Climate Smart Agriculture Lead Consultant at Heifer International

Functions

• The Climate Smart Agriculture Lead Consultant – Africa will provide strategy and technical leadership in delivering the environmental aspects of Heifer’s Africa-based Signature Program and project portfolio, and for growing the portfolio of new projects that are centered on promoting Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and regenerative agriculture approaches in support of smallholder farmers. The role incumbent will mentor Africa regional program and business development staff, ensuring CSA technical excellence and alignment with Signature Programs, exceeding regional revenue targets while ensuring regional collaboration and coordination across countries working closely with the global CSA Lead to align strategy and share learnings across regions. This role will be responsible for ensuring that Heifer policies, standards, and operational procedures are designed and implemented in Africa to identify and then try to avoid, mitigate, and minimize adverse environmental and social impacts that may arise in the implementation of Heifer’s projects.
• In supporting project delivery and positioning Heifer for new business opportunities, the Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Lead – Africa will serve as a key spokesperson both within Heifer and to partners, donors, and beneficiaries outside of the organization; Will mainstream climate-smart methods and approaches to our Signature programs collaboration with country offices and raise Heifer’s profile in strategic environment sector forums, external coalitions, and processes with emphasis on Heifer’s strengths relating to combatting climate change, protecting biodiversity, and land restoration. This role may guide, empower, and supervise consultants to ensure the effective pursuit of Heifer’s mission.

The role may be located in any of the following countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda or Zambia.
Essential Character Traits

• Impeccable interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and written in English. Ability to develop climate-smart programmatic/technical strategies in support of wider organizational goals. Ability to support, cultivate, and anticipate climatic smart future business opportunities. Exceptional technical, project management leadership skills and ability to work in a matrix environment. Proven ability to navigate issues and topics tactfully and diplomatically working at different organizational levels, and with external partners and other stakeholders, to identify, cultivate, and develop relationships that result in new opportunities for the organization.

Responsibilities & Deliverables
New Business Development – 25%
Consultant Management (20%)
May perform other job-related duties as assigned (5%)

• Embedding CSA in Signature Program Implementation (50%)
• Work with Africa regional and country teams to ensure the environmental aspects of the Signature Program project portfolio are delivering high quality, on-time deliverables, meeting or exceeding their contractual targets and contributing to relevant environmental, social and development objectives.
• Lead or support CSA delivery in Heifer Africa region’s projects by providing specialized technical assistance on issues related to climate, biodiversity, and land degradation.
• Ensure that all projects in the Africa region are fully compliant with Heifer and donor-required environmental and social safeguards standards, policies, and operational procedures.
• Engage with project teams to identify, adapt, and refine technologies, tools, solutions, and approaches that advance the project’s environmental goals and plans.
• Oversee continuous monitoring and evaluation of environment-related workstreams, ensuring that outcomes, impacts, and lessons learned are captured to inform future CSA strategy.
• Participate in cross-sector initiatives that builds Heifer’s technical leadership on environmental topics.
• Lead development of CSA quality knowledge products, reports, articles, blogs and/or opinion-leading pieces and ensures their effective communication to target audiences including donors and other key stakeholders.
• Provide CSA technical guidance/recommendations and support the development, implementation and mainstreaming of CSA technologies across all Signature Programs and interventions in relevant value chains for Heifer Africa.
• Liaise with M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation) teams and implementing partners to conduct relevant CSA assessments to gather feedback and input to support program reviews and improve delivery.
• Contribute to regular program/project reporting by providing and/or consolidating CSA field data and lessons gathered from the field.
• Lead efforts in the Africa region to conduct climate change vulnerability and risk assessments and identifying appropriate adaptation measures for selected agri-food value chains.
• Support implementation of Heifer’s Africa regional and country resource mobilization strategies focusing on key donors for the environment such as USAID, UN Agencies, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Green Climate Fund (GCF), among others, by creating a robust pipeline of environment-focused opportunities in direct support of smallholder farmers.
• Lead development of competitive proposals that leverage Heifer’s CSA regional and global capabilities.
• Strengthen and expand strategic client relationships with USAID and other development agencies and organizations to enable better access to information and Heifer’s competitive positioning regarding planned projects and new procurements in the Africa region.
• Support business development resource mobilization efforts by contributing to concept note/full proposal writing by providing and/or facilitating the process to implement relevant assessments and evidence-based data from the field.
• Support strengthening of external partnerships and linkages with public and private institutions that generate relevant information and technologies that support CSA integration into Signature Programs.
• Manage a team of full and/or part-time consultants responsible for leading specialized technical strategy development, new business growth, proposal development, supporting existing projects, and expanding Heifer’s market position with donor, partners, and counterparts.
• Lead CSA talent and performance management within the Africa region that are related to environment topics.
• Identify, recruit and onboard consultants with skills necessary to achieve Heifer’s growth and high program quality related to promoting sustainable and regenerative approaches for smallholder-led agriculture.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, international development, agriculture, environment, or a related field, and at least 15 years of related programmatic experience.
• Significant CSA technical experience in the design and/or implementation of projects involving climate-smart agricultural value chains, climate change (mitigation and adaptation), biodiversity protection, land/ecosystem restoration, and regenerative agriculture approaches targeting smallholder farmers.
• A minimum of 5 years in a supervisory capacity.
• Must have existing strong networks with high-priority bilateral and multilateral donors for Heifer, Tier-1 foundations, the private sector, technical and research partners, and other implementing organizations.
• Successful experience in bringing together both private and public funding for large-scale programs, and a proven track record of leading proposal development processes and successfully securing large-scale funding to support impactful growth in programs.
• Proven team leadership, management, and capacity-building skills with the ability to train and work cooperatively with diverse staff and consultants.
• Fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking).

Preferred Requirements

• Master’s degree in agriculture, business, environment, or a related field.
• Have lived abroad and/or spent significant time working in the Africa region.
• Managed institutional donor projects in the past.

Most Critical Proficiencies

• Ability and strong proven experience in spotting an opportunity and closing deals in business and proposal bids within the environment sector.
• Knowledge and experience in complex partnerships that include multiple partners and donors – with multiple and sometimes competing interests.
• High energy, collaborative, leader with outstanding interpersonal skills, enthusiastic relationship-builder, and strong negotiator.
• Change leader with demonstrated persistence and resilience when things go wrong and the ability to get things back on track.
• Leadership skills, with the ability to provide others with a clear direction and motivation.
• Strong analytical skills including the ability to synthesize complex or diverse quantitative and qualitative information from a wide range of sources.
• Superlative problem-solving skills: identifying and resolving problems in a timely manner; gathering and analyzing information skillfully; using strong rationale even when dealing with difficult topics.
• Experience in forming new partnerships, alliances, and relationships that integrate private sector partnerships, local community funds, innovative financing, and impact investment.

Essential Job Functions And Physical Demands

• Willingness to support Heifer’s mission, Cornerstones Model, and values.
• Ability to serve as a thought leader in relevant technical areas for Heifer.
• Ability to prepare and present speeches/presentations, reports, business correspondence, and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format with superior attention to detail.
• Proven interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to relate to individuals and groups diplomatically and tactfully.
• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours, including within business hours that are regular in other time zones worldwide.
• Adequate physical condition necessary to travel to and walk to project sites in rural areas if needed.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and to maintain confidentiality.