IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.

Summary Of The Assignment

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) seeks to recruit 2 dedicated and versatile Field Workers to join our team. The successful candidates will be responsible for overseeing and implementing various activities related to nutrition, agronomy, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), sustainable land use management, gender aspects, and data collection in the field.

This role requires a strong background in agricultural development and community engagement. The Field Workers will organize smallholder farmers into groups (Project Villages) located in Bulambuli and Bukwo, and Kween Districts in the Elgon Region. Each extension worker will be responsible for at least five (5) project villages.

Responsibilities

• Identify and on-board farmers into organized groups called project villages and take them through sessions of Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP);
• Register farmers and support the cascading of training to generation 1 and 2 households;
• Implement farmer support programs, including agronomy and nutrition trainings, farm visits, management of demo plots and input plus out-market support;
• Identify potential risks and develop action plans;
• Collect and enter data for the BRIGHT M&E system;
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with staff, local partners, and stakeholders;
• Provide technical backstopping to farmer innovators and other project support personnel at ground level.

Requirements

• Diploma or certificate in either agriculture, agribusiness, forestry, or related qualification with competence and passion in extension work, farmer/group mobilization and training;
• Being a resident, understanding the local language and local knowledge of the area of operation is a must;
• Proven experience with conducting farmer training;
• Willingness and ability to work extensively in rural areas with farmers.

Reporting and Work Relationships

The Field Extension workers report to the Project Field Officers based in Mbale field office.

Location

This is a national recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC office based in Elgon Region.

Consultancy Duration and Fees

The contract is a 2 month assignment with the possibility of extension. The contract assignment is anticipated to be effective from the 1st of June 2025, through to 30th July 2025 unless amended in writing and agreed upon by both Parties. A total of UGS 3,280,000 is budgeted for the above assigned for 2 Field Extension Workers.

Terms of payment

• Based on the monthly targets set out for each month, a FEW will be paid upon submission of a detailed report of activities done, targets set for that month and data entered into the MIS;
• FEWS will be paid Ug. Shs 600,000 (Six hundred thousand Uganda Shillings only) monthly subject to 6% withholding tax and to completing the targets set for that month. This will be inclusive of Housing Allowance and Meals;
• The monthly activity report should be submitted on the 25th of every month for review and approval;
• A monthly payment for the Transport of Ug. Shs 150,000 (One hundred fifty thousand Uganda Shillings only), Airtime of 70,000 (Seventy thousand Uganda Shillings only) will be provided to each FEW.

About Program/Project

Building Resilience and Inclusive Growth of Highland farming systems for rural Transformation (BRIGHT) is a four-year project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) through the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Dutch development policy. The project is being implemented by IFDC, in collaboration with Agriterra.

The vision of the BRIGHT project is to promote inclusive economic growth and rural transformation through equitable integration into value chains. BRIGHT aims to build the resilience of 106,560 highland farm households in Kigezi, Mt. Elgon, and Rwenzori regions by supporting Uganda to recover from external shocks in an ever-changing context through absorption, adaptation, and transformation. In so doing, the project will improve the food and nutrition security and incomes of farmers, transition subsistence-oriented farm households into more of a market orientation by supporting them in integrated farm planning and inclusive decision-making, introducing appropriate climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies to strengthen local farming systems, ensuring natural resource conservation, and developing strategic value chains.