The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is an independent non-profit organization that combines innovative research, market systems development, and strategic partnerships to spread sustainable agricultural solutions for improved soil health, food security, and livelihoods around the world.

IFDC is recruiting for two anticipated projects related to Highland Farming Systems and Climate Smart Jobs in Uganda expected to start in early/mid 2022 – 2026. The proposed projects will work with over 100,000 beneficiaries in the highland areas of the three regions of Elgon, Kigezi, and Rwenzori, in northern Uganda and in other areas relevant to agricultural production and processing of project supported crops.

The proposed project aims to achieve the following main impacts:

• Food security and dietary diversity improved for rural households in the Ugandan highlands, Northern Uganda and other productive regions of the country
• Ugandan smallholder farming households obtain a living income and are sustainably economically resilient
• Eco-efficient farming, making sustainable use of and protecting natural resources
• The agriculture sector offers resource-constrained households a pathway out of poverty
• Creation of jobs and economic opportunities for rural and urban populations with a focus on women, youth and socially and economically disadvantaged persons

IFDC is seeking to recruit intervention managers for this project to be based in Kampala or one of the field offices.

Position Summary

The position of the intervention manager is responsible for the design and implementation of all activities related to the partnerships under their responsibility. She/ he facilitates, in close collaboration with the private partners and other relevant stakeholders, all the interventions by the project at the levels of partnership, grassroots, value chain and industry. She/ he also coordinates the support from business development services and consultants.

Main Tasks And Responsibilities

• Design, formalize, implement, monitor and document partnerships with private business champions (companies or cooperatives) and other relevant private/ public partners.
• Researches and develops thorough analyses of opportunities and constraints to improve agriculture development from domestic or international sources. Follows closely current political, social and economic trends in the country and provides analysis on how these trends effect the development and implementation of the activities and proposes mitigation measures. This includes preparing analytical reports on agriculture trends in production, sales, exports, access to credit and rural infrastructure within Uganda’s political, economic and social context.
• Develop partnership agreements with clear theories of change, and well as related action plans and cost-shared budgets.
• Coordinate field interventions that fall under IFDC responsibility, in line with set targets, and in close collaboration with supporting cross-cutting specialists- access to finance, gender and youth specialist, CSA specialist etc.
• In consultation with gender specialist, use a gender lens in every action, analyze gender-related constraints and ensure that proposed strategies are gender-sensitive and address key constraints faced by female stakeholders in each partnerships.
• Analyze youth-related constraints (for both young women and young men) and ensure that proposed strategies improve youth employment and youth integration in the value chains.
• Prepare service agreements for business development services, in consultation with the project manager, monitor these agreements, particularly through frequent field visits report on their progress.
• Write and submit timely and accurate activity reports, as well as other technical reports and notes.
• Contributes to internal and external knowledge development, by full documentation and sharing of project insights and results. Develops knowledge by attending workshops and conferences. Ensures lessons learned are shared and applied in daily practice.

Supervision and team collaboration

The intervention manager is supervised by and reports to the deputy project manager or market systems lead. She/ he works in close collaboration with project colleagues, other IFDC staff and colleagues from other project consortium members.

Position and duty station

This is a national position with a duty in the IFDC offices in Kampala or field offices.

The position requires intensive travels (up to 50% of the time) in target regions in Uganda and may require some international travel to other IFDC countries.

Qualification Requirements

This position requires highly motivated and self-driven individuals with the following qualifications;

• Holds a master’s degree in Agricultures, agribusiness, international development, natural resources management or any other related course with 3 years’ experience or a bachelor’s degree with 5 years’ experience in a similar position.
• 3 years or more of experience successfully leading management of technical components of complex, results based, international or rural agricultural development programs
• Thorough knowledge of development theory and programming in general and Agriculture programming in particular; comprehensive knowledge of agriculture programs and policies, agricultural trade and food policies, land tenure and macro-economic, legal and policy framework of the Uganda specifically as it is related to Agriculture and rural development.
• Demonstrated ability to organize advocacy and strengthen the capacity of private sector associations to advocate for a more favourable regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated ability in the concepts, principles, methods and techniques of climate smart sector development activities, including training, capacity building, agribusiness development extension services and the technical activities mentioned above for agribusiness and rural agricultural development.
• Demonstrated skills in effectively collaborating with host governments, regional institutions, donors, and development partner projects, local organizations, private companies and other partners.
• Ability to successfully manage and develop staff as demonstrated by past experience.
• Ability to manage partners, sub-contracts and grant making programs with all required reporting requirements.
• Ability to perform internal control functions to manage day-to-day operations of the project.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally in small audience and large audience settings.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.