Climate Smart Agriculture Officer

POSITION TITLE	Climate Smart Agriculture Officer
POSITION LOCATION	Dominica
REPORTS TO	Country Coordinator
CONTRACT TERM	Two years (full time position)

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BACKGROUND

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the MasterCard Foundation, World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.   WUSC is registered in the Caribbean as WUSC Caribbean.

WUSC Caribbean is implementing the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) project, which promotes climate resilient agriculture for equitable economic growth to increase the economic prosperity of women and youth (female & male) in more sustainable agricultural markets in the Caribbean. The is a multi-country economic growth project, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) being implemented in Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname.

Women and youth (female & male) are central players in the targeted agricultural market systems so they can increase their influence on agricultural markets in the Caribbean, while strengthening more climate resilient domestic agricultural production to enhance food security, and reduce reliance on imported agricultural products, for more sustainable economic growth. Recognizing that adult males are currently dominant actors in market systems, the SAC project also works with men, so they can become advocates for women and youth (female & male) fostering the right conditions for equitable participation. The SAC project engages agricultural markets in each of the target countries, and provide capacity-strengthening support to local organizations.

WUSC Caribbean applies an inclusive market systems (IMS) approach, engaging multiple stakeholders, including established country partners, to increase productivity and economic growth.  SAC creates links between key market actors; strengthen their capacity through training, information sharing and outreach; and foster climate resilient approaches (re-orienting agricultural development for sustainability as well as profitability), at every stage and via every market actor in the agricultural value chain. This approach helps to increase productivity and profitability in the agriculture sector and mitigate the impacts of climate change, reduce the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters, and foster climate-resilient agricultural markets that offer increased equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic benefits for women and youth (female & male).

REPORTING LINES

Reporting tothe Country Coordinator, and under the guidance of the Regional Climate Smart Agriculture Specialist, the Climate Smart Agriculture Officer is responsible for ensuring that innovative climate smart and climate resilience approaches are facilitated into the agricultural product market systems being supported in-country by WUSC Caribbean.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide advisory support to country programming team for the successful integration of sustainable agricultural and climate risk resilience recommendations into country-level work plans, including support for annual planning and development of activities;
• Support the creation of strategic partnerships with actors who do or could act effectively to ensure sustainable natural resource utilization or climate risk reduction/resilience programming including those with the responsibility to forecast and respond to climate change can be brought into SAC’s IMS implementation strategies;
• Identify opportunities to facilitate the exchange of information among market stakeholders and relevant actors (such as producers, traders, government, researchers and extension workers) with the aim of improving the potential for sustainable utilization of natural resources, disaster risk reduction/resilience programming;
• In collaboration with Country Coordinators and other team members:
  • Support the documentation of the potential risks associated with the cultivation/production of agricultural products targeted at the country level including:
    • Natural hazards, including the impacts of climate and other environmental; changes especially on women and youth (f/m) production and income;
    • Changes in pestilences and diseases;
    • Social, political and economic changes;
    • Encouraging and maintaining good agricultural practices.
• Review requests for support from market actors from a sustainable and climate resilient agriculture perspective and make recommendations to team members for consideration;
• Support the design of capacity development initiatives on sustainable agriculture and disaster risk resilience, including in policy/institutional development, risk information and risk management for relevant actors such as producers, traders, researchers and extension workers;
• Support the development of a collaborative approach and practical tools and guidelines for effective implementation of the SAC Environmental Management Plan;
• Coordinate the development of training materials on sustainable and climate resilient agriculture in selected market systems;
• Support training and other efforts provided to market actors relating to climate smart agriculture and climate resilience initiatives including support to piloting innovative technologies and practices;
• Support the collection, entry and quality assurance of project M&E data;
• Capture key lessons and achievements to share with colleagues regionally and to promote adoption and scaling up across the market systems through liaising with and facilitation of other market actors as well as for project communications and case studies;
• Support guidance and supervision of the Field Facilitator in liaison with the Country Coordinator; and
• Any other duties as may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Education

• University degree in Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Development, Environmental Management/ Disaster Risk Resilience, or related discipline.

Experience & Competencies

• A minimum of 3 years work experience in Sustainable Agriculture or Environmental Management/Disaster Risk Resilience programming will be an advantage;
• Understanding of gender and youth issues in agriculture market systems;
• Strong skills in assessment, monitoring and evaluation with a practical knowledge of project cycle and results-based management (RBM);
• Awareness of Sustainable Agriculture and or Environmental Management / Disaster Risk Resilience issues in the agriculture sector and in the Caribbean;
• Experience working and collaborating with diverse sets of stakeholders, including producers, producer groups, private sector, research institutions, donors, governments;
• Detail oriented and able to efficiently and accurately manage budgets;
• Highly proficient in use of Microsoft and Google software including Gmail, calendar, drive, spreadsheet, word processing and presentation software;
• A good understanding of business;
• Strong cross-cultural skills and cultural sensitivity;
• Strong personal initiative, resourcefulness and capacity to work independently;
• Proven ability to motivate others and work as part of a team;
• Adaptable with strong and innovative problem solving skills
• Excellent written and oral communication in English;
• Willingness to learn new technologies;
• High tolerance for uncertainty;
• Negotiations skills;
• Persistence; and
• Strong cross-cultural skills and cultural sensitivity.

Languages

• Complete fluency in both written and spoken English is required; and
• Creole is an advantage for Dominica.

WHY WORK WITH WUSC?

Join Us. Our work is important, cutting-edge, and fast-paced. We encourage curiosity, innovation, and flexibility. And we provide a phenomenal learning experience.

WUSC Caribbean offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference in the lives of youth around the world. Employees at WUSC Caribbean work hard to create lasting change in education, economic opportunities and empowerment.

APPLICATIONS

WUSC Caribbean’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC Caribbean promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.

WUSC Caribbean is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

This position is open to all suitably qualified CARICOM Nationals. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls please.

Suitably qualified persons are invited to submit their cover letter, CV, and the name and contact information of 3 professional references via email to [email protected] by the 17^th of February, 2023.  Please use the subject line Climate Smart Agriculture Officer – Dominica for job applications.

While WUSC Caribbean thanks all applicants for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

The Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean Project is implemented by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) with funding support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).