Agriculture Officer - Puerto Rico

Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico 
Position Status: Full time, Regular
Salary: Starting salary for this role will be $53,000 USD commensurate on experience.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Climate change severely and disproportionately impacts islands in the Caribbean. Worsening environmental risks like rising and warming seas, and increasingly volatile dry and wet seasons mean that SIDS bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, even though their carbon footprint is small relative to the world’s largest carbon producers.

Developing Caribbean economies are also dependent on sectors vulnerable to climate patterns like fisheries, agriculture and tourism. Caribbean SIDS need strategies that build resilient livelihoods, strengthen food security and reduce risk to environmental hazards, enabling communities in places like Puerto Rico to survive and thrive in the climate crisis.

General Position Summar****y

The Agriculture Officer provides leadership and programmatic management for all agricultural activities and implementation of high-quality and impactful programming in Puerto Rico. They play a key role in supporting the Caribbean Resilience team in managing the agricultural program's progress and impact. They will lead the program implementation and conceptualization of new support interventions for program participants. The Agriculture Officer will work directly with local communities to identify appropriate inputs and design community gardens that provide food security and alternative income using a variety of agricultural production methods (raised beds, greenhouses, diverse irrigation methods, etc.). The Agriculture Officer will be able to design and facilitate training for program participants. They will foment new collaborations, networking opportunities, and partnerships with local agencies and the private sector to support farmers' recovery. They have a strong understanding of Puerto Rico's agriculture context and market and will work on access to new markets and other market-driven opportunities for farmers, beekeepers, and fisherfolks.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM DELIVERY

• Support the management of program budgets to ensure appropriate spending in accordance with donor commitment.

• Support in the conceptualization of new program intervention.

• Design and implement agricultural products for both improved food security and income generation for vulnerable communities.

• Support proposal development for agriculture programming

• Oversee logistics, including procurement, contracts, and training activities.

• Responsible for preparing Scope of Works (SoW) and other technical documents related to program projects.

• Submit itemized advance requests and/or reimbursement requests for purchases related to the project (e.g. ag inputs, building materials, etc.)

• Oversee work completed by local vendors and contractors related to the project

• Collaborate with local partners to ensure quality program delivery in urban and rural municipalities throughout Puerto Rico.

• Provide technical support to implementing partners, contractors and/or community participants

• Responsibilities include planning and conducting meetings with community partners, participants, and other stakeholders at the field level.

REPORTING:

• Support the Caribbean Resilience team with reporting responsibilities, including quarterly and final reports (performance and financial) to institutional donors and internal summaries of agricultural program activities.

• Support program and senior management by responding to information requests, drafting success stories, and monitoring and reporting on the program's impact.

• Ensure quality of program writing, including program activity plans, reports, and informal updates related to his/her area of expertise

• Support senior management in technical aspects of proposal writing for new funding opportunities from different federal or private corporate donors, in close collaboration with PR Director, PM, HQ TSU, and other team members in areas related to the agro sector.

PROJECT MONITORING:

• Lead project monitoring and evaluation for all agricultural activities. Monitor and document implementation activities done by implementing partners or contractors.

• Maintain and adapt appropriate impact and output program indicators with local partner

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly to: Director, Caribbean Resilience Initiative

Works Directly with: Program Officer, MEL Officer, Global Agriculture Technical Support Unit and various regional operational teams as well as HQ program units and departments

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• A BA/S in Agronomy or equivalent in the relevant field is required, MA/S preferred.

• 2+ years of professional experience with projects directly implementing agricultural activities and/or food security programming for vulnerable communities including project oversight and management.

• Working knowledge of conservation agriculture, soil-related fertility and conservation, small-scale irrigation schemes, and disease management.

• Prior experience with greenhouse production is strongly preferred

• Strong M&E background and skills; strong analytical and writing skills are essential.

• Effective multitasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary.

• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, and meet dad

• Fluent in Spanish and English language essential.

• Proven ability to communicate effectively with colleagues from various backgrounds and cultures.

• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

• Prior NGO or international development experience preferred.

• Prior working experience in Puerto Rico is strongly preferred.

Success Factors
The Agronomist will be conscientious, with an excellent sense of judgment. They will have the ability to foster solid working relationships with communities, staff, government agencies, international NGOs, local NGOs, and other stakeholders. We are looking for someone who is personally and programmatically sensitive to cultural, ethnic, gender and diversity issues.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in San Juan, Puerto Rico and it requires up to 40% local travel throughout the island, sometimes on short notice.Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme**.** We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment.  Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations.  Failure to comply may impact your employment.  Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.