Herders Development Project Officer

Description

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

The Organization
Since 1944, Heifer International has helped more than 36 million families lift themselves out of hunger and poverty.

Our goal is to help families achieve living incomes, which will allow them to feed their families daily, educate all their children; and have proper housing, water, hygiene, and other essential resource. When many families gain this new sustainable income, it brings new opportunities for building schools, creating agricultural cooperatives, forming community savings, and funding small businesses.

Heifer Senegal contribution to the Global 10 million households target is to help 500,000 of Heifer Africa’s 6.745 million households achieve sustainable living income by 2030.

FUNCTION

The Project officer will be responsible for the effective implementation of the Dairy project in the project's intervention regions. He/she will participate in the definition of implementation strategies, supervise community facilitators, and coordinate the implementation of project activities by working with communities to achieve project objectives. He/she will be involved in technical training and supervision of beneficiary families and partners and will ensure compliance with Heifer procedures.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER TRAITS

Ability to work cooperatively, tactfully, and diplomatically with culturally diverse groups of people, Plans and aligns; Optimizes work processes; Ensures accountability; Drives results; Collaborates; Communicates effectively; Courage; Instills trust; Builds effective teams; Nimble learning.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES

A. Ensuring the proper management and optimum use of the project's human resources (HRM, social climate) 20%

• Monitor and supervise the project's Livestock technician.
• Supervise the livestock technician and provide guidance to their work and encourage their professional growth.
• Develop specific and pedagogically relevant training modules on animal health, feeding, housing and reproduction.
• Planning and organizing the work of livestock technicians.
• Validate the livestock technicians' work plans and monthly reports.
• Participate in the recruitment and orientation of project staff.
• Strengthen the technical skills of the staff.
• Monitors technical and practical innovations in animal husbandry and passes on information to the employees concerned to help them develop their skills.
• Organize regular meetings with key project staff.

B. Ensure the technical management of dairy project (planning, organization, achievement of objectives, compliance with commitments) (20%)

• Ensuring compliance with the various stages of the project as defined in the specifications.
• Continuously monitor and control the level of execution of the project up to the closing phase.
• Centralize and analyze project data, considering progress indicators.
• Organizing fieldwork, and participating in multi-stakeholder working groups
• Checking the work carried out, identifying any malfunctions and correcting them.

C. Ensure the provision of quality animal health care (prevention and treatment). (40%)

• Ensure that relevant stakeholders understand the training program and that the knowledge is fully implemented on the farms, particularly, but not limited to, animal health,
• Improve animal health and husbandry through trained community-based agricultural entrepreneurs (CAVES).
• Monitor and support trained farmers, partners and project staff.
• Coach, mentor and train CAVES, and partners in animal husbandry.
• Ensure that all farmers are trained in group dynamics and social capital development.
• Ensure that the groups are practicing functional savings and credit activities to contribute to project objectives.
• Ensure that project activities comply with Heifer International's animal welfare policies.
• Maintain a record of known diseases/infections and mortalities.
• Ensure that farmers, partners, and CAVES maintain records of animal production.
• Coordinate the provision of quality veterinary services, equipment, vaccines, drugs, through hubs, CAVEs, and other structures as appropriate.
• Ensure the construction of low-cost, environmentally friendly, and appropriate animal shelters with adequate ventilation/lighting and improved sanitation and hygiene.
• Ensure proper manure management and use.
• Promote actions that will allow producers to have access to quality but low-cost feed for increased productivity and profitability.

D. Manage financial and material resources effectively (administration and finance, budget, mobilization of financial resources, etc.) 15%

• Drawing up and validating the quarterly and half-yearly schedule of activities and the provisional budget, identifying the tasks to be carried out, defining the resources to be deployed and anticipating and preventing risks.
• Justify all expenditure.
• Drawing up the budget implementation plan, taking into account the various stages of the project.

E. May perform other job-related duties as assigned. (5%)

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in community development, animal health, social sciences, agricultural or crop sciences, or related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in the development sector, preferably working directly with farmers, farmer groups and farmer organizations.
• Experience with group training and group dynamics, organizational development, gender, and savings and credit mobilization.
• Knowledge and experience in livelihoods development.

Preferred Requirements

• Degree in animal science/health, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine preferred.
• At least 10 years of relevant training experience with community groups and peer farmers.
• Good knowledge of training methodologies, including participatory training approaches.
• Experience in group leadership, savings mobilization, and social capital development.
• Knowledge and experience in the development and application of training manuals and modules.
• Knowledge and experience in implementing and monitoring the impact of trainings.

Most Critical Proficiencies

• Experience managing large projects with multiple donors.
• Good understanding of the different value chains of agricultural products
• Knowledge and experience in conducting trainings and moderation skills.
• Knowledge of various training topics such as gender, personal leadership, holistic values-based development, community development, savings mobilization, and organizational development.
• Knowledge and experience with or within community-based organizations.
• Fluency in English and French, both oral and written.
• Interest in animals, agriculture, and community development.
• Skills in participatory training methodology, preferably with an NGO
• Excellent communication skills; good writing and speaking skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, including strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, and email (Microsoft preferred)
• Motivated to work responsibly with little supervision.
• Ability to meet and deal with others in a courteous and tactful manner.
• Demonstrate a high degree of honesty and integrity.
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively, both locally and internationally.
• Ability to foster and maintain a spirit of unity, teamwork, and cooperation.
• Sensitivity to working with multiple cultures and beliefs, and gender equity.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

• Prepare and present project reports and presentations in a well-designed and engaging format with superior attention to detail.
• Demonstrated creativity, ability to think systematically, willingness and ability to incorporate innovative solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work cooperatively, tactfully, and diplomatically with culturally diverse groups of people.
• Constant face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication with colleagues and the public to increase visibility and publicity for the national program.
• May require constant sitting, working on a computer and concentrating for extended periods of time and performing office work in the field and/or in remote conditions.
• Work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.