Agroecology and Resilience Design Specialist job at DanChurchAid (DCA)

The Agroecology and Resilience Design Specialist will provide technical leadership in the planning, implementation, and quality assurance of Regenerative and Climate Smart Agriculture interventions under DCA’s resilience and livelihoods programming, particularly the Uganda Refugee Resilience Initiative (URRI). The Specialist will ensure that DCA’s field programming effectively integrates Climate Smart Agriculture, Resilience Design (RD), and Agroecology principles to strengthen community resilience, restore degraded landscapes, and promote sustainable food systems. The role will involve close collaboration with implementing partners, local governments, community-based facilitators, and smallholder farmers to enhance adaptive capacities and climate-resilient livelihoods in both refugee and host communities.

This role requires frequent travels to URRI project sites across West Nile districts (including Koboko, Madi-Okollo, Moyo, Obongi, Terego and Yumbe) for technical backstopping, monitoring, and partner support. 

• Provide overall technical guidance on CSA (Climate Smart Agriculture), strategies tailored to local agroecological zones, coordination, and backstopping for the implementation of regenerative Climate Smart Agriculture, Resilience Design, and Agroecology interventions in all project locations.
• Lead the adaptation and roll-out of DCA’s Regenerative Climate Smart Agriculture (RCSA) Manual, ensuring alignment with national policies, project objectives, and partner implementation frameworks.
• Design and facilitate training, mentoring, and technical coaching for implementing partners, district production staff, community-based extension workers, and lead farmers on key regenerative practices including soil and water conservation, agroforestry, integrated pest management, and farm system design.
• Support the establishment and management of field demonstration plots, farmer field schools, and learning sites to promote participatory learning and exchange among farmers.
• Collaborate with project partners, private sector actors, and district local governments to integrate regenerative CSA and RD approaches into Community Adaptation Action Plans (CAAPs) district production, natural resources, and community services strategies.
• Promote gender-responsive and youth-inclusive approaches across all regenerative CSA interventions to ensure equitable access to resources and benefits.
• Lead documentation of success stories, lessons learned, and best practices on CSA, RD, and Agroecology interventions for dissemination within DCA and to external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the development and review of training materials, technical guidelines, and information, education and communication (IEC) tools on regenerative agriculture and resilience building.
• Participate in project monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, ensuring the capture of relevant data and technical evidence to inform adaptive management.
• Represent DCA in relevant districts, settlement/zonal and national coordination forums related to food systems, RD, agroecology, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.
• Lead annual, quarterly/monthly work planning and prepare high-quality technical and progress reports on CSA, RD, and Agroecology interventions, ensuring alignment with project targets, partner implementation schedules, and timely submission to the Programme Manager – Sustainable Food Systems.
• Ensure compliance with DCA’s program quality standards, safeguarding principles, and code of conduct in all technical and community engagement processes.

• Strong technical expertise in agroecology, regenerative climate smart agriculture, resilience design, soil and water conservation, farm planning, and ecosystem restoration.
• Demonstrated experience in farmer training and participatory extension methodologies.
• Experience working with refugees and host communities or in dryland farming systems is an added advantage.
• Solid understanding of gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability in agricultural programming.
• Excellent coordination, analytical, facilitation, and communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications; working knowledge of GIS or data visualization tools is desirable.
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively with diverse communities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

• A master’s degree in Agroecology, Climate Change Adaptation, Sustainable Agriculture, or Natural Resources Management with Minimum of five (5) years’ progressive experience in implementing Climate Smart Agriculture, Agroecology, or Resilience Design programs within an NGO or development agency. Or bachelor’s degree in a related field with 8 years of practical field level experience in agroecology, sustainable agriculture, resilience design/landscaping and related areas, preferably in both humanitarian and development contexts.