Jobs – Country Project Manager at Heifer International

Job Title: Country Project Manager

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 East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) Country Project Manager, under the overall guidance of the EADD Regional Director and coordination with Heifer Uganda Country Director will provide the overall leadership to staff and other EADD consortium partners in the implementation of all components of the EADD-II project in Uganda. The position will assume the overall responsibility of assuring quality in service delivery of field operations including compliance with the institutional mission and objectives. The incumbent will also be responsible for preparing Uganda EADD-II plans, as per the overall project plan, annual operating plans and budgets, ensure agreed outcomes are implemented and achieved. In addition, the position will lead the development of appropriate monitoring, learning and evaluation framework at the project and farm level.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Steer and execute all EADD country plans and budgets (e.g.:  work plans and strategic plans), and ensure proper maintenance and use of assets.
• Actively facilitate the transformation of producer organizations (POs) into formal collective enterprises that stimulate rural dairy business hubs, into financially viable and sustainable business entities.
• Identify and develop investment and financing options in dairy value chains with the view to increase net returns to actors.
• Design and roll out appropriate support intervention to improve milk quality and value addition capacity, and provide ongoing support to POs with the goal of increasing production and business capacity.
• Develop the capacity of input service providers and their linkages with POs.
• Actively participate in designing of EADD staff training programs, as well as any inter-organizational training and learning events, in collaboration with Heifer Uganda country office, wherever appropriate.
• Identify and establish linkages with banks and/or microfinance institutions ready to engage with POs and agro entrepreneurs and assist in developing proposals for funding;
• Facilitate development of business planning guidelines and conduct strategic business planning sessions for member organizations.
• Work closely with the Heifer Uganda Country Director, manage all stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure quality service delivery in operations, including compliance with project goals and objectives.
• Network and forge new working relationship with EADD and POs relevant external stakeholders, including, but not limited to, Government, Dairy board, processors, agro-vet providers etc. with the objective that they adopt, support and lead the Hub dairy development program.
• Design catalytic activities within the value chain (e.g. the concept of quality based pricing).
• Ensure timely generation and dissemination of relevant reports.
• Provide overall technical guidance and forward progress on emerging programmatic issues.
• Represent EADD in various stakeholder meetings, workshops, conferences and shared learning events, ensuring that EADD interests are taken care of at all levels.
• Manage both department and individual staff performance, providing ongoing feedback and development, as well as identify opportunities for coaching, staff development and training.  Ensure timely completion of annual performance staff appraisal.
• Work with partners and stakeholders in improving sharing of experiences across Uganda.
• Actively participate in the design of a monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Perform other job-related responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 

• The applicant should preferably hold a Master’s Degree or equivalent in the fields of Agriculture Economics, Business Administration, Rural Development, Enterprise Development or other related field, plus five (5) years of related experience;
• A minimum of ten or more  years’ experience in a mix of economic growth/trade, value chain competitiveness, investment promotion, or agriculture development;
• At least five (5) years’ management-level work experience, leading a team of 10 or more employees, preferably with multi-partner projects.

How to Apply for the job: 

All candidates are encouraged to Apply Online be visiting the Web link below.

Click Here -> Choose Non-US Careers -> Uganda

Deadline: Friday, 20^th September, 2014.