Role: National Cooperative Climate Agri-Business Advisor Project Lead 

Location: Kisumu

Organisation: Agriterra (www.agriterra.org)

About Agriterra

Agriterra is a cooperative development agency founded and governed by farmers’ organisations from The Netherlands, to strengthen the capacity of farmers’ organisations in the Global South. Our mission is to strengthen organised farmers given the importance of effectively organised farmers to improve the resilience of rural households and drive the structural transformation of economies inclusive of rural communities. Through collective action, farmers can set the agenda for their own development ambitions and strengthen their voice and bargaining power to improve their food security, their economic development and their ability to cope with climatic shocks.

About the CRLCSA Project

The “Transformation of Agricultural Value Chains Towards Low-Carbon, Climate Resilient Pathways in Kenya 2025-2031” (CRLCSA) project is developed by the Cooperative Partnership for Climate Smart Food and Forestry, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Government of Kenya, with Agriterra as main co-executing partner. The project will foster the emergence of climate-resilient, low-carbon, environmentally sustainable, and financially viable agriculture value chains.

The project will accelerate the transfer of technology, knowledge, assets, and services with a focus on cooperatives as key agents to leverage rural change and climate resilience. The project focuses on six priority value chains: dairy, poultry, coffee, tea, fruit trees, and African leafy vegetables in the Lake Region Economic Block.

The project has a total budget of USD 50 million over six years, including a grant of USD 29.2 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) which will be supplemented with funding from the FAO and the Government of Kenya, in addition to co-funding from Denmark.

About the Job

For this role, Agriterra is looking for an experienced project manager with proven thematic experience in climate-related projects with a focus on agri-business and/or cooperative development. The National Cooperative Climate Agri-Business Advisor will manage the design, planning, implementation and reporting of the project, and manage the project team of around 15 people. He or she ensures that Agriterra performs as the renowned agricultural cooperative development agency in Kenya and ensures projects are implemented within scope, budget, timeline and on acceptable quality levels along the commitments specified in the contracts signed with the FAO and the Green Climate Fund, the consortium and other relevant stakeholders.

He/she works in line with Agriterra’s standards, Agriterra’s approach to cooperative development, rural transformation, climate, project management and donor regulations, to achieve high quality impact and achieve the agreed results and deliverables of the project.

The National Cooperative Climate Agri-Business Advisor will report to the Regional Manager East Africa.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Leadership: Lead, manage, coach, guide and motivate the project team, partners, and relevant stakeholders. Plan and assign tasks to the project team, monitor progress, and ensure quality and timeliness of deliverables.

• Cooperative advisory services: lead the design, planning, implementation, and monitoring of the project; oversee the establishment and monitoring of the project portfolio (of approximately 130 formal farmer organisations) and ensure efficient, harmonized operations. Lead the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of the project portfolio in the LREB region, while providing advisory services to the selected cooperatives and providing leadership to the field and office staff from the Kisumu office.

• Representation: represent the project in project consortia meetings and forums.

• Planning and reporting: develop and implement comprehensive project plans in accordance with Agriterra’s standards and donor requirements; regularly report on project progresses, financial performance, and adherence to the targets.

• Workplan development and monitoring: translate project objectives into actionable tasks and oversee their execution; critically review project drafts, validate key result areas, and enhance project strategies.

• Compliance and budget control: In cooperation with a dedicated Finance and Operations officer, ensure full compliance with internal and donor regulations for administrative, finance, and HR components of projects; manage project budgets, including booking, and reporting expenditures.

• Stakeholder Management: build and maintain effective relationships with donors, partners, and other stakeholders; identify and act on opportunities for project upscaling and innovation.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: In cooperation with a dedicated PMEL officer, collect, consolidate, and review project data and KPIs in accordance with Agriterra’s PMEL guidelines; provide insights and recommendations for improving project outcomes.

What do you offer?

Educational background

• Bachelor’s degree in Development studies, Entrepreneurship, Agri-business, Business administration, Agricultural economics, or a related field is required.

• Master’s degree in Development studies, Entrepreneurship, Agri-business, Business administration, Agricultural economics, or a related field is desired.

Experience

• 5-10 years of experience in rural development and climate smart agriculture.

• 3-5 years of experience managing and implementing international donor-funded development projects, in a project lead capacity. Experience working with large consultancy firms, FAO, and/or GC is an added advantage

• Proven leadership experience in coordinating and inspiring project teams.

• Experience working a high-paced work-environment

Skills

• Excellent communication skills in English, both in writing and speaking. Swahili is a plus.

• Proficient in project management software and MS Office.

• Strong organisational and networking skills.

Competencies

• Energetic, straightforward and ambitious.

• Strategic thinker, with a charismatic ability to inspire and motivate teams.

• Entrepreneurial mindset, capable of identifying and capitalizing on opportunities.

• Decisive and balanced approach to managing projects and teams.

What do we offer?

• International, collegial, ambitious, and impact-oriented work environment.

• Developmental opportunities incl. yearly educational fund.

• Ambitious work environment with a focus on achieving tangible results.

Interested?

We kindly request that you submit your CV by 18th July 2025. Shortlisting will be done on a rolling basis.