Agronomist

Background:

MAIL has initiated the On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) Project, approved and co-funded by the ARTF.  The overall development objective (PDO) of the OFWM-Project is to improve agricultural productivity in project areas by enhancing the efficiency of water used.

The OFWM Project will have three components:

1. Component A: Establishment of 5 OFWM project areas in Herat, Bamyan, Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kabul comprising of total of 50,000 ha. This component contains three sub-components

1. Establishment and/or strengthening of water user organization in order to enable them to assume their role in operation and maintenance (O & M).
2. Improvement of the physical irrigation infrastructure to reduce system water losses and facilitate equitable water distribution.
3. Dissemination of improved water saving techniques including (a) more efficient irrigation methods, (b) more efficient water distribution systems, (c) agronomic water saving measures

2. Component B: Strengthening MAIL’s Capacity in OFWM at the national, provincial and district levels in the project areas.
3. Component C: Project management, implementation and coordination.

The project is started in March 2011 for a 3-years period and was preceded by a 9 month preparation period that started on 1st of June 2010, with the following outputs: (a) Selection of project areas and project sites (175 irrigation schemes) for project implementation (b)  Reconnaissance/socio-economic surveys of selected irrigation schemes at two of the five sites (c) development of an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) (d) Formulation of a detailed Project Implementation Plan for the first year, and (e) development of draft procurement and financial management manuals.

For the implementation of the project, MAIL is seeking dedicated Agronomist for Herat region.

Duties & Responsibilities:

 
The Agronomist will participate in the selection of the project areas and in conducting the field surveys of the project sites in which she/he will be responsible for the agronomic aspects of the surveys. She/he will report to the Project Director of the OFWM project.
More especially he/she will be responsible to:
• Participate in the selection process of the project areas and sites
• Assess the agronomic performance of irrigation in the selected sites: water applications to different crops and cropping patterns, use of agro-chemicals, soil characteristics, etc.
• Propose recommendations for improved agronomic measures at the different sites: irrigation application, cropping patterns, water saving crops, agro-chemical inputs
• Promote the concept of soil and moisture conservation through extension.
• Actively participating in farmers training program and field days.
• Report the assessment and recommendations as part of the survey reports
• Prepare a first year plan of operations for agronomic measures.

Qualifications:

The candidate must have achieved a Bachelor Degree in Agronomy, Master degree is preferred. 2 years of experience in extension in irrigated agriculture. Major achievement in career may substitute for long experience and educational requirements.

Skills Required:

 
•Demonstrated knowledge and experience of irrigated agriculture;
•Demonstrated knowledge of water saving measures (irrigation application, water saving crops and cropping patterns, etc.
•Ability to use personal computers and related software.
•Ability to express ideas concisely and clearly preferably in both English and Pashtu/Dari.
•Writing skills and demonstrated ability to develop written reports and action plans in both in English and Dari.
•Considerable interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others in an international multi-cultural working environment.
•Considerable experience and demonstrated ability to serve the public in a courteous and professional manner.