The Agronomy Advisor shall support the implementation of strategies that will enable smallholder coffee farmers to achieve sustainable increase in coffee quality and yields as per TechnoServe and project’s quality requirements. Responsible for day-to-day execution of the coffee agronomy program, activities plan, local stakeholder relations management and supervise project deliverables of farmer trainers to ensure the timely achievement of targets.

Key roles and responsibility

• Sensitize local leadership, smallholder coffee farmers and all local stakeholders on the TechnoServe coffee project work.
• Implement existing strategies to provide assigned woredas and kebeles with agronomy training and with structured post-training farm visits to improve adoption.
• Train and advise farmers being assisted by the project on coffee agronomy best practices with the objective of helping them to improve coffee yields and quality.
• Identification of focal farmers and demonstration plots.
• Recruitment, training, selection and deployment of Farmer Trainers
• Train, mentor, coach and support assigned Farmer Trainers on all technical and operational aspects of their work and in relationship with farmers. This includes assisting them to set performance goals, continuous assessment of performance and giving feedback.
• Participate in the implementation of the defined project monitoring, measurement and evaluation activities that ensure accurate and consistent capture of date for project reporting and documenting of the impact of our work.
• Where possible, create linkages between wet mills, farmers and suppliers of recommended inputs and other farm requirements.
• Collect, collate, validate and submit the specified project data and clients’ reports within stipulated time lines. This includes impact stories, photos and other beneficiaries’ information that may be requested from time to time
• Cultivate and manage good relationship with local leadership and farmer as well as with key industry stakeholders and community leaders at local levels.
• Keep abreast of developments concerning coffee at the wet mills, farms and in the local community and regularly report these.
• Understand, respect and promote TechnoServe’s values, vision, and strategy in the implementation of assigned duties.
• Any other relevant tasks as assigned by the Senior Agronomy Advisor.

 Required skills and experience

 Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture, or Plant science. May accept experience in lieu of a degree.

At least three years’ professional experience – ideally in the private sector – in one or more of the following areas: coffee processing or agronomy; business or cooperative management; SME development; agriculture; training; extension services.

Demonstrated good understanding of the Ethiopia coffee industry is an added advantage

Possess an aptitude and skills for training adults in a field set up.

Strong planning skills and ability to generate innovative solutions in highly dynamic work situations.

Demonstrated ability to prepare and present well-written, cohesive analyses and reports.

Strong interpersonal, collaborative and cross-cultural skills.

Willingness to be based and to spend time in project implementation sites located in rural areas.

Valid Renewed Motorcycle riding license, ability and willingness to ride a motorcycle is a MUST

Fluency in English and Amharic. Knowledge of local languages, particularly Sidamigna is an added advantage