Agronomy Associate at Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD)

Details:

Precision Agriculture for Development, Inc. (PAD) is hiring an Agronomy Associate to support PAD’s operations in Kenya, and to assist in expanding and improving the Ministry of Agriculture’s SMS advisory platform (MoA-INFO) - managed and operated by PAD. MoA-INFO aims to provide high quality agricultural recommendations to smallholder farmers throughout Kenya. The focus on the platform is currently on the Fall Armyworm (FAW) infestation. PAD, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, aims to deliver a wide array of agronomical content to smallholders through the platform, thus adding high quality and impactful content to the platform is an immediate priority.

PAD was established with a keen eye towards rigorous evaluation and constant experimentation. We aim to provide mobile agricultural extension services but also to rigorously evaluate impact. Each of our programs and partnerships have a strong complement of social science research, ranging from large- and small-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to A/B tests to pilot trials.  Most of PAD's research projects are led by economists Shawn Cole (Harvard Business School) and Michael Kremer (Harvard University). PAD's research activities are also supported by affiliated researchers from other institutions and are overseen by PAD's Boston-based Senior Researcher.

Kenyan citizens are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

The Kenya Agronomy Associate will be involved in the following tasks:

• Develop SMS messages on a wide variety of different agricultural topics to be added to the MoA-INFO platform.
• Develop desk research and literature reviews on a wide-range of agricultural topics of relevance to the Kenyan smallholder farmer.
• Connect with relevant scientists / stakeholders in the sector who could be potential research and content partners – manage relationships with current partners.
• Investigate options for the customization of agronomic recommendations on the platform – engage with County level Agricultural experts.
• Plan and implement focus group discussions with farmers in order to receive feedback with an eye to improving the quality and relevance of the service.
• Work on other PAD activities as required, including supporting the PAD agronomist, Associate field manager and field team with their daily activities – including supervisory duties of the platform.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• An MSc. in agronomy or agricultural sciences. Candidates with a BSc. in agronomy and relevant work experience will be considered if they have a background in communications and/or ICT.
• At least 3 years' experience working in the agricultural sector in Kenya.
• The candidate must be comfortable engaging and building relationships with scientists, researchers and government officials.
• Strong writing and oral communication skills in English and Swahili, with attention to detail and advanced writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with flexibility and to work efficiently to stick to deadlines.
• Skillful in agricultural sciences with a capacity to interpret scientific journal articles, analyze research methodology and contextualize results.
• Practical knowledge of smallholder farming systems in Kenya and/or the region
• Willingness to relocate to Busia and travel widely within Kenya.

Desired Qualifications and Experience:

• Experience in communications or ICT, especially in the context of digital agriculture.
• Experience working with Kenyan smallholders.
• Experience working with enumerators and social science researchers.

Position details

• Full time
• Start date: ASAP
• Location: Busia, with travel to the field
• Compensation: commensurate with experience