EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC)

EDC is one of the world’s leading nonprofit research and development firms.  Established in 1958, EDC designs, delivers and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic opportunity.  Our services include research, training, educational materials, and strategy, with activities ranging from seed projects to large-scale national and international initiatives. 

EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Project Description

The USAID South Sudan Youth Empowerment Activity supports South Sudanese youth and communities to develop, promote and strengthen the skills and assets of youth, and to create an enabling environment for the youth to be productive and positively contribute to their communities. The purpose of this activity is to support and empower at-risk out-of-school youth ages 15-29 gain the necessary skills they need to lead productive lives, gain employment, and positively contribute to their communities with following intended results:

• Improved youth access to functional literacy, numeracy, soft and life skills
• Increase youth entrepreneurial, employment, and vocational opportunities.
• Increase behavior changes among youth to make positive adolescent reproductive health choices.
• Improve social cohesion among youth and their communities.

USAID/South Sudan also envisions that YEA will adapt and/or pilot a Youth Corps Service model as a modality to creatively achieve the activity's stated goal and integrated objectives. Unemployed South Sudanese youth who are graduates from high school and universities, and non-graduates of exceptional demonstrated ability, will be mobilized, trained, coached, and mentored to become.

Youth Corps Service members. They will deliver specific YEA-prescribed activities to

disadvantaged targeted youth beneficiaries and their communities. The activity will help leverage youth for the youth’s benefit, build a sense of belonging and solidarity, and help to promote peace.

The Activity is implemented through a consortium led by EDC and comprised of at least 7 national and international NGOs. It supports service delivery via over 100 community-based organizations and entities.

Position description

The agronomist is a key position with the USAID Youth empowerment activity. The position holder will contribute to building the planning and implementation of entrepreneurial interventions along the agricultural value chains by providing technical advice in vegetable and field crop production, produce marketing, and to promote economic and business-oriented agricultural and livelihoods activities among the youth. In close collaboration with the livestock production officer and the livelihoods officers, design appropriate agropastoral farmer field school strategy that ensures effective and efficient extension service delivery to the youth. Advise in the organization of extension and training methodologies activities including field days, field demonstrations, farmer field schools and farm visit. The agronomist will also work hand in hand with the TVET and Skills development officer to ensure that additional productive skills are imparted into to the interested youth for livelihoods diversification and resilience building.

You will be expected to maintain a deep understanding of soil productivity principles and keep tabs on the latest trends and technologies in agronomy. Success in this role will be determined by providing valuable insights that lead to solutions that drive higher crop yields and incomes for the youth.

Designing technologies that are resilient to environmental shocks and climate change, ensuring the youth develop resilient livelihoods is a key. This can be achieved by ensuring appropriate livelihood options are promotes amongst the youth with the concept of climate in mind. Having a very clear understanding on the input needs and supply system in the country is important.

Essential functions include.

• Collects and analyses relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology related information, data and/or statistics to support the delivery of program projects, products, and services in line with the livestock enterprise.
• Actively participates on multidisciplinary project/work teams;
  Collaborates in the development of training strategies, tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars, etc. at several levels.
• Undertakes analysis, provides technical input for plans and reports, and edits/revises technical/scientific documents.
• Participates in the development of improved work methods, tools, and systems.
• Participates in the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.

Specific Functions

• Provide technical expertise and formulate professional package of practices for the progress and promotion of livestock enterprise development for the youth.
• Lead the capacity development support needed for the youth for healthy and economic livestock and fisheries production and marketing.
• Identifies business opportunities for the youth along the animal production sector and proposes relevant measures required for the youth to develop livelihoods enterprises.
• With close collaboration with the livestock production officer, the livelihoods officers, develop, and guide the implementation of the agropastoral farmer field schools with the youth with the support of the community-based agriculture extension workers.
• Together with the livelihoods officers Provide guidance and direction on post-training activities on the youth empowerment activity sites by providing inputs and technical knowledge to YSLOs as well as youth corps leaders especially in relation to strengthening access and opportunities for youth to participate in the local market, value chains and livelihood activities.
• Contributes to the EDC general, strategic planning and program development and implementation, based on country demands, ensuring and reporting on innovations and.
• Guide the team on the specification of appropriate technologies required to improve the production, preservation, processing, and marketing of the produce sustainably by the youth.

Capacity Building

• Responsible for the capacity building of the livelihoods’ officers, livelihoods assistants, agriculture field extension workers, YLSOs and youth groups, and cooperatives on technical topics related to resilient agricultural, apiary and related enterprises.

Coordination  

• With support from the livelihoods and entrepreneurship coordinator, effectively coordinate with USAID YEA consortium partners during program implementation period.
• Ensure that livelihood activities implementation is properly coordinated with other results areas of the youth empowerment activity.
• Support Anchor organizations and other USAID partners are properly coordinated with the relevant stakeholders from the national, state, and county levels.
• Promote and always ensure a pragmatic and efficient dialogue as well as networking with local institutions, private sectors, national and international NGOs, and local authorities.
• Liaise with relevant technical line ministries during YEA implementation and alignment of materials and approaches I.e., ministry of Agriculture and livestock and fishery, cooperatives, and rural development.

MEL

• Work closely with the monitoring team on monitoring and evaluation tools for livelihood activities in coordination with MEL TEAM and line supervisor.
• Facilitate qualitative and quantitative monitoring of YEA through team meetings, post -assistance visits regular reporting and other monitoring tools.
• Identify success stories for official documentation and communication purposes.
• Document lessons learnt and innovations for scaling up to improve existing programing and further intervention.

Representation

• If requested by zone supervisor, the livelihood officer represents EDC in livelihood working groups or inter agency meetings at the state.
• Represent and where necessary advocate on behalf of EDC with local authorities and line ministries at state.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in agricultural/Crop science, fisheries production, agribusiness management, with specialized training in food security and livelihoods related fields.

Experience

• At least 5 years’ experience in implementing livelihoods and food security related interventions with special focus on youth.
• Experience in youth related economic empowerment in similar activities including but not limited to VSLA and other Income Generating Activities - IGA
• Specific experience in the development of agricultural value chains for youth economic empowerment including input security system
• Experience in agriculture, agropastoral farmer field school approach with good understanding of appropriate technologies for upgrading and improving climate smart farming.  
• Experience in agriculture and livelihoods interventions using the value chains and value links approaches. 
• Experience is working with multidisciplinary teams and effective coordination capacity with internal and external teams.
• Experience in youth entrepreneurial skills development
• Very good understanding of the labour market and the employment context for youth  

Essential skills

• Very good analytical skills and communication skills
• Training and facilitation skills with very good understanding of adult learning approaches and principles
• Planning and budgeting as well as report writing skills.
• very good computer skills (excel, word, PowerPoint, outlook, Teams, zoom etc.)
• excellent people/social skills at all levels with good cultural sensitivity and able to work in multicultural environments.
• Motorbike riding skills with valid riding/driving license

Language:

Fluency in English is required.  Working knowledge of local dialect(s)

Application Instructions:

Job closing date: October 24, 2023,

To apply, Applicants are encouraged to visit the Careers Page at: https://go.edc.org/SouthSudanJobs listing “Job Title- Agronomist Juba Central Equatoria State- USAID Youth Empowerment Activity -South Sudan” in the Subject Line

Only if technical difficulties occur, applicants may send their resumes to: [email protected] listing “Job Title-  Agronomist Juba Central Equatoria State-USAID Youth Empowerment Activity -South Sudan” in the Subject Line.  

Applications will be progressively reviewed as they are received.

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified.  No phone calls, please.

EDC is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.