Vacancy for a Knowledge Transfer Manager at East- West Seed

⏲ Jan 24, 2018, 6:30 AM
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East- West Seed was established in the Philippines in 1982 by Simon Groot, a Dutch agriculturist who saw the need for seeds that were adapted to local conditions in Asia. At the time, the vegetable seed industry in Southeast Asia was little more than a seed trading system. No one was doing vegetable plant breeding, which involves years of trials, selection, crossing and investment. We are recruiting to fill the position below: Job Title: Knowledge Transfer Manager Location: Nigeria Overall Purpose of the Job

The Knowledge Transfer Manager will provide strategic direction and support all pre-commercial project activities under the direction of EWS Knowledge Transfer and in close cooperation with project partners.
You will ensure that all KT activities align to group objectives; to increase the profitability and sustainability of vegetable production with smallholder farmers in areas where the company has long-term ambition to grow new (or strengthen undeveloped) markets.

Tasks & Responsibilities Development of Knowledge Transfer projects:

Work closely with Knowledge Transfer Support (KTS) to identify project opportunities
Support with the development of concept notes and project proposals; liaising with partners and cooperating closely with KTS in the design and scope of activities
Ensure development of projects is aligned towards KT objectives (1) to increase the profitability and sustainability of vegetable production with smallholder farmers (2) in areas where the company has long-term ambition to grow new (or strengthen undeveloped) markets.

Management of knowledge transfer activities:

Provide leadership, coaching and strategic direction to a team of Technical Field Officers
Ensure operations adhere to EWS and partner policies and regulations
Report to management and partners as required
Long term thinking to anticipate challenges and discuss with management team and KTS to identify potential solutions
Enable delivery of appropriate technical solutions to farmers (methodology and content) through identifying needs of team
Regular visit to project areas to maintain an overview of all project activities

Partnership management:

Foster constructive working relationship and closely coordinate activities with NGO partners
Steer KT activities according to project agreements to ensure agreed targets and objectives are met

Stakeholder engagement:

Participate and network in workshops, meetings and trainings which help increase impact and outreach of knowledge transfer activities
Foster relationships with national and international organisations to promote vegetable production as a valuable source of income for small scale farmers.
Support ways to promote EWS-KT activities in different media (in close cooperation with group communication)
Act as main point of contact for any matters related to pre-commercial knowledge transfer
Pro-actively promote the impact of EWS-KT with relevant stakeholders in govt, NGOs and private sector and advocate vegetable production as income opportunity

Monitoring and evaluation:

Support team to effectively use KT monitoring tools to provide accurate and up to date information on progress and impact of project activities
Make regular use of data to analyse progress and steer projects accordingly
Monitor and track project progress and handle any issues that arise

Others:

Support preparation of presentations, workshops and trainings
Maintain close contact and cooperation with KTS team and other KT managers to ensure benefits of sharing experience and information
Foster team spirit; with EWNG-KT being an active part of EWS-KT through participation in forums such as Google Plus, trainings, workshops and other group organized events.
Maintain good communication with commercial team; ensuring KT participation in integrated events and relevant trainings organized by the company

Work Relationships:

The Knowledge Transfer Manager will report to the EWS-KT director on overall management of the extension activities and coordinate closely with the KTS team.
You will liaise closely with the Business Development Manager of EWS in Nigeria on administrative and HR issues and coordinate with the Marketing & Sales to ensure that activities are aligned towards the company’s long-term future commercial interest.

Requirements Are we looking for you?

M.Sc in Agriculture or a relevant field
Track record in training trainers and farmers
International work experience an advantage
Proven experiences working with NGOs, donors and government
Solid leadership and organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking
Independent thinking, practically oriented
Good understanding of vegetable production and markets in the Nigeria
Proven experience as a Program Manager or any area related agricultural extension, Agronomist at least 5 years
Thorough understanding of project/program management techniques and methods