Farming Systems and Irrigation Development Coordinator and Country Manager job at Resilience BV

JOB DETAILS:
Resilience BV is a dynamic company, specialising in research and management of often complex, interdisciplinary agricultural projects in development contexts. Resilience believes in healthy economies as the base of development. Reaching this economic development start with entrepreneurship and local insights in agriculture, economy and market developments.

Over the past 17 years Resilience BV has built significant expertise in implementing agriculture and water projects, most notably in Mozambique, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Colombia, Uganda, Benin,

Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Madagascar, Myanmar and Angola. Our recent specialisations
include:
• Irrigation and agricultural development (Mozambique, Uganda)
• Seed sector development (Myanmar, Ghana)
• Agribusiness and entrepreneurship (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Rwanda)
• Water and sanitation (Indonesia)
Projects and research presented by Resilience typically favours farmer led approach and
advocates for environmental and social sustainability and integrated resources management.

Our drive for a bottom-up approach is based on extensive research and project experience in the African water and agriculture sector. Last year, Resilience BV established a daughter company in Uganda, ‘Resiliencia Uganda’, represented by one of our colleagues based in

Kampala. With the new INSPIRE project our team from Resiliencia Uganda will grow from 1 to 11 colleagues, and we will be responsible for the 2nd pathway of a large multi partner program.

We are therefore looking for a person interested in living and working in Uganda to manage
the INSPIRE programme and further grow the business.
INSPIRE programme
INSPIRE is a 5-year programme financed by the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda. The INSPIRE consortium is led by GOAL and Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR), with Resilience BV and Agriterra as technical partners. The aim of the programme is to contribute to resilient and inclusive economic and agricultural development of rural lowland communities in Lango and Busoga regions. Resilience BV is the technical lead for pathway 2: Sustainable Farming Systems. By integrating the farmer-led (irrigated) development process that we have developed in Mozambique into the INSPIRE approach, we aim to stimulate investment by smallholder farmers (SHF) in their production systems through tailor-made training and extension services. INSPIRE will facilitate the adoption of good agricultural practices and provide training to further improve on existing practices to catalyse adoption and promote sustainable farming systems. By on-site training, exchange visits and showcasing new practices methods and technologies we aim at provoking peer-to-peer interaction, knowledge exchange and adoption.

The expected results of the INSPIRE programme for which Resilience BV will be responsible are:
• Increased investment by SHF in their farming system with integrated climate-smart agriculture and water management practices.
• Increased access by SHF to information on production, best practices and agronomy.
• Communities have invested in (collective) sustainable land use actions through enhanced awareness, knowledge and capacity.

Job description
As pathway manager for INSPIRE and country manager for Resiliencia Uganda, you will manage a team of up to 11 staff from Resilience to implement this programme on sustainable farming systems, and another 18 extension officersfrom partner organisations contributing to pathway 2. You will lead the overall implementation and management of pathway 2, including providing oversight of activities, developing work plans, overseeing the programme budget, overseeing MERL, and reporting to the consortium lead and donor. You will act as the primary point of contact for the projectlead and the donor, ensuring that the project meets established objectives and targets. To carry out these activities and integrate into the overall project
management, it is essential that you are initially based in the town of Jinja, eastern Uganda, about 2 hours’ drive from Kampala.

As country manager for Resiliencia in Uganda, you will play a vital role in growing our presence in the region, with the aim of establishing Resiliencia Uganda as a well-known local service provider in the field of agriculture and irrigation. In the first year(s) the company will primarily consist of the project staff who will be stationed in the 9 districts where INSPIRE operates. So that in the beginning, the management of the company and the main activities on pathway 2 overlap significantly. The current Resilience representative will continue to work from Kampala and support you in acquisition and representation activities. In this position, you will formally represent Resilience BV in Uganda, and facilitate operations and business development, providing expertise and strategic guidance. In this role, you will be supported by the Directors, HR and Finance team at the headquarters in Wageningen and by a team of content experts to
support specific activities in the INSPIRE program.

Key responsibilities are:
• Manage and oversee the implementation of pathway 2 of the INSPIRE programme
• Manage and represent Resiliencia Uganda (representation, Finance, HR) ,
• Coordinate and lead a growing team of colleagues within Resiliencia Uganda
• Actively network to establish Resiliencia Uganda as a local service provider
• Engage in acquisition activities (proposal writing, etc) for Resiliencia Uganda

Job requirements:
Required:
• Experience in managing multi- partner programs, especially in the agricultural sector
• Experience in setting up and managing a team
• Experience in working in Eastern Africa
• Proven communication and organisational skills
• Flexibility and sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work in a multicultural environment
• MSc diploma or higher in irrigation, agronomy, water management, or related fields
• Willingness to live and work in Jinja, Uganda
• 10+ years of work experience
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Ideally:
• Experience managing a company in an Eastern/Southern African context
• MSc level in Agronomy, Sustainable Farming Systems, Irrigation or Water Management
• Be able to read and write in Dutch

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

Job application procedure

Please send your application before the 30th of July 2024 to:
HR@resiliencebv.com
This email address can also be used for any questions regarding this job vacancy. Due to the holiday period a response may take a little longer.
Looking forward to your application!