Olivado
Position Title: Technical Officer
Overview: Reporting to the Field Relations Officer, the T.O will be responsible for Farmers Liaison Officers, assisting them in: -
- Field staff recruitment
- Orchard management
- Guide farmers on seedlings planting and management
- Inspection
- Farmer visits
- Farmer complaints handling
- GPS and other data collection as assigned
- Harvesting activities
- Crop estimates
- Advise farmers on cultural practices
- Competitor activities in the region
- Submitting reports to the office
- Record maintenance and completion
- Implementation and maintenance of Olivado Internal Management System and other statutory requirements
- Other duties as assigned by immediate supervisor.
Duties and Responsibilities:
A1: Technical and farmer relation activities
- Mentoring, motivating, and training of Farmers Liaison Officers.
- Support Farmers Liaison Officers recruit and train harvesting supervisors and pickers.
- Continuous verification of Farmers Liaison officer’s completed tasks (Farm verifications at least once every two months).
- Support Farmers Liaison Officers team with farmers group trainings.
- Ensure and maintain good relations between farmers, Farmers Liaison Officers and the company.
- Support the Farmers Liaison officers in training the farmers on good agricultural practices including fertilizer use and management, crop protection, Integrated pest management and integrated crop management.
- Support Farmer Liaison on the operation of Olivado Internal Management System.
- Prepare and submit all records and documents as required by the Internal Management System in a timely manner.
- Act as the Company’s Representative with other external Stakeholders in the areas of operations e.g., the HCD Staff, the County Agriculture Officers, the KEPHIS Staff.
- Provide intelligence information to the Company on Competitor activities.
- Take Charge of the Company assets and equipment in their control.
- Regularly advise the management on ways of enhancing farmers relationship, increasing efficiency, optimizing production and profit.
- Any Other duties as assigned by the management from time to time.
A2. Farm inspection and certification duties
- Inspection of farms and other Olivado facilities to verify compliance against statutory and voluntary standards and produce timely and accurate reports.
- Following up on closure of non-compliances identified during the internal inspections.
- Address areas for improvements noted during the internal inspections or during on farm verification.
- Coordination of external certification audits in the zones.
- Implement Corrective Action requests from the Certification bodies.
A3. Data collection duties
- Verification of collected data in their areas of operation.
- Informing the company of activities of competitors and other activities that may affect the company’s operations, including county government activities.
- Provide the data team with weekly reports on technical assistance and verification activities as outlined in the Internal Management System.
B. JOB SPECIFICATION:
- Degree or Diploma in Agriculture or related discipline with a bias to fruit and vegetable production.
- Two years’ experience in the production of horticultural crops in a smallholder scheme or exporter out grower scheme.
- Good knowledge of the key or potential avocado production areas of Kenya.
- A good understanding of the labour regulations in Kenya.
- At least one day practical inspection course setting out basic principles of inspection.
- At least two witness inspections accompanying an auditor could be Global Gap, or Organic, Fair Trade or others.
- Food safety and good agriculture practice (GAP) training.
- Training in HACCP principles.
- Food hygiene training.
- Plant protection, fertilizer use and integrated pest management training.
- Excellent Kiswahili and English reading, writing, and speaking skills.
- Proficient in computer application packages including MS- Word and Excel.
- Technical report writing skills.
- Training as a trainer of trainers (TOT).
- Knowledge in business management skills such as budgeting, expenditure accounting and resource allocation.
- Charismatic with good marketing and convincing skills.
- Ability to train, mentor and motivate the Farmer Liaison Team.
- Ability to work independently and within a team under minimal supervision.
- Ability to contribute to the planning of the company’s future relationships with farmer suppliers and future strategic development of the company.
- Valid motorcycle riding license and a valid motor vehicle driving license.
Qualified individuals should submit a cover letter and a Curriculum Vitae as one pdf document, via email with the subject Technical Officer to hrkenya@olivado.com and cc fieldtech@olivado.com to reach us on or before 20th October 2023.