International project leader for a land restoration & farming systems project in Uganda

We are looking for

We are looking for a passionate and experienced international project leader for our new project Restoring Resilience, which will be implemented from Nov. 2022 – Nov. 2026 with our local partner ISSD. The project aims at involving 100,000 smallholder farmers in land restoration and inclusive development of farming systems in two regions in Uganda.

We are looking for someone with a combination of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm. The Project Leader will be based in Fort Portal (Western Uganda) , with frequent travel in the region and to the other project site (Kigezi, Southwestern Uganda). This position is open to Dutch, Ugandan and other international applicants who have the pre-requisite experience.

The project has three pathways: 1. establishing resilient farming systems, by using the PIP approach (for more information: The PIP approach: building a foundation for sustainable change - WUR ); 2. restoring natural resources and ecosystem functioning in watersheds; 3. improved market access and opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Leader

• Ensure the daily management of the project, including the coordination and supervision of project staff, financial management and relationships with the donor and local authorities in relation to project activities
• Coordinate the activities of the project’s implementing partners, by preparing work plans and annual budgets, in collaboration with the technical staff

• Monitor progress, and develop narrative and financial progress reports for the donor, and reports for the Ministry of Agriculture as required

• In conjunction with relevant project staff manage the project’s funds, ensuring compliance with established protocols and best practices

• Working with communication staff to support external communication of the project
• Organize trainings in response to identified training needs as planned in the project

• The Project Leader reports to the Project Manager, based in the Netherlands, on all aspects related to the project

We ask

• 3-5 years relevant working experience in East Africa, preferably in Uganda
• Master’s or PhD degree related to international development studies, agriculture, natural resource management, preferably (partly) done in Africa
• Demonstrated experience in leading an international rural/agricultural development programme (planning, implementation, budgeting, staffing)
• Experience with the principles, methods and techniques of smallholder farming systems, integrated watershed management and sustainable land use
• Affinity with bottom-up community development approaches, and related aspects of market development, nutrition, and gender
• Demonstrated skills in effectively collaborating with multiple stakeholders, e.g. local governments, regional institutions, private companies and other partners
• Ability to manage partners and sub-contracts following all requirements
• Fluency in written and spoken English (C1) is required

For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 

level

.Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found  

here

.

We offer

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment . A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• the option to accrue additional compensation hours by working more, up to 40 hours per week;
• sabbatical leave, study leave, and partially paid parental leave;
• a fixed December bonus of 4%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will of course receive a good salary. We offer, depending on your experience, a competitive gross salary of between € 3.527,- and € 5.479,- for a full-time working week of 36 hours, in accordance with the

CLA Wageningen Research

(scale 11).

Wageningen University & Research encourages internal advancement opportunities and mobility with an internal recruitment policy. There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a multi-faceted position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees. WUR provides support for candidates moving to Uganda. Among other things, we offer administrative support, an annual flight ticket to your home country, and arranging the work permit.

More information

For more information, please contact the project manager Aad Kessler ([email protected] ), or Karin Andeweg ([email protected] ), team leader of the Water and Food Group of WENR
For more information about the procedure, please contact Edgar Tijhuis, corporate recruiter, [email protected]

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including 21 October 2022. We schedule the interviews soon afterwards.

Equal opportunities
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) employs a large number of people with very different backgrounds and qualities, who inspire and motivate each other. We want every talent to feel at home in our organisation and be offered the same career opportunities. We therefore especially welcome applications from people who are underrepresented at WUR. For more information please go to our inclusivity page . A good example of how WUR deals with inclusiveness can be read on the page working at WUR with a functional impairment .

We are

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,200 employees (6,400 fte) and 13,200 students and over 150.000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch this video to get an idea of our green campus!

The Water and Food team delivers innovative solutions to sustainably increase the value of land and water resources for food production, the quality of fresh water ecosystems and the resilience of deltas.

The Water and Food team develops innovations and strategies to face challenges of water and food security and climate change. We offer core expertise to assist governments and agencies in offering solutions related to smart water management, freshwater ecology, water and nutrient resource-efficient food production systems, optimizing water resources, water-saving practices, and in assessment of water-food security risks to contribute to political stability in regions.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.