Senior Plantation Officer at Earthtree Kenya

Purpose of the Role:

• The Senior Plantation Officer will be responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring, and supervising all plantation-related activities including community engagement across assigned project locations in Eldoret, Kenya. This includes nursery management, plantation site preparation, sapling planting, maintenance, record-keeping, team coordination, and community engagement. The role demands both technical competence in forestry/agroforestry/horticulture and the ability to work with diverse stakeholders including local communities, forest departments, partner NGOs, and vendors.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:
Community & Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with community members, local leaders, SHGs, and farmers to ensure participation and buy-in.
• Support in conducting field awareness sessions and training programs for farmers on plantation techniques, care, and maintenance.
• Coordinate with partner NGOs and consultants on field-related activities.

Planning & Implementation

• Assist to prepare and implement plantation plans in alignment with project objectives and timelines.
• Identify suitable plantation sites in coordination with local stakeholders and technical experts.
• Coordinate soil testing, land preparation, pit digging, and other pre-plantation activities.
• Implementation of sapling plantation as per the farm design.
• Ensure timely placing requests and transportation of saplings, biofertilizers, tools, and other materials.

Sapling Management

• Coordinate with the nursery team to ensure quality planting material (QPM) is available as per plantation schedules.
• Coordination with the Transport & Logistics team for availability of saplings at plantation sites.

Plantation Execution & Monitoring

• Supervise plantation field staff, contractor and daily wage labourers during plantation activities.
• Ensure correct spacing, planting technique, and species selection as per project norms.
• Apply biofertilizers, micronutrients, and organic treatments as per standard protocol.
• Conduct regular monitoring of plantation sites for growth, pest issues, irrigation needs, etc.
• Maintain detailed records on survival rates, GPS coordinates, and plantation logs.

Data Management & Reporting

• Collect, document, and update data related to plantation progress, sapling health, and site conditions.
• Use of technology platforms such as MRV Camera app, EBOS app, MRV app, ODK and others for plantation monitoring and data recording
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and seasonal reports with qualitative and quantitative data.
• Use digital tools (mobile apps, GIS tools, Excel) for tracking and analysis, if required.
• Maintain inventory and records of sapling types, numbers, survival rates, etc.

Maintenance & Post-Plantation Care

• Ensure proper fencing and firelines, watering schedules, mulching, weeding, and pest/disease management at all plantation sites.
• Implement strategies for increasing survival rates and long-term sustainability.
• Coordinate replacement planting for saplings that do not survive.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure adherence to quality standards, SOPs, and environmental safeguards.
• Assist in audit and compliance processes with documentation and field visits.
• Any other task assigned by the management to meet the project objectives.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Environmental Science or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in plantation/agroforestry/horticulture/community engagement-related fieldwork.
• Familiarity with local agro-climatic conditions, soil types, and native species.
• Experience in managing field teams, working with communities, and interacting with local government bodies. Basic knowledge of biofertilizers, organic inputs, and sustainable land use practices.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Field operations management
• Interpersonal skills for community engagement
• Data collection and documentation
• Problem-solving and adaptability
• Willingness to travel and stay in remote areas
• Basic computer literacy and knowledge of GPS/GIS tools (preferred)
• Should be tech-savvy and should be able to operate applications.