Role overview
What you'll be stepping into
The key purpose of this role is to drive yield and quality improvement in barley by owning research and development (R&D) trials and translating insights into scalable farmer practices. For the remainder of the time, the role is responsible for executing regional agronomy (extension) activities to deliver production plans. This position also serves as a succession pipeline to the Uganda Team Leader role.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
R&D Leadership (Primary Focus)
Plan and execute variety trials, ensure execution of demo plots, and management/protocol development trials.
Generate insights and codify best practices (varieties, inputs, agronomy protocols).
Translate results into farmer training content and update protocols accordingly.
Partner with Zone research specialist/Global barley innovation team and 3rd parties (like SABBI) on variety development planning and execution.
Yield & Quality Improvement
Identify constraints and implement interventions to improve yield, quality, and cost/ton.
Track crop performance and drive in-season mitigations through farmer engagement.
Farmer Capability & Extension Execution
Deliver technical training, field visits, and demo plot coaching.
Ensure adherence to crop protocols and responsible sourcing/sustainability standards.
Support farmer days and knowledge transfer at scale.
Seasonal Planning & Delivery
Execute regional production plans: seed/input planning and distribution, planting alignment, crop monitoring, and pre-harvest estimates.
Provide accurate in-season forecasts and end-of-season analysis; update protocols based on learnings.
Data, Reporting & Sustainability
Ensure high-quality data capture for production and sustainability (e.g., SCFE 2030).
Report progress vs plan; flag risks early and track actions.
Stakeholder & Resource Management
Manage relationships with aggregators, agents, community leaders, and lead farmers.
Oversee 3rd-party resources against SLAs; escalate gaps and ensure delivery.
Continuous Improvement & Pipeline Development
Identify and execute improvement initiatives (yield, quality, cost).
Build leadership capability in preparation for Team Leader succession.
Key Attributes and Competencies:
Strong applied agronomy and experimentation/field trial design
Data-driven decision-making; disciplined planning and reporting
Influencing and training farmers at scale
Stakeholder management across informal and formal networks
High ownership, proactive, and execution-focused
Minimum Requirements:
BSc Agriculture (or related)
~2–5 years’ experience in agronomy/field crops (cereals preferred)
Experience with farmer extension, demo plots, and/or trials
Familiarity with agro-chemicals, farm equipment, and local production systems
Computer literacy (Excel, basic data capture tools)
Fluent in English; local language advantageous
Valid driver’s license (motorcycle); regular field travel required
Additional Information:
Band: VIII
How to apply