Food Security Coordinator 165 views0 applications

eace Corps Senegal’s Food Security Initiative cuts across and unites all four of PC’s technical sectors. These are: Health, Community Economic Development (CED), Agriculture and Agroforestry. The current five year Initiative is funded through an agreement with USAID as part of the US Government’s Global Food Security Strategy. The goal of the Initiative is to improve the food security of households in Senegal through improved production, promotion, and consumption of local, healthy foods. As with all PC programming, the initiative is grass-roots, focusing on the family, community, smallholder producers, and micro businesses. Given the key roles of women and girls in achieving food security, and the gender dynamics in Senegal, the Initiative includes a strong gender component. Youth also are highlighted both due to their importance in altering gender dynamics and the capacity of Volunteers to positively reach these population segments.

Duties of the position include: leading, planning and coordinating the initiative with staff from the four sectors and others; training and supporting Volunteers and staff to implement it; close tracking and advising on budget management; ensuring high quality monitoring, evaluation and reporting in conjunction with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Coordinator, and, representing, seeking synergies, and coordinating with representatives of the Government of Senegal, USAID and other US government agencies, and partnering agencies.

The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of food security and have capacity and experience in some of the key elements important to the PC Food Security Initiative. These include family nutrition; small scale food production; micro and small agribusiness; grassroots women’s empowerment, and; youth positive development. She or he must be able to develop strong relationships and coordinate the work of a wide variety of professional staff and Volunteers, without direct supervisory duties. She or he will have the capacity to represent PC with US and Senegalese government counterparts and others.

This position is supervised by the Director of Programming and Training.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

· Education: The position requires a master’s degree in a field related food security, or a bachelor’s degree with at least five years of relevant work experience.

· Prior Work Experience: Six or more years of progressively responsible experience in relevant fields (Food Security, nutrition, gender and youth, etc.).

· Strong experience working closely with or supporting international students, volunteers, interns or others from a different culture, or significant experience working and living in another culture.

· Experience in grassroots community development.

· Language Proficiency: Level 5 (translator) written and spoken English and French.

· Ability and/or experience working with local government officials

· Experience with an American organization and/or culture. Must also have a good knowledge of or interest in American culture and issues of cross-cultural differences.

· In depth knowledge of rural Senegal.

· Good computer skills.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Ability to communicate effectively through different means—in writing, through trainings, in person.

· Strong “people skills”. The incumbent must coordinate professionals from the four technical sectors, as well as Volunteers, Farmers, and others.

· Experience with USAID is a plus

· Proficiency in a Senegalese language

· Strong experience as a trainer and/or in the development of training programs.

· A sound knowledge of community development issues and problems is necessary in order to recommend useful sectoral programming guidelines.

· Knowledge in areas of community development, group dynamics, and participatory approaches to development.