About The Role
The Government Relations Specialist supports implementation of One Acre Fund’s technical services agreement with Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture’s National Value Chain Support Programme (NVSP). As the Technical Support Agency (TSA), One Acre Fund will help NVSP to:
Improve agricultural production and marketing through input-subsidized agriculture (fertilizer, lime, certified seed) using the e-voucher input management system, market-linkages and crop insurance.
Build capacity of relevant staff, farmers, agro-dealers and institutions both at at the county and national levels.
Strengthen linkages between the National Government, County governments and beneficiary farmers.
The GR Specialist will oversee several essential projects and deliverables within this program such as: piloting a community-level ‘Village-based Advisor’ (VBA) volunteer pilot in 12 counties; manage relationships with important agricultural partners across the maize, rice, coffee, and Irish potato value chains; lead workshops, trainings, and field visits; support with institutional capacity building for local and national government.
You will report to the East Africa Government Relations Senior Manager overseeing the technical services program, within the wider global government relations and policy team.
Responsibilities
Project Management
Lead field work in 12 counties to ensure farm input packages are trialed, including developing impactful training using participatory on-farm methods, and tracking progress using project management tools
Scope out projects using short-term goals and performance measurement metrics that support project delivery through critical path approach.
Lead project development and process improvements within strict timelines, delivering according to specific performance metrics.
Identify potential program risks and areas of misalignment between teams, and develop mitigation actions
Communication
Coordinate with other teams and program work streams to implement the VBA model at the county level, identifying important dependencies between workstreams, and collaborating with the Kenya local government relations teams
Manage discussions with high-level county partners and other actors in the four value chains to develop a reporting process that keeps all partners updated
Maintain high-quality cross team collaboration including both government relations and operations teams through online collaboration tools and materials
Produce high-quality written materials in the form of policy recommendations, externally facing reports, internal memos, and status updates
Partner Management
Develop relationships with national and local government officials to improve the program’s overall cooperation with government in a way that builds long-term allies and champions for One Acre Fund
Collaborate with the government relations team to arrange external facing events like field visits and workshops
Track priority relationships and implement projects to improve engagement with partners
Represent One Acre Fund at national and local government meetings
Career Growth and Development
We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.
Qualifications
Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:
Experience working in political or government environments in Kenya at local and national levels, including field experience in rural communities
Demonstrated organizational abilities, particularly in unstructured environments
Advanced relationship management abilities
High attention to detail
Strong writing and advocacy skills
Collaborative professional, able to work with different teams
Good humor, patience, and a approach to service
English and Kiswahili fluency
Apply via :
eacrefund.org
