Project Manager, Rice

Background

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is a not-for-profit organization designed to facilitate and promote access and delivery of appropriate proprietary agricultural technologies for use by resource-poor smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Based in Nairobi, but working across the continent, AATF fosters its mission through public/private partnerships to reach its target farmers. The Foundation is a one-stop-shop that provides expertise and know-how that facilitates the identification, access, development, delivery and utilization of proprietary agricultural technologies.

Rice is an important diet of rural and urban consumers in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The area under rice production in SSA has stagnated at about 8 million hectares producing about 14.5 million tons per year against an annual consumption of 21 million tones. These production and consumption trends imply a production deficit of about 6.5 million tons per year valued at US$ 1.7 billion that is imported annually. Currently, imported rice accounts for roughly 40 percent of local consumption and rice imports have been growing at about 8.4 percent per annum and SSA now accounts for 20 percent of total world rice imports. The rice production deficit presents a great development challenge to governments and development agencies in SSA.

In addition due to biotic and abiotic stresses, the production per unit area remains low, leading to a production deficit that necessitates importation of rice. These challenges to rice production include low-yielding and poorly adapted varieties, drought, salt deposition in the soil from irrigation water and nitrogen deficiency brought about by nitrogen loss from the soil and low use of fertiliser due to its prohibitive cost.
It is against this background that AATF is implementing a project named ?Improving rice productivity in nitrogen- and water deficient and saline environments of Sub-Saharan Africa?. The aim of the project is to make use of Nitrogen use Efficiency, Water use Efficiency and Salt Tolerance technologies to improve rice productivity for smallholder farmers in SSA.

To accomplish specific tasks as it implements its portfolio, AATF is looking for a qualified and experienced Project Manager, Rice. Working in the Technical Operations department of AATF, the incumbent will be guided by the following terms of reference under the direct supervision of the Director, Technical Operations. The Project Manager, Rice will be based in Kenya. In collaboration with the national partners, the project?s work will initially cover 3 pilot countries (Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria) and aims at developing, testing and deploying of farmer preferred and locally adapted rice varieties with enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE), Water Use Efficiency (WUE) AND Salt Tolerance (ST) for small holder farmers.

Terms of Reference:

o Operational management: In consultation with AATF management, manage the financial and administrative aspects of the project and ensure integration of its technical, regulatory and product deployment elements.
o Provide overall leadership to the research and product development elements of the project, including providing a centralized coordination and communication function among all R&D co-operators and establishing goals and milestones with individual co-operators.
o Adopt and adapt as necessary project management software for use by all contributors to the project.
o Consult with members of the project advisory committee on technical and regulatory matters and provide updates to the committee on a regular basis.
o Monitoring and implementation: Oversee, coordinate and monitor implementation of all project activities in the partner countries.
o Ensures that the project?s information management system is appropriate to its needs, is secure and is appropriately accessible to stakeholders.
o Tracks any changes to projects scope and maintain an integrated record of adjustments and the reasons underlying them.
o Assist AATF management in the monitoring and evaluation of the project.
o Prepare technical and financial documents including annual work plan, budget and progress reports.
o Establish and maintain communication links among and between donors institutions, R&D co-operators and institutions and other stakeholders with respect to the project (technical progress, financial matters etc)
o Collate and transmit all require reports to the funding agency or others as needed.
o Develop and apply performance indicators to assess the project?s progress in meeting targeted outputs/ outcomes.
o Engage in appropriate appraisals of the project, including periodic assessments of its capacity to undertake future demands.
o Identifies training goals and objectives in context of assessed capacity for projected needs.
o Ensure that all R&D co-operators clearly understand their commitment under the project?s agreements.
o Monitors adherence to agreements of Projects agreements.
o Responsible for Abuja Office ? be the contact person on the day to day operation of the office, manage and supervise the staff.
o Perform any other duties as may be required

The ideal candidate should possess a minimum of a PhD degree in Plant Genetic engineering or plant breeding and genetics. She/ he should have at least 7 years minimum of practical experience in plant breeding and genetics, agronomy or plant pathology and familiar with African farming environment. Experience in product development and knowledge of regulatory and biosafety issues associated with GM technology will be an added advantage. Fluent in English both in writing and speaking, working knowledge of French is an added advantage.

This is an Internationally Recruited Staff (IRS) position based in Nairobi and is on a 3-year renewable contract subject to individual performance and availability of funds. Salary and benefits will be in line with those provided within AATF?s IRS scheme.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application letters and curriculum vitae by email not later than 223rd April 2012 to: Email: aatf-hr@aatf-africa.org.

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