Advisor - Farmer Organisations

A. About the project & context

Agricultural systems in East Africa face growing challenges due to climate change, social inequality, and limited market access. Smallholder farmers—especially women and youth— re disproportionately affected. The Eastern African Farmers Federation (EAFF) represents farmer organisations (FOs) in over ten countries and plays a key role in shaping agricultural policy, promoting climate resilience, and supporting inclusive rural development. Through its regional reach and policy engagement, EAFF strengthens the voice of farmers in national, regional, and global processes, contributing to sustainable and equitable food systems.

Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has initiated the global programme “Farmers‘ Organisations for the Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems (FO Hub)”. The programme supports regional FOs in three regional hubs (Eastern Africa, Western Africa, Asia). Selected FOs are supported in their engagement in global policy processes, in promoting the inclusion of women, youth, and marginalized groups, in effective knowledge management on related issues, and in south-south
exchange The hub for Eastern Africa is located in Nairobi and will be
integrated into the GIZ Agriculture and Rural Development Cluster. The Advisor will be part of a broader team working on Transformation of the Agrifood Sector in Kenya and beyond.

A. Responsibilities

As Advisor you will oversee planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities in close coordination with partners, and delivering achievements in a cost effective and timely manner. You will be responsible for the outcomes of the FO Hub Eastern Africa located in Kenya. You will work closely with other GIZ project teams, the supervisor, the Cluster management and the technical team in Germany. You will be the liaison to the global project team at the GIZ Headquarters in Bonn, Germany

B. Tasks

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, you will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Act as Point of Contact and Coordinator for the East Africa FO Hub and advice on EAFF’s engagement in policy processes, including the development of position papers and the organisation of relevant learning events

• Support FOs in Kenya and at least three additional EAFF member organisations in their knowledge management, e.g. through contributions to knowledge products, analyses, and
  studies.

• Ensure coherence within the implementing agency’s overall portfolio, alignment with relevant sectoral and cross-cutting strategies

• Coordinate activities to empower gender change agents, such as leadership and negotiation skills training and dialogue initiatives

• Maintain liaison with IFAD and other relevant international development partners working with farmer organisations in East Africa and contribute to South-South exchange

• Liaise with the HQ Steering Unit and Cluster Management on M&E according to the overall monitoring system, reporting, and communication to the funding agency and the political partner

• Provide technical support, backstopping, and monitoring of grant agreements with implementing partner organisations based in Kenya, contract management and financial monitoring.

C. Required qualifications, competences, and experience

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in agriculture, rural development, political science, international development, organisational development or a related field

Professional experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in international cooperation in the field of agriculture or rural development, policy advice in the agri-food sector and/or working with FOs on policy level, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Policy engagement: Demonstrated ability to support policy dialogue processes, including drafting position papers and organising stakeholder events

• Knowledge management: Experience in generating, analysing, and contributing to knowledge products, studies, or tools relevant to farmer organisations or rural development

• Technical skills: Proven experience in managing and monitoring grant agreements, including technical backstopping and partner coordination as well as contracts.

• Intercultural competence: Ability to work effectively in diverse cultural and institutional contexts, especially in East Africa and also in a gender-sensitive way

• Language skills: Excellent command of English (written and spoken). Knowledge of Kiswahili will be an advantage.

Other knowledge, additional competence

• Strong interpersonal and networking skills and a willingness to cooperate effectively with colleagues and partners;

• Experience in gender-transformative approaches, particularly in supporting women and youth leadership in rural contexts

• Familiarity with South-South cooperation and regional/continental trade or agricultural policy frameworks (e.g. CAADP, AfCFTA, Post-Malabo Agenda)

• Experience working with or alongside regional FOs such as EAFF or similar networks

• Understanding of donor coordination processes and engagement with multilateral institutions such as the EU and IFAD

• Proven experience with M&E systems, and reporting procedures in development cooperation

• Profound Office 365 skills, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.

Assignment period:

Initial contract will run until 30/09/2027 (possibility for extension)

Duty location

Nairobi

Submission of Application

Vacancy Reference Number: GIZ/ARD/02/07/2025

Equal Employment Opportunity

At GIZ Kenya, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We actively seek individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills to build a stronger, more impactful global team.

We provide an environment of respect and psychological safety, ensuring equal employment

opportunities for all. Discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or any other protected status is not tolerated in any of our workplaces.

Ethics

GIZ is committed to the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals we interact with, including staff, partners, community members, and program participants. We uphold the highest standards in preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. Child abuse or any form of misconduct by or toward team members is strictly prohibited.

All staff are expected to behave professionally, respect local laws and customs, and complete

mandatory ethics e-learning courses upon hire.

Data Confidentiality

In accordance with GIZ’s data protection policy, all candidate applications are

stored in our database for six (6) months and deleted thereafter

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.