Creative Associates International
Overview
Position Location: Erbil, Iraq, Amman, Jordan, or Gaziantep, Turkey depending on donor requirements
Background:
Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic institutions, and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
Position Summary:
The Agriculture Engineer oversees the implementation of the program’s agriculture activities to expand production and increase incomes for both small and commercial farmers in non-regime held parts of Syria. S/he provides technical leadership to ensure utilization of agriculture best practices in semi-arid and drought affected environments, ensures effective and timely completion of activities, delivery of quality outputs, and achievement of outcomes with maximum impact for beneficiaries. S/he will work with Technical Manager-Market System to operationalize the strategy, building the team’s capacity and ensuring high-quality technical design and implementation. S/he liaises with relevant internal departments, external partners, and project stakeholders and provides technical assistance to farmers and local officials to improve agricultural practices in non-regime held parts of Syria.
Reporting and Supervision:
The Agriculture Engineer reports to the Deputy Chief of Party-Program and supervises relevant technical field positions.
Responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities:
- Provide technical guidance for a wide-range of agricultural programming including climate-smart initiatives, integrated pest management, water conservation, etc.
- Support the DCOP-Program with developing the agriculture sector strategy in the area of intervention.
- Contribute to the preparation of the work plan to ensure a comprehensive and detailed model map for the successful implementation of the program.
- Monitor the work plan, monitor the implementation status of the program and update the program progress on a daily basis. Assist in documenting implementation progress and challenges.
- Support the development of the overall program implementation strategy including systems, approaches, tools, and materials according to relevant sectoral standards.
- Support the DCOP-Program, Operations Manager, MEAL Manager, Security Manager and other senior staff to ensure relevant technical input into key program plans and documents.
- Ensure that relevant technical quality and standards are considered and respected during program implementation, including incorporation of “do no harm principles”.
- Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to supervisors and other team members.
- Proposes solutions or improvements to the DCOP-Program to ensure the program activities are implemented with quality, according to the objectives, and on time.
- Support, facilitate or undertake communication, and liaison activities to actively consult and involve beneficiaries, key informants, actors, partners and stakeholders in all stages of program design and implementation.
Qualifications
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in agriculture engineering or equivalent in business administration, agriculture economics, economics, or other field relevant to the technical activities.
- At least five (5) years of recent relevant work experience related to agriculture development in the private sector or development projects, with demonstrated responsibility for design and implementation of development programs in the field of agriculture within the region.
- Experience in a similar programmatic role, preferably in Syria context (or within the region).
- Understanding of the agriculture and livelihood sector in northeast and northwest Syria preferred.
- Familiar with nutrition-sensitive approaches, financial inclusion, market-based programming, youth and women economic empowerment, cash programming, and livelihood resilience building approaches.
- Demonstrated program design, monitoring, and evaluation skills.
- Excellent management and communication skills.
- Ability to work and quickly adapt in a complex and fluid regional environment.
- Speaking and writing fluency in English and Arabic required, Kurdish preferred.
PI201024607