Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has had an operational presence in Nigeria since 2015 and has experience working in 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the BAY states. DRC provides life-saving assistance and protection to vulnerable, conflict-affected populations including IDPs, returnees, and host communities in the sectors of armed violence reduction, livelihoods, nutrition and food security, protection, shelter and non-food items (NFI) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

The operational context in northeastern Nigeria remains challenging, as the ongoing conflict impedes conflict-affected communities’ access to what limited basic services are available, as well as DRC and other humanitarians’ access to persons of concern.

Overall purpose of the role:

The Economic Recovery Agriculture Team Leader’s main objective is to provide efficient and effective program implementation and smooth running of the Economic Recovery sector operations according to DRC’s internal policies and guidelines following donor procedures and program design. The Economic Recovery Agriculture Team Leader will also facilitate the implementation of Agriculture programming through coordination with stakeholders in operational areas. The Economic Recovery Agriculture Team Leader facilitates agriculture programming by supporting market systems development (MSD), improving agricultural production practices for farmers’ associations while developing social cohesion among members of the target communities through village loan & credit associations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Team Leadership

• Produce work plans for the sector staff following the annual project planning cycle
• Train staff and provide regular updates on work planning and reporting against SMART objectives.
• Oversee the performance of the Economic Recovery Agriculture team.
• Provide field supervision to Economic Recovery Agriculture Officers and Assistants
• Represent the Economic Recovery Agriculture team at the base level and participate in facilitating and coordinating activities within the team and with other DRC departments.

Implementation and Planning

• Coordinate with the support services, protection, and EcRec teams to ensure proper agriculture and MSD implementation management.
• Serve as the main contact for Agriculture activities in DRC Adamawa operations and work closely with State Government Technical Line Ministries and departments in ensuring high quality standards in DRC Economic Recovery sector operations.
• Ensure team adoption of technical guidelines, SoPs, handbooks, and other programme guidance provided by the Economic Recovery Manager and the Economic Recovery Coordinator
• Ensure the timely and quality achievements of the activities, which includes planning the activities and sharing tasks among the team, implementing, and monitoring the work of the team and the achievement, visiting the activities.
• Ensure that EcRec Agriculture Officers and Assistants implement project activities within the budget limits.
• Support the EcRec Agriculture Officers and Assistants by ensuring activities implementation is done in compliance with DRC/Donor procedures.
• In coordination with field staff, ensure that vulnerable groups (especially women and youths) are actively involved during project implementation.
• Organize and manage workshops, trainings and meetings that are hosted by the agricultural sector with relevant partners and beneficiary households,
• Provide agriculture livelihood guidance on an individual, group or association basis to increase beneficiaries’ awareness of different agricultural value chain options based on market assessment and beneficiary interests.
• Organize agricultural training for improved agricultural production practices, micro gardening, and small farming management activities with beneficiaries.
• Provide information to the beneficiaries on market opportunities and facilitate business linkage for improved agro-inputs vendors to increase ease of access and availability of inputs for smallholder farmers enterprise creation.
• Link bulk agriculture produce buyers with farmers’ associations and input sellers.

Sector Reporting & Documentation

• Ensure EcRec agricultural activities implementation reports and regular internal reports are delivered on time.
• Ensure that a sound documentation procedure is adhered to, including the relevant beneficiary database is developed, maintained, and updated regularly.
• Ensure the use of developed relevant manuals/tool kits and training curriculums that can be used in training beneficiaries.
• Ensure the respect of the Do-No-Harm principle to persons of concern/beneficiaries.
• Ensure the weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting are done and reported to the EcRec Manager.
• Contribute to project planning, development of proposals and documentation of lessons learned, best practices and success stories.
• Ensure beneficiary identification and profiling processes are well implemented and filed.

Coordination and representation

• Represent the Economic Recovery sector during stakeholders and partners meetings (local communities, local government officials, Early Recovery and Livelihoods Sector Working Group, Food Security Sector and Agriculture Livelihood Working Group).
• Coordinate with Ministry of Agriculture Extension workers to facilitate beneficiaries’ training.
• Coordinate and facilitate the connection of beneficiaries and government technical services for capacity building and choosing seeds and technical production routes.
• Ensure effective dialogue and networking with Local Institutions, Private Institutes, workshops, National and international NGOs, and local authorities.
• Coordinate with other actors in the project area and project teams to address vulnerable communities’ specific or complementary needs.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Participate in monthly Budget Follow-up review meetings and ensure all livelihood activities are updated and submitted to EcRec Manager.
• Work with M&E to manage agriculture component data (training, distribution, baseline surveys, yield assessment, PDM etc.)
• Work closely with the M&E unit to identify, document, and disseminate relevant project success and challenges and follow up on project implementation.
• Participate in project evaluations and assist in the analysis of results and reporting.

Administration, logistics & Logistics

• Ensure compliance with donor requirements regarding programming implementation and asset management.
• Support the monitoring of financial commitments and expenditures against budgets and provide timely feedback on budget follow-up.
• Plan and coordinate proactively logistics and movements of staff from and to different operational areas.
• Ensure distribution plans are prepared and shared with all relevant stakeholders.
• Provide timely expenditure planning & budget follow-ups with guidance from the Economic Recovery Programme Manager
• Ensure DRC financial procedures, guidelines and control corruption are maintained among the team.
• Initiate procurements and ensure adherence to correct procurement and logistical procedures in coordination with the logistics department.

Personnel Management.

• Directly supervising EcRec Agriculture Officers (2), Assistants (4).

The responsibilities listed in the JD are not exhaustive and may be readjusted according to operational needs but will remain in line with the overall purpose of the role.

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

Essential:

• At least 4 years of relevant professional Economic Recovery Agriculture components experience with a humanitarian aid organization.
• Understanding of Economic Recovery Agriculture programming issues in the country and the Northeast Nigeria region
• Experience in technical guidance, development and delivery of participatory training and capacity building.
• Proven strong analytical and communication skills, representation, negotiation, advocacy, and diplomacy.
• Excellent communication skills (including attention and patience)
• Experience in managing teams.
• Good computer skills (especially Ms. Office)

Desirable:

• Understanding of rights and protection issues of IDPs, children and women

Experience working with displaced populations.

Education: (include certificates, licenses etc.)

University degree or advanced training/ course in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Extension, Agroeconomics, Horticulture, Plant Sciences or related field.

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

Fluency in written and spoken English. Fluency in local spoken languages.

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

Internal

• Logistics, Procurement, Finance, HR, IT, WASH, Shelter, Food Security, Economic Recovery, Protection, MEL

External

• Consortium partners
• State Government Ministries and Departments
• UN Coordination Technical Working Group Leads and other NGOs
• Local Government Councils and Traditional Local Leadership
• Farmers associations

Application Process

Are you interested? Then apply for this position online: www.drc.dk/about-drc/vacancies/current-vacancies. All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English.

DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process.

Applications close on the 3rd of January 2025 at midnight (GMT-time). Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

Due to the urgency of the position, DRC has the right to recruit a candidate who matches the required profile before the above deadline.