Vacancy Announcement "Agro-conservationist"

 The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has a distinguished history of experts exploring and saving wildlife in some of the most remote and wild places remaining on Earth. WCS Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) has significantly grown over the last decades, and contributed substantially in supporting the Government of Indonesia (GoI) in conserving Indonesia’s biodiversity. WCS-IP currently has programs focusing on landscape/seascape conservation, species conservation actions and engaging local communities.

One of WCS’s priority landscapes is the Singkil Wildlife Reserve (SWR) and its surrounding buffer zone in Aceh Province. SWR contains the largest remaining intact peatland forest in Aceh and important habitat for endangered species including Orangutan. While deforestation rates inside the SWR are low, pressures along its borders are very high, demonstrated by widespread and frequent fires to clear land for agricultural plantation.

WCS-IP is pioneering an innovative integrated landscape program, which aim to support BKSDA Aceh reducing pressure to SWR while improving the livelihood of the surrounding community. support field-level intervention, WCS-IP is seeking an Agro-conservationist.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The position will lead on the development and delivery of a farmer extension a training program to improve the productivity and profitability of plantation as well as to strengthen farmer organization, in collaboration with the WCS landscape team and project partners. The post holder will work with the wider WCS team to ensure that interventions to support farmers ultimately also lead to reduced encroachment pressure on the SWR.

The position will be based in one of the priority villages and will be available for a period of one year from August 2021, with the possibility of extension depending on performance and availability of funding.

PRIORITY OBJECTIVE

  • Provide support to the Sustainable Landscape Coordinator to design and deliver a set of interventions to improve farmer knowledge and skills in the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices and post-harvesting practices and strengthen the organization and capacity of farmer groups to access finance, inputs and markets. 
  • Work with the wider of Sustainable Landscape Program team to ensure farmer interventions reduce encroachment pressure on SWR

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH

  • Working with the Sustainable Landscape Coordinator and Community Organization Officer, conduct survey and focus group discussion with community to assess community socio-economic condition. 
  • Conduct community need assessment and develop Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training curriculum based on the result of the community need assessment 
  • Support the implementation of further research to support the implementation of the project, including to support the development of a compliance-based incentives system to ensure against encroachment into SWR. 
  • Provide support for farmer mapping.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT

  • Develop and deliver a farmer training and extension program to improve productivity and profitability, including through group training, mentoring, Farmer Field Schools and continuous engagement. 
  • Work with the WCS team to integrate conservation awareness raising into the farmer extension and training program 
  • Ensure and monitor farmer adoption of the training materials into their farming practices. 
  • Compile, record and regularly update data and information on the farmer training progress 
  • Work with the Sustainable Landscape Program team to support the development and implementation of a compliance-based incentives system (including farmer access to training, inputs, finance, markets and other innovative approaches) to ensure against further encroachment into SWR 
  • Support data collection from farmers and farmer groups to monitor project progress and to monitor compliance and risk of encroachment to inform incentives.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION

  • Establish and maintain good working relationships with local communities, village, sub-district and district governments, and the SWR authority 
  • Establish and maintain good working relationships with farmers, farmer groups, and village and community leaders
  • Establish and maintain good working relationships with project partners 
  • Conduct farmer trainings and provide technical and facilitating support to meetings, focus group discussions and public outreach activities 
  • Develop activity reports and provide regular project progress reports and updates, as needed 
  • Support writing, publishing and presenting high quality research findings and providing data to support communication of project and key impacts and findings through websites, social and print media.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Relevant university level qualification or equivalent experience in agronomy or similar 
  • Minimum 2 years working in an oil palm company, NGO, or with solid experience working in oil palm production and supply chains
  • Demonstrable field experience of working with smallholder farmers and an understanding of the challenges related to the oil palm production in Sumatra 
  • Knowledge of Good Agricultural Practices for oil palm and demonstrable experience in farmer training and/or mentoring (in GAPs etc.) and in supporting the strengthening farmer organization and financial literacy 
  • Existing relationships and connections with both private and public sector stakeholders in the southern Aceh region are highly desirable.

COMPETENCIES

  • Ability to work independently and proactively with stakeholders in rural areas, as well as in district level 
  • Good judgement, and the ability to work under pressure and respond quickly to deadlines 
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to adapt communications and messaging to a range of different audiences 
  • Excellent networking and engagement skills 
  • Good written and analytical skills 
  • Functional fluency in English is desirable though not essential.
POSITION:          AGRO-CONSERVATIONIST  
Based in:            Aceh - Singkil
Reports to:          Sustainable Landscape Coordinator

For more detailed information about Wildlife Conservation Society – Indonesia Program, the position and how to apply, please visit our website at:



When you are interested on the above position and consider that you possess the necessary qualification, please submit your job application consisting of updated curriculum vitae, expected salary, three professional references and a cover letter explaining your interest towards this work and/or this organization to idrecruitment@wcs.org.
 
Please fill the “subject” column of the e-mails in this format "Agro-Conservationist Aceh_(name of candidate)"

                                                                Deadline:
                                                          September 15th, 2021