Role purpose

The Director of Center of Excellence for Seed Systems Africa is a senior member of the Center of Technical Expertise division. In this role, they will provide strategic direction for a Seed Centre of Excellence and play an integral role in program development, management of the seed systems component of a multi-country program, and monitoring of impact in all countries AGRA operates. The role is key in ensuring collaboration between Seed Systems teams with each other, across other technical areas and program delivery areas. The role drives the design and oversight of all elements of AGRA’s technical programs and strategy under Center of Excellence for Seed Systems Africa. 

Role Summary 

S/he will set and champion a strong vision for strengthening of African Seed Systems through the support of CESSA, within the AGRA 3.0 strategy context, by providing technical guidance on the development, deployment and implementation of technologies, practices and innovations from the various disciplines aimed at transforming seed systems at country, regional and continental levels. 

Key Measures of Performance 

The performance of this role holder will be assessed on the basis of the achievements made on: 

1. Availability and Access: 

• Increased availability of quality seeds of improved varieties (specify varieties or traits if applicable) in target regions. This could be measured by quantity of seeds distributed, market share of improved varieties, or farmer access surveys. 
• Improved access to seeds for smallholder farmers, especially women and marginalized groups. This could be measured through surveys assessing accessibility based on factors like distance, cost, and availability. 

2. Seed Quality: 

• Improved seed quality across the entire seed value chain, as measured by germination rates, purity, and disease incidence. This would involve data collection at various stages of production and distribution. 
• Increased adoption of seed certification schemes and best practices in seed production and handling. This might be measured by the number of certified seed producers or the percentage of seed meeting certification standards. 

3. System Capacity: 

• Strengthened capacity of local seed producers, distributors, and other stakeholders. This could be measured through pre- and post-training assessments, the number of trained individuals, or the sustainability of local seed businesses. 
• Development of sustainable seed systems that are resilient to shocks and stresses (e.g., climate change, market fluctuations). This would require qualitative assessments of system robustness and adaptability. 

4. Program Impact: 

• Increased adoption rates of improved seed varieties by farmers. This is a crucial indicator, measurable through farmer surveys and yield data. 
• Improved agricultural productivity and farmer incomes as a result of improved seed access and quality. This would require detailed yield monitoring and economic analyses. 
• Enhanced food security and nutrition in target communities. This could be measured using indicators such as household food consumption, dietary diversity, and prevalence of malnutrition. 

5. Program Management and Efficiency: 

• Effective management of the seed systems program within budget and timeline. This would involve tracking expenditures and progress against a work plan. 
• Successful establishment and maintenance of strong partnerships with key stakeholders. This could be assessed through stakeholder satisfaction surveys and collaborative working relationships. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities 

Purpose – Advance  

• Leads and acts as a scout for new technologies / initiatives in Center of Excellence for Seed Systems Africa. Ensures that new technologies and initiatives transfer to continental, regional and country program delivery. 
• Recommends deployment & utilization of new products, creates enticing product claims, evaluates crop varieties, and identifies cost saving opportunities. 
• Provides technical assistance to technical teams within their function overseeing their general management, including program development, delivery, and evaluation, as well as fundraising, budget setting, knowledge management, and all external relationship management. 
• Strategizes and directs the technical teams within the function and leads systems development activities 
• Ensure strong support for AGRA’s program delivery teams to support the government and partners to rapidly accelerate the development of country and regional seed systems, while supporting access and adoption of certified seed by smallholder farmers on a national scale. 
• Address through a systems approach major weak spots emerging from the Seed SAT analysis, such as coordination, also with agro-processors, policy enabling environment, seed quality and early generation seed access. 

Engagement – Position 

• Collaborates closely with other colleagues and teams, especially within the Centre for Technical Expertise, and development, government and private sector partners, to ensure alignment on project goals, effective use of resources and explore innovation possibilities. In particular ensuring a very strong link with our Inclusive Markets team, our Policy and State Capability Team, our Sustainable Farming team, our Gender, Youth and Inclusion Team and our Analytics team is essential. 
• Nurtures and develops professional relationships with various agricultural institutions and industry personnel through electronic and oral communications and by attending and/or participating in professional meetings and field days. 
• Inspires and grows teamwork, partnership, and collaboration among the CESSA team and the Centre for Technical Expertise division to raise overall team contributions and performance. 
• Directs and provides coaching to technical and administrative staff within the function. 
• Enables talent management and development of existing staff, acquiring of new staff as necessary and manages team dynamics to ensure high-performance and positive employee experience. 
• Communicates results through presentations, written and verbal communication. 

Delivery – Corporate Planning 

• Reviews project standards and goals, directs execution of projects where required and evaluates progress through regular performance reviews. 
• Reviews scope of work, provides input and evaluates proposals for funding 

Values and Behaviours 

Core Values – I-RISE 

• Integrity: Uphold moral convictions and always doing the right thing. 
• Respect: Value differences and embrace diversity and inclusion. 
• Innovation: Strive for excellence and embracing continuous improvement, bold creativity, and change. 
• Stewardship: Be responsible for actions undertaken and resources entrusted. 
• Equity: Be governed by fairness in all undertakings. 

Values – Driven Behaviours – The AGRA We Want 

• Deeply Collaborative: through inclusive and agile teaming, breaking silos, sharing information celebrating joint successes. 
• Execute Excellently: in delivering high-quality work at speed, committing to decisions, increasing our accountability impact at scale.  
• Sincerely Constructive: as we interact with one another with trust, sincerity and care in recognition of our joint purpose. 
• Entrepreneurial: by breaking hierarchies, embracing learning and innovation to unlock the potential of our diversity and ideas. 

Requirements

Education 

Masters degree or above in agricultural science and management, agri-business, or a related area. 

Relevant Experience 

• Significant demonstrated industry experience in product development, marketing, business case, and a strong understanding of the economics of the seed industry. deployment, report development and communications 
• Specialization in Seed Systems development is an advantage and knowledge of different technical areas of agriculture and how they lead to food security and transformation. 
• Fluency in English required; ability to communicate in French will be considered an asset. 

Competencies 

Core Competencies 

• Accountability: Demonstrates dependability in all aspects of own work and takes responsibility for own words and actions and can be relied upon consistently. 
• Adaptability and Agility: Ability to remain flexible, resilient, and responsive when faced with new challenges and opportunities. 
• Results Focus: Ability to set ambitious, measurable goals and prioritize accordingly to meet desired outcomes and results that lead to organizational success. 
• Service and Stakeholder Focus: Ability to establish relationships and cross-functional partnerships, identify and respond to current and future stakeholders’ needs; providing service excellence to internal and external stakeholders. 
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement: Ability to identify and address own strengths and weaknesses, developmental needs and changing circumstances to enhance personal and organizational performance promoting a learning culture. 

Functional Competencies 

• Seed Science and Technology: Deep understanding of seed production, processing, storage, quality control, certification, and distribution systems. This includes knowledge of various seed technologies relevant to the target crops and contexts. 
• Plant Breeding and Genetics: Familiarity with plant breeding principles and the development of improved crop varieties, including understanding of germplasm management and varietal selection. 
• Agricultural Production Systems: Broad knowledge of agricultural practices, cropping systems, and the challenges faced by farmers in the target regions. This includes understanding of agronomy, soil science, and pest and disease management. 
• Market Analysis and Business Development: Ability to analyze seed markets, identify opportunities, and develop strategies for improving seed access and marketing. This includes understanding pricing strategies and business models for seed businesses. 
• Financial Management: Ability to manage budgets effectively, track expenditures, and ensure responsible use of resources. This includes understanding of grant management and financial reporting. 

Leadership Competencies 

• Strategic Perspective: Ability to develop and inspire commitment to a vision of success; supporting, promoting and ensuring alignment with the AGRA’s vision and values. 
• Driving & Managing Change: Managing, leading and enabling the process of change and transition while helping others deal with their effects. 
• Decisiveness: Forms sound, evidence-based decisions, makes choices, assesses risks to delivery, and takes ownership for outcomes. 
• Leading & Empowering Others: Inspires others toward a common vision and fosters trust and ethical behavior, and development of others by providing a supportive environment for enhanced performance and professional growth. 
• Managing Performance: Creates a positive work environment in which teams and individuals are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve results. 

Terms of Appointment 

3 Years Fixed Term (Consideration for renewal will be made subject to AGRA’s needs, available funding and performance). 

Role Location 

Nairobi, Kenya 

How to Apply 

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 27 Februrary 2025 (23:59 hrs, GMT +3). It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB. 

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered. 

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. 

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by AGRA to undertake this assignment.