Horticulture Specialist

About the role

The Horticulture Specialist provides agronomic leadership and technical guidance for high-value fruit, vegetable and horticultural crop value chains. The role helps smallholder farmers and commercial producer groups move toward sustainable, high-yielding, climate-smart production, reduces post-harvest losses and ensures compliance with market food safety standards. It is based in Nakuru.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development and rollout of climate-smart agronomic protocols, GAP and soil fertility guidelines.
• Design and deploy Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols and train farmer groups on food safety, safe chemical handling and certification standards.
• Establish demonstration plots and Farmer Field Schools, create extension guidelines and train field staff and community advisors.
• Prepare monthly performance reports, work plans and budgets; coordinate AGRIPACT project activities and supervise field officers.
• Track project progress and best practices through the monitoring and evaluation system, and take the lead on data collection.
• Build partnerships with county governments, line ministries, the private sector and associations, and represent AVSI and the project at meetings.
• Coordinate event mobilization and logistics, attend bi-weekly MEAL and quarterly project committee meetings, and develop at least three project success stories.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural Science or a closely related field; Master's degree is an added advantage.
• At least 3 years of hands-on technical experience in commercial horticultural crop production, greenhouse management or agricultural extension.

Required skills

• Practical knowledge of GlobalGAP standards, food safety regulations and export market quality requirements.