Agriculture Technical Advisor

Job Description

The Agriculture Technical Advisor will provide provide technical leadership in design, development, planning, implementation, and capacity-building for agriculture and food security. Develop tools for the design and implementation of agriculture and food security. Contribute to development of tools and indicators for monitoring and evaluation. Ensure the quality of implemented technical activities at all levels. Also will provide guidance to a wide range of program design and implementation activities with a focus on agriculture, rural livelihood development, and food security projects in line with Food For The Poor’s program quality principles and standards, donor guidelines, and industry best practices to FFTP field offices and implementing country partners (ICPs).

Duties:

• Must be based in Central America, preferably reside in Honduras. It will be also considered candidates living in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador; willing and able to travel to Honduras.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in both English and Spanish is a must.
• Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% of the time mostly within Central America. (US visa is desirable but not required.)

· Contribute to the development of annual workplans, materials and tools, and writing of program reports in both English and Spanish.

· Approve project plans and designs made by in-country partner project agricultural managers.

· Reviewing reports, approving expenditures, enforcing rules, or purchasing of materials and services.

· Conduct in-country feasibility studies on present Food For The Poor agricultural projects to determine if they are legitimate, feasible, and in line with organizational accountability policies and mission.

· Visit project sites with our partners to meet with beneficiaries to discuss project needs and funding requirements.

· Acquire strong relationships with country personnel. Resolve any problems or challenges in collaboration with our contacts. Work with all country offices.

· Review prospective projects to assure proposals that will initiate funding possibilities to execute.

· Examine funded projects to determine timely completion within budget, quality, and accountability standards.

· During travel to the countries that we serve, monitor progress and accountability guidelines in collaboration with the partner contacts ..

· Teach and monitor reporting requirements on agricultural projects to country offices and partners. This includes in office project managers.

· Furnish status reports on unfunded projects.

· Apply Food For The Poor requirements re: expense reports upon return from trips and how to monitor amounts spent per budget.

· Assist Projects Managers in leadership and guidance to agricultural initiatives and challenges in the field.

· Perform other job-related duties that may be assigned by the Quality Assurance Director.

SKILLS:

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with minimal supervision. Ability for photography. Ability to travel extensively. Computer technical skills. Proven skills in developing and facilitating training. Demonstrated ability to plan and organize work to deliver results and focus on impact and results. Strong oral and written communication skills in both English and Spanish is a must.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (e.g., agriculture, food security, nutrition, economics, international development, or related social sciences disciplines). Master’s degree in agriculture(Agronomy), sustainable development, or related field is strongly preferred

EXPERIENCE: 5-8 years of progressively responsible experience in international development working on agriculture, food security, nutrition.

· Being a proven thought leader in the areas of agriculture, rural livelihoods, and/or food security is preferred.Understanding of climate change dynamics and their effects on rural livelihoods; familiarity with risk mitigation strategies and adaptation to climate change.

· Understanding of small-scale agriculture and links to markets, both informal and formal.

· Understanding of program monitoring and evaluation (M&E), including applying data collection tools (e.g. SurveyCTO) and methodologies, data analysis, and data presentation.

· Experience in project design and proposal development in humanitarian response and related areas, including technical writing.

· Previous experience providing technical assistance and developing successful proposals for external donor funding is desired.

Work experience in international relief and development is absolutely necessary. Experience must include a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience, ideally with in an advisory or management role with an international NGO that works with smallholder farmers.

About the Organization

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance.

"Join us in our mission to serve the poorest of the poor."