Horticulture Specialist -Nakuru at AVSI Foundation

Job Summary

• The Horticulture Specialist provides expert agronomic leadership and technical guidance for high-value fruit, vegetable and horticultural crop value chains. The core purpose of the role is to transition smallholder farmers and commercial producer groups toward sustainable, high-yielding, climate-smart horticultural production while reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring compliance with market food safety standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and rollout of climate-smart agronomic protocols, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and soil fertility guidelines to optimize high-value production and resource efficiency.
• Design and deploy Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols and train farmer groups on food safety, safe chemical handling and certification standards to ensure market compliance.
• Establish demonstration plots and Farmer Field Schools, create user-friendly extension guidelines, and train field staff and community advisors on practical horticultural skills.
• Prepare and submit monthly performance reports, work plans and budgets to facilitate the realization of project implementation.
• Coordinate the implementation of AGRIPACT project activities and ensure that they are implemented efficiently and to high standards of quality.
• Supervise, and provide technical support and capacity development to, the field officers.
• Coordinate the tracking and reporting on progress, best practice documentation and achievements of the project using the monitoring and evaluation system provided.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships and liaison with project staff and partners, and maintain and develop policy dialogue with the respective County governments, line ministries, the private sector, interest associations, etc.
• Represent AVSI and the AGRIPACT project at meetings related to the project.
• Capture evidence of the project’s impact and success stories on the ground to assist the Project Manager in developing best practice documents.
• Coordinate the mobilization of participants for various project events such as trainings, field visits/trials/learning tours, and provide logistical support for the same.
• Take the lead in data collection as per the data collection tools provided and document cases of best practice in collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation team (including success stories/case studies).
• Prepare, attend and participate in the bi-weekly MEAL meetings and the Quarterly Project Management Committee meetings.
• Develop at least 3 life transformation project success stories.
• Implement and protect AVSI principles and procedures at all levels.
• Any other duties delegated by the supervisor.

Essential Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural Science, or a closely related field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum of 3 years of hands-on technical experience in commercial horticultural crop production, greenhouse management, or agricultural extension.
• Practical knowledge of GlobalGAP standards, food safety regulations and export market quality requirements.

Required skills and experiences

• Practical knowledge of GlobalGAP standards, food safety regulations and export market quality requirements.