Agriculture Officer

Agriculture Officer

Location: Surkhet, Karnali

Department: New Campus / Sustainability

Employment Type: Full-Time

With a vision of “A world where every child is safe, educated, loved”, Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj (KVSS) established in 2007, is a non-governmental, apolitical, and not for profit organization. Our mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal’s children. We do this by providing quality education, a safe environment, and through inspiring others while putting the children first, strengthening families and our communities. Most at-risk and disadvantaged children are provided with inclusive quality education at Kopila Valley School (KVS), one of the greenest schools in Nepal, made from the rammed earth and nestled on a campus with a commitment to building sustainable programs. Along with lifelong gift education to the disadvantaged children, we support their family members to improve their living standards and make it sustainable through holistic programs ranging from children’s home, health and wellness through women empowerment to career guidance/counseling, and scholarships for further studies.

Environmental sustainability is one of the guiding principles and a way of life whatever we do! We nurture children and adults to appreciate, preserve and restore our environment so future generations may continue to flourish. Through the sustainability program, we promote Education for Sustainability through place-based, outdoor and experiential sessions, and an integrated curriculum. We work on regenerative farming and creating sustainable food systems by localizing the process along with promoting sustainable physical infrastructure, facilities and operation systems. Community outreach, partnerships and collaborations are the integral part of our work as we inspire others by offering KVS as an open learning source where green school networks, exposure visits, community groups and club activities are supported and encouraged. We do this with our funding partner BlinkNow Foundation and in close ties with the local government and communities.

About the Role

The Agriculture officer will be responsible for promotion of regenerative and resilient agriculture based on the values of permaculture. Under the supervision of Sustainability Coordinator, Agriculture Officer will provide support to sustainability team in planning and implementation of regenerative agriculture practices, backstopping support to gardening teacher in gardening sessions to the students, build capacity of agriculture team, and lead the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) of farmer’s group, and promote community outreach through training and sustainable business promotion activities. It also includes coordination with relevant stakeholders at different levels.

Must Have:

Education: Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture or relevant discipline

Experience: At Least 3 years of proven experience in promotion of regenerative & organic farming, and agro-ecological livelihood practices for small-holder farmers

Language: A good communicator, and fluent in English and Nepali

Skills and Abilities:

• Hands on experience in regenerative farming; input support, pest management.
• Excellent training facilitation skill especially in capacity building of team members
• Coordination with stakeholders, line agencies and partner organizations.
• Planning, report writing and financial management.
• Sound knowledge on MS office packages.
• Experience on data collection, processing and reporting.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Core Responsibilities:

1. Strengthen the gardening curriculum and gardening classes at Kopila Valley School
2. Capacity building of sustainability team and onsite support for regenerative agriculture development
3. Strengthen the regenerative agriculture in the community.

Detailed Responsibilities

1. Strengthen the gardening curriculum and gardening classes at Kopila Valley School

• Support gardening teacher in upgrading gardening curriculum and support in gardening class for improved gardening works.
• Track the status of the animal farm at school, oversee and upgrade the work efficiency and address the challenges on time.
• Support Sustainability team in Education for Sustainability (EFS) activities including club activities.

1. Training and capacity building of team members and onsite support for regenerative agriculture development.

• Provide constant support in planning and implementation of permaculture-based farming activities.
• Prepare the annual procurement plan & monthly procurement plan accordingly. Coordinate for sourcing the required materials, especially the quality seeds & seedlings and other inputs on time.
• Strengthen the staff’s capacity through training, onsite coaching, mentoring etc.
• Keep track of production details and prepare the cost benefit analysis report.
• Submit monthly plans and required reports on a pre-agreed timeline.
• Research about the innovative techniques on regenerative agriculture and implement in the field.
• Implement the IPM technique and other innovative regenerative techniques to address disease and pest management.

1. Strengthen the regenerative agriculture in the community

• Build capacities of associated farmers groups through training, onsite coaching and follow ups focusing on organic farming, sustainability, and regenerative agriculture practices.
• Review the impact and effectiveness of the activities and provide support in strengthening or reorienting the activities to meet the program objectives.
• Develop seasonal calendar and share across different departments of the organization.
• Prepare a training manual and make necessary arrangements and execute the training related to regenerative farming for community people.
• Strengthen PGS farmers group in dealing with disease and pest management and ensure PGS certification.
• Keep track of annual demand of Kopila Valley and annual estimated and actual production of each PGS farmer’s group member.

Additional expectations:

• Creating and maintaining a work schedule for all activities and routines within the program and making sure that it is followed.
• Communicating regularly, this includes responding to messages and emails promptly.
• Build positive working relationships and environment in the organization by bringing solutions to the discussion table.
• Demonstrate professionalism in all interactions and execution of duties including ensuring confidentiality as per the organization’s protocols.
• Report to the manager on a weekly basis, and as needed in case of urgent activities.
• Build and maintain a strong relationship with the team members and leadership team of KVSS to ensure the continued success of our joint projects.
• Strengthen the coordination with stakeholders, line agencies and partner organizations.
• Support sustainability coordinator in promoting sustainability initiatives.
• Support for training or specific meetings outside of working hours may be needed with advanced notice.

Key Characteristics

• You believe that we can change the world, in the blink of an eye
• You believe in making decisions that put children first
• You are self-motivated, organized, and approachable
• You enjoy creating systems, keeping records, and increasing efficiency
• You are always looking for new ways for our team to work smarter instead of harder
• You are detail-oriented and conscientious. You make sure nothing slips through the cracks
• You have a strong work ethic and a willingness to pick up new skills. You are comfortable multi-tasking
• You are positive, patient, and a clear communicator who is comfortable working with both Kopila Valley staff in Nepal and the BlinkNow staff in Nepal
• You are an empathetic person, with a knack for putting out fires before they start and soothing conflicts brewing beneath the surface
• You require little supervision and are flexible. You understand that you will be wearing many hats in this role, many of which are not explicitly included in this job description.