Coordinador de Agricultura Regenerativa

Job Posting Organization:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Established to save, protect, and transform lives in need, CRS operates in over 100 countries, providing relief and development services without regard to race, religion, or nationality. The organization focuses on various sectors including emergency response, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. CRS is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, and it welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds who share its values and commitment to serving those in need. The agency emphasizes equal opportunity employment and prioritizes candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of the countries where CRS has offices.

Job Overview:
As the Coordinator for Regenerative Agriculture within the Horizontes initiative, you will be responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the agricultural component and achieving its objectives. This role requires you to adapt the Water and Soils for Agriculture (ASA) approach synergistically with other components and methodologies of the agency, facilitating the scaling of agricultural landscape restoration, market system considerations, effective integration of youth and women, and community mobilization. You will guide and advise CRS staff and partners who share the vision of Horizontes, developing technical competencies in ASA and related topics. Additionally, you will ensure the effective management of resources allocated for activities in your thematic area and represent the initiative in relevant spaces while managing relationships with key stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Organize and lead the implementation of all activities related to the Regenerative Agriculture component as outlined in detailed implementation plans, ensuring alignment with CRS program quality standards, donor requirements, and best practices.
• Advise and facilitate the development of necessary competencies in ASA, agricultural production systems, and related topics for CRS staff and shared-value partners, promoting a healthy team environment.
• Ensure effective management of financial resources allocated for activities in your thematic area and support shared-value partners in investments related to the Regenerative Agriculture component, aiming for timely financial execution.
• Identify focus areas that maximize scaling and investment in land restoration and improving rural families' livelihoods.
• Develop and implement initiatives and work plans related to sustainable soil and water management.
• Design research proposals and technology transfer for sustainable soil and water management, emphasizing soil restoration systems, water resource restoration, and integrated soil fertility management in project intervention areas.
• Coordinate the implementation of strategies, research, innovations, standards, tools, and best practices related to Regenerative Agriculture, effectively involving partners, donors, and governments.
• Develop and execute training plans with participatory processes from the community and producer base, coordinating local management and development actions.
• Coordinate and supervise working relationships with all partners and allies involved in ASA and related activities, serving as the link between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact. 1
• Collaborate closely with the technical team to facilitate the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned. 1
• Supervise and conduct ad-hoc inspections of various processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely implementation of project activities and adherence to established standards and procedures. 1
• Support and coordinate capacity development activities and technical support to ensure that assigned project activities are implemented according to project guidelines and quality standards. 1
• Coordinate with other Program Coordinators of Technical Components to ensure integration and complementarity of Horizontes' technical components. 1
• Work closely with Regenerative Agriculture Coordinators across the three territories of Horizontes. 1
• Incorporate cross-cutting and priority issues for CRS and Horizontes into the design and implementation of interventions, with particular attention to social cohesion, inclusion, safeguarding, and gender. 1
• Provide technical supervision and contribute to performance evaluation processes of Regenerative Agriculture Specialists in conjunction with Territorial Coordinators. 1
• Represent Horizontes in strategic spaces that contribute to the vision of Regenerative Agriculture, such as working groups, farmer days, fairs, tours, experience exchanges, and other relevant spaces. 1
• Coordinate local actions with academia, public and private institutions related to sustainable soil and water management, especially for strengthening research services, technology validation, and extension. 1
• Establish good inter-institutional relationships at the level of producers, technicians, and public and private institutions to achieve project objectives and improve the quality of life of involved individuals. 2
• Lead the preparation of reports for the Regenerative Agriculture component, ensuring that appropriate documentation for assigned activities is complete and filled according to agency and donor requirements. 2
• Assist in preparing trend analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices. 2
• Ensure MEAL processes and knowledge management throughout the initiative's lifecycle. 2
• Support project evaluation activities and guide shared-value partners in reflecting project experiences. 2
• Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation programs.

Required Qualifications:

• Required university degree; a Bachelor's degree in Agronomy or a related field is preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience supporting projects, ideally in agriculture, soils, and water, and in human development-related projects or NGOs.
• Experience in agricultural research and innovation will be valued.
• Additional education may substitute for some experience; additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning, and community engagement.
• Experience supervising staff and team integration is an advantage.
• Experience in project monitoring and relevant data collection is preferred.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), web conferencing applications, and information management and budgeting systems.
• Valid driver's license for a 4-wheel vehicle.

Educational Background:
A university degree is required, with a Bachelor's degree in Agronomy or a related field being advantageous. Additional education may be considered in lieu of some experience, and vice versa.

Experience:
A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience is required, particularly in supporting projects related to agriculture, soils, and water, as well as human development initiatives. Experience in agricultural research and innovation is also valued, along with experience in community engagement and participatory planning.

Languages:
Intermediate English is desired, with a strong emphasis on the ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish. Proficiency in local languages may also be beneficial depending on the community served.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and may require travel to project intervention areas approximately 60% of the time. The duration of the hiring for this position is subject to the availability of project funds and other internal processes based on local law. CRS emphasizes the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect, actively preventing harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Successful candidates will undergo a comprehensive background check and reference checks to evaluate behaviors related to safeguarding issues. CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff, and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.