Job Description

Job description Project Coordinator at the Organic Farming Academy (OFA)

The growing organic food market offers export opportunities for countries in the South and plays an important role in reducing poverty in rural areas. Organic farm production also creates important environmental benefits and helps farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change.
However, many countries face obstacles to export organic products, including demands on quality, lack of information on standards, certification and building relationships with buyers. OFA seeks to address such obstacles by offering service packages to smallholder farmers and wild plant collecting families to prepare them for both, organic and fair-trade certification as precondition to participate in producing and exporting organic products to Europe and other markets.
In the framework of food safety OFA has introduced a digital APP for the traceability of the products and is offering that service to interested clients.
OFA has further ventured into the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by producing biochar from plant waste and generate carbon credits. This approach shall be scaled up to integrate smallholder farmers and wild plant collectors into the carbon market while at the same time improving their soil through the application of biochar mixed with compost.
OFA is supported through the project “Organics4Zim”, implemented by the German AFOS Foundation with funding from the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and development (BMZ).

OFA is looking for an energetic project coordinator, with the following tasks:

Duties and Responsibilities

Project Development, Planning, and Implementation
• Develop strategic documents on project design, planning, and implementation, such as results frameworks, work plans, project budget, etc.
• Undertake day to day management of the project, including implementation and efficient use of resources.
• Provide technical and administrative coordination of project components.
• Develop Terms of Reference for consultants/experts hired on a short-term basis and ensure proper delivery of technical services and reports.
• Ensure the participation and involvement of relevant stakeholders in project activities.
• Ensure the quality and timely preparation of reports as per requirements.
• Ensure delivery of resources and results according to planned targets.
• Ensure the development of cross-project linkages with other relevant projects and programmes for mutually reinforcing impact.
• Support the coordination with relevant Government authorities.
Monitoring, Information Gathering and Evaluation
• Carry out monitoring & evaluation with emphasis on the project indicators, including surveys.
• Facilitate regular flow of information among team members and stakeholders.
• Provide technical support and guidance on monitoring and evaluation to implementing / operational partners as required.
• Gather data on best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning.
• Elaborate reports to be presented to the Advisory Committee.
Advocacy, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization
• Establish and maintain partnerships with stakeholders (Private sector, NGOs, Government, and donors).
• Actively engage in the mobilization of resources from different sources to this project.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications and Experience

Your Profile
• Bachelor/BSc or Masters/MSc in (organic) agriculture, rural development, or any area that is related to the project objectives.
• Proven experience in project management with international funding.
• Excellent Communication skills to interact with various individuals at different levels.
• Problem-solving skills to quickly come up with solutions and strategies to tackle challenges.
• Change management skills to adapt to a fast-changing work environment.
• Organizational skills such as time management, delegation, planning, goal setting and decision-making.
• Excellent knowledge of the English language with proven record of reporting in English according to the standards of international development cooperation.
• Very good interpersonal skills and ability to work with a multi-cultural team.
• Sound working knowledge of ICT technologies and computer applications.
• Knowledge of standards and procedures for organic and Fair-Trade production and export and experience with private sector cooperation of advantage.

How to Apply

Application

Documents: CV, letter of motivation
Sent to: [email protected]
Deadline: 15 January 2024