assistance to maximize the impact of the grants. This project is a key component of the Promotion of Reforms and Investment in Agriculture (PRIA) initiative, designed to drive inclusive economic development in rural Mozambique.

Job Summary:

The Technical Assistance Manager will responsible for development and delivery of agricultural and technical assistance and extensionist training. They will also for pesticide selection, management, use, storage and disposal.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Assess needs and gaps of the diverse stakeholders in the respective farming systems;
• Identify opportunities for project intervention;
• Design work plans, technical tools and contribute to strategic and technical leadership of the project with data and information.
• Oversee all project technical activities in their respective farming systems.
• Oversee the field technicians (Staff) and village-based agents (Consultants) who will provide day-to-day training to the farmers, extensions agents, small commercial farmers, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
• Support in managing institutional relations with implementation partners.
• Lead the farmer’s classification/selection process, including establishment of selection criteria.
• Monitor interventions funded by grants, and grant closeout activities.
• Lead the development of timely field reports and related lessons to inform adaptation.
• Drive the program learning and adaptation agenda based on field results.
• Provide technical expert knowledge to field technicians in the farming system crops (maize, soy beans, common beans, horticulture, fruit trees, rice, etc…).
• Develop technical guidelines/training materials to support quality program delivery to beneficiaries.
• Identify opportunities for program impact and course correction.
• Contribute to development by creating innovative business ideas in the farming system.
• Actively contribute to program reporting.
• Perform other duties assigned by the organization

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 7 years of experience or a Master’s degree and 5 years of experience in agriculture development, rural development, extensionist services or other relevant field.
• Expertise in small-scale agriculture and agribusiness development, with business acumen and experience in agricultural financing, business development support, and/or value chain development.
• Experience in the design and roll out of agriculture-related trainings for producers, including through the use of digital technologies
• Capacity to coordinate mobilization and awareness activities with small-scale producers and rural communities
• Fluency in Portuguese and local languages (Chuwabo, Elomwe, Sena & Emakhuwa) in Zambézia province are required
• Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical, and quantitative skills.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other administrative applications.
• Communicative and open to exchange and learning
• Experience in working in the Zambézia is an advantage
• Availability to live in one of the Districts where the Program will be operating.

Required Language:

Fluency in spoken and written Portuguese and English is required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

It is anticipated that this position will manage the Technical team

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