Program Officer – Value Chain Development Jobs – Kilimo Trust (KT)

Job Title:    Program Officer – Value Chain Development

Organization:  Kilimo Trust (KT)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Program Team Leader

About the Company:

Kilimo Trust (KT) is an independent organization working on agriculture for development across the East Africa Community (EAC) Region – in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Sudan. We promote regional solutions to local problems to make agricultural markets work better for the reduction of poverty and elimination of hunger. We are committed to supporting the people of East African Community (EAC) to achieve market-based solutions to food and nutrition security. Therefore, our core business is to support the transformation of food and nutrition security in the EAC Region away from high risk subsistence farming into lower risk trade-based systems. We implement and manage programmes and projects in partnership with and/or on behalf of governments, international and regional organizations, and the private sector.

Job Summary:   Lead efforts to strengthen and develop value chains in the fisheries sector, focusing on empowering women and youth.

To enhance the livelihoods of women and young people by improving their participation in fish production, processing, and marketing while fostering equitable and sustainable fisheries practices.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Design & Implementation:

• Design and implement strategies to promote sustainable, gender-inclusive, and youth-friendly value chains within the fisheries sector.
• Develop activities aimed at increasing the capacity of women and youth to engage in fisheries value chains, from production to market access.
• Actively support consultants, cross-border traders, and off-takers to collaborate in harnessing opportunities in cross border trade of fish.
• Support youth and women group champions, local leaders, government officials, and other relevant stakeholders to partner in project activities.
• Identify critical entry points for women and youth in the value chain, including roles in fishing, processing, value addition, and distribution.
• Conduct in-depth analyses of the fisheries value chains to identify gaps and opportunities for improving the participation and economic empowerment of women and youth.
• In liaison with the Program Team Leader, develop detailed fish project’ activity work plans and budgets.
• Design and develop technical project materials and tools to support effective implementation.
• Participate in the development and issuance of fish project procedures and policies to new partners and project staff.
• Implement project-planned activities and track progress against milestones and key performance indicators.
• Implement a system of compliance assessment to ensure adherence to KT and donor project standards and requirements.
• Provide strong transactional leadership to: a) the core project team(s), b) sub-grantees and/or sub-contractors, and c) the private sector value chain operators involved in the fish business linkages – with a specific focus on:
  • Leading in the annual planning and reporting of technical and financial results of the project.
  • Provide effective guidance and support to technical staff members assigned to the project.
  • Provide expertise and technical inputs in Value Chain Development aspects of the fish project.

Market Access & Linkages:

• Facilitate the establishment of market linkages between women and youth fish producers and processors with local and international markets.
• Support value-addition initiatives that allow women and youth to increase profitability through improved processing, packaging, and branding of fish products

Capacity Building & Training:

• Build the capacity of champions, youth and women group leaders and enumerators in fish postharvest handling, safety standards and value addition processing.
• Organize training programs targeting women and youth in fish production, processing, value addition, and post-harvest handling
• Provide technical support to women and youth groups on entrepreneurship, business development, and access to financial services.
• Build capacity of the fish value chain actors and partners to appreciate the opportunities in structured cross border markets/trade of fish.

Project Finance Management

• Comply with project financial controls and all laid out operational procedures.
• Ensure value for money principle is observed throughout project implementation.
• Provide inputs that support the preparation of annual and other activity budgets, and conduct periodic budget reviews and analyses, undertaking accounts reconciliation of on-site and off-site budgets and reporting to the Program Team Leader
• Prepare procurement requests for goods/services that require prior funders’ approval.

Project Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Ensure high-quality technical and financial reporting in line with the requirements of Kilimo Trust and the funding partners.
• In collaboration with the Project Team leader & M& E lead, develop a precise project monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEAL) plan.
• Implement the MEAL plan in liaison with the M&E Team.
• Manage and ensure accurate data capturing, analysis and reporting about project activities in accordance with donor requirements.
• Prepare and review quarterly progress reports.
• Review quarterly reports from field assistants, associates and or subcontractors/grantees in relation to sub-contract scope of work.
• In liaison with the M&E team, ensure accurate updated support documents of project activity implementation are uploaded in the M&E portal on a monthly basis.
• Support the Team Leader to consolidate findings and timely preparation of reports on project activities to project funders.
• Monitor achievements of project deliverables, risks, and any issues as well as impact and report back to Program team Leader as stated in Project Implementation Plans
• Manage and ensure accurate data capturing and analysis from country project teams.
• Prepare regular progress reports and submit the same on time to the Program Team Leader for review.
• Prepare and review quarterly, semi-annual, and annual project progress reports.
• Ensure timely submission of project progress reports

Information & Communication:

• Work closely with the Team Leader to ensure effective and unified communication to the project stakeholders and partners.
• Prepare documentation of best practices including writing/editing articles, press releases, lessons learnt, and other project materials for publication.
• Analyse data collected from project activity implementation and produce knowledge articles, blogs, short videos
• Develop effective communication processes and maintain strategic relationships with stakeholders and partners.
• Coordinate communications between Program Team Leader and field/project offices
• Coordinate and participate in stakeholder and partners’ meetings

Expectation Outputs:      

• Work Plans and budgets developed and effectively managed in program implementation
• Project study reports published
• Regularly updated database (s) of project participants in place.
• Updated support evidence of project activity implementation regularly uploaded in the M&E portal.
• Knowledge materials in various forms published, e.g. manuals, policy briefs, articles, blogs, social media posts, short videos, documentaries
• Donor-approved quarterly progress reports.
• Project activity field monitoring reports
• Supervise and manage the performance of Project Assistants, Technical Assistants, Associates, Enumerators, and Consultants to achieve project goals and objectives.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Entrepreneurship or Natural Resource Economics with a strong understanding of Fish Value Chain Development, Cross Border Trade Dynamics, and Economics.
• Professional training in Supply Chain Management for perishable commodities, Entrepreneurship, Women & Youth empowerment or any of the above fields will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in value chain development in rural contexts is a MUST.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressive engagement in project management, especially in value chain development for youth and women empowerment initiatives in East Africa.
• Demonstrated experience in the Value Chain Diagnostic studies, Supply Chain Management, Cross Border Trade and or Entrepreneurship is a huge added advantage.
• Ability to speak and communicate well in any of the local languages of Tanzanian Fishing communities and Kiswahili is an added advantage.

How to Apply:

If you are the right candidate, please send your application letter with the following:

• An updated CV, highlighting relevant skills and experience (presented in relation to each of the responsibilities and each of the experience areas listed above).
• Names and contacts of three referees and a daytime contact telephone number of each of them.
• Copies of academic certificates and transcripts for O’ level, A’ level, Undergraduate, Post-Graduate, and Professional qualifications.
• Names and contacts of current immediate supervisor(s) and two from your immediate previous jobs.
• Your daytime contact telephone number; and
• A statement and proof of the current remuneration package
• Please submit your application documents electronically using our online recruitment system

Address all applications to The Human Resource Manager, Kilimo Trust.

Click Here

Deadline: 14th February 2025

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

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