Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) is a Swiss based non-profit international development organization aiming at creating value for smallholders farmers in Asia and Africa by promoting sustainable agriculture technologies and activation of value chains that help farmers to increase food production, improve access to markets, and mitigate risks. SFSA, with its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland focuses on scalable innovations and act as a catalyst and incubator. SFSA is present in Kenya as Syngenta Foundation East Africa (SFEA) a non-profit organization, which focuses on creating value for resource-poor smallholder farmers in developing countries through innovation in sustainable agriculture and the activation of value chains.

Activities in Kenya began in 2009, working with farmers in the arid and semi-arid areas of Laikipia. Since 2018, SFEA’s operational strategy has been focused on validating commercially viable business models to facilitate access to a range of agricultural services from production to market, including input and output hubs. Machinery rental options form a part of these business models. Greater mechanization enables farmers to raise productivity, reduce drudgery and free up time for additional off-farm employment. The services also cover training on agronomy and compliance with the quality standards required for access to more lucrative markets, input buying, and output sales. To learn more, please visit www.syngentafoundation.org.

Projects 

Agriservices Programmes in Kenya

Objective

• To coordinate and support in collection of all project farmers information using both physical forms and/ or E-hub Application platform. Confirm the forms’s completeness and ensure custody of the farmer records at all times.
• Conduct trainings to both project field team, partners and agri-enterpreneurs within SFEAs projects on SFSA’s digital platform called the E-farmers hub
• Create accounts and product portfolio for Network managers and Farmer hubs and assign log-in credentials and as well as monitor platforms use by the agri-enterpreneurs as may be necessary
• Coordinate and supervise timely and accurate uploading of all Network managers and Farmer hubs products and service purchases as well as sales information in the E-hub digital platforms
• Regularly monitor usage of the SFEA’s digital platforms and offer technical backstopping to the Network managers and Farmer hubs
• Regularly compute and submit the Network managers and Farmer hubs performance indicators on a weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• Regularly  update Agriservices smartsheet and generate reports on a weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• Participating in SFSA country coordination calls and give feedback based on project, program and/ or organization needs.

Method

Digital platform use technical backstopping work, site visits, physical and virtual meetings, data validation, data entry, data analysis using SFSA’s available digital platforms.

Monthly work planning and reporting requirement

Expected Outcomes 

• All Network managers and Farmer hubs have operational E-hub accounts
• All Network managers and Farmer hubs are well trained and mentored on usage of E-hub platform use
• All farmer details are collected and uploaded in the SFB platform for all Agriservices projects
• All the Network managers and Farmer hub transaction data are uploaded and updated in the E-hub platform.
• Network managers and Farmer hubs transactions performance analysis is provided on a bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• The agriservice smartsheet is updated on a regular basis
• Document lessons learnt  and reforms achieved for specific quarter period
• Workplans submitted and reports of accomplishments provided on a monthly basis.

Required Skills and Competencies

• University degree in Agribusiness, Economics, Commerce, Business administration, Statistics or any other related fields.
• Proficient in using a computer with experience in Microsoft office especially excel data entry and analytics
• 3 years hands-on practical experience in coordination entrepreneurs  activities using digital platforms.
• Experience in people management, agribusiness, and agricultural project implementation.
• Excellent communication skills especially at farmer level.
• Problem solving skills.
• Critical thinking skills.
• Self-driven, take own initiatives, innovative, and work well under minimal supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain a timely and efficient workflow.
• Flexible and able to work as part of a team.
• Basic business and financial management skills.
• A high level of integrity, honesty, and ability to maintain confidentiality

The role is for a period of 1 year and renewable based on performance.

The position will be based in Nakuru.

Female applicants are encouraged to apply.