About Heifer:
Heifer International, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1944 in the United States of America, works with resource constrained families in 125 countries worldwide to develop innovative solutions to the underlying causes of hunger, poverty and environmental degradation.
About Heifer EADD-II Program:
The East Africa Dairy Development (EADD-II) is an ambitious five-year program designed to transform the lives of resource poor farming families through a competitive and inclusive dairy value chain in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Heifer International as a lead partner is implementing this project with its consortium partners that include; The Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Techno serve (TNS), the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and African Breeders Total Cattle Management (ABS-TCM).
Job Summary: The Senior Dairy Production & Cluster Coordinator will provide leadership to the team on business and farm production and will be responsible for managing and providing technical guidance to the business operations of the dairy enterprises in the Cluster for the EADD-II project. The incumbent will ensure increased production and productivity in the dairy industry which is a key outcome of the project. Leading and working through a team of Cluster personnel and other consortium staff, he/she will provide technical guidance and support to producer organization boards, staff and farmers on dairy production and productivity issues.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Steer the Cluster team in designing strategies and actions that support Producer organizations increase the value proposition to the farmers and business profitability.
Develop implementation plans in collaboration with the Cluster team and ensure that all activities planned for the period are in line with the project’s goals and objectives. Ensure these plans cascade down to monthly plans in order to ensure they achieve agreed objectives.
Take lead of the Cluster team in designing programs that can select and support the development of model farms and put in place strategies to upscale adoption of productivity enhancing technologies.
Lead efforts to undertake technical productivity analysis in the Cluster EADD-II program.
Working closely with the Country MLE Officer and Field Operations Manager at Country project office; create, execute and monitor action plans to support Cluster office livestock data bases at the PO with a view of the enterprises to use the data for improving management and profitability of the enterprises.
Provide leadership to the Cluster team in strategy development and creative initiatives to nurture and build linkages between producer organizations, local governments, private sector BDS providers and other development players.
Steer the development of a farm business model as a profitable sustainable and growth proposition to small holder farmer, which could be used to replicate and advise interested farmers particularly youth to adopt dairy farming.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
The ideal candidate should hold a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science or other related field, with five (5) years’ managerial experience in dairy production, dairy value chain management, agriculture development with at least one (1) year experience of how cooperatives work.
Possession of a Master’s degree in Animal Science or a related field, plus at least five (5) years’ experience in dairy production management with a background in dairy enterprise management.
Previous exposure and experience in developing private public partnerships especially at country level working in matrix reporting environment.
Possess the experience and ability to demonstrate dairy as a financial viable business proposition at both the farm and producer organization.
Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions and design catalytic activities within the production dairy value chain (e.g. the concept of business development services provision).
Broad knowledge and understanding of the dairy value chain and Heifer’s Value based model.
Proven team leadership, project management, motivational and supervisory skills with ability to train and work cooperatively with a diverse staff.
Demonstrated knowledge of the latest developments in advancing good/ best practices in value chain development that target women, youth, and underprivileged.
Demonstrated experience in setting robust and sustainable extension systems for producer organizations. This requirement is in line with the need to have built-in exit strategies within the project as a measure of ensuring that there are self-sustaining businesses by end of project.
Having a business approach to dairy farming.
Extensive knowledge and experience in facilitating development of farm-level business plans and feasibility studies including the computation of the associated key financial ratios and benchmarks.
Previous exposure and experience in implementing supply promotion/stimulation strategies in the context of dairy sub-sector.
Computer literacy skills including facility with Word, Excel, and other relevant Microsoft Office Suite applications, as well as any other databases.
Proficient oral and written communication in English including knowledge of local languages spoken in the Near East, southwestern and central parts of Uganda.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send copies of certificates, cover letter with an updated C.V indicating two professional referees to: The Country Director- Heifer International Uganda by Email: hr@heifer.org
Deadline: 10th March, 2017