KUSUMALA INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE & ECOLOGY:
The Kusamala Institute of Agriculture &
Ecology (KIAE) is an organisation focusing on environment, food and nutrition security, based in Lilongwe, the
capital of Malawi. With experience in agro-ecology and permaculture, we aim to
enhance the uptake of ecologically sound, efficient and productive agriculture
techniques.
KIAE was formalised
in June 2011 and operates as a CONGOMA (Council for NGOs in Malawi) registered,
not-for-profit organisation. The institute runs Nature’s Gift Permaculture Centre (in operation since December
2009) in Lilongwe, Malawi, where we have developed an extensive demonstration
site, conduct the majority of our trainings and run our commercial, organic
garden.
For more
information, please see the website for our demonstration centre- www.naturesgift.org.
MANAGING DIRECTOR:
KIAE is seeking
a creative and impassioned Managing
Director (MD) who shall lead our
young organisation as we strive to achieve our goals, including the continued
success of our demonstration plots, trainings and our organic, commercial
garden.
The MD is
responsible for the organisation's continued progression and will lead and
manage the organisation in accordance with the strategic plan, budget and founding principles, in collaboration
with fellow staff members and the Board of Directors. The MD will have
significant scope to determine the future direction of the organisation
according to his/her aspirations and available opportunities.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
•
Ultimate responsibility for and
co-ordination of all organisational matters, including institute finances,
marketing, recruitment, human resources, legal, tax and administration.
•
Provide continuous and coherent
programmatic, financial, and organisational leadership.
•
Assure the organisation has a
long term strategy for its continued growth and development and is consistently
working in accordance with the annual goals.
•
Identify and develop proposals
to obtain appropriate sources of funding for projects that are complimentary to
KIAE’s work experience and goals.
•
Oversee all financial
management including financial analysis, payroll, reporting, budgeting, and
projections.
•
Ensure financial viability of
the institute, maximising revenue from current projects (including vegetable
box schemes and general sales, demonstration plots and training courses) and
introduce new funding streams.
•
Management of up to 30 current staff
members, and international volunteers and interns.
•
Determine staffing requirements
for organisational management and program or project delivery. Recruit,
interview and select staff, including international interns and volunteers,
with appropriate technical knowledge and skills and personal abilities.
•
Act as a spokesperson for the
organisation. Establish and maintain sound working relationships with relevant
stakeholders including Government of Malawi, NGO's, development agencies,
research agencies, and private businesses.
•
Continue the hard-earned
reputation of the institute as a prompt and effective communicator to all
stakeholders.
•
Establish a positive, healthy
and safe work environment through the encouragement of staff and volunteer
development. Assist staff in relating their specialised work to the needs of
the organisation.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:
•
Essential:
o Theoretical and practical background in Sustainable Business, Environmental
Studies, Sustainable Agriculture, Agro-ecology, Organic Agriculture, or similar
field.
o Undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies, Sustainable
Development, Business or related field.
o 3+ years professional experience, ideally in an area related to
agriculture, international development or business management.
o Experience in project/ programme management.
o Professional level English
o Technical proficiency with Excel and Word, and general computing
skills
•
Preferred:
o Master’s Degree in Non-profit Management, Environmental Studies,
Sustainable Development, Agriculture, Business or related field.
o 2+ years in a managerial role.
o Experience in grant and proposal writing, preferably in agricultural
and/or international development.
o Budgeting and finance experience.
o Understanding of carbon markets, particularly their relevance to
developing countries and increasing focus within development funding.
o Language abilities, including Chichewa.
The successful
candidate shall be able to demonstrate compatibility with the above responsibilities
and requirements, and a clear commitment to continuing the ethos of the
Kusamala Institute of Agriculture & Ecology. While the ideal candidate will
be able to combine commercial acumen with agricultural knowledge, the primary
responsibilities of the MD will be of a business nature, with in-house
expertise in agriculture and the environment already present.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Start Date: as soon as
possible, latest 30th April 2012.
Duration: Minimum one
year, two years preferred.
Location: The position is
based at Nature’s Gift Permaculture centre, approximately a 15 minute drive to
Lilongwe City Centre. Lilongwe has a variety of supermarkets, bars and
restaurants. Lake Malawi and other good weekend spots can be reached in a 2
hour drive from the capital.
Salary and benefits: Please
note that the Managing Director must be prepared to work within a young
organisation with low funding levels and understand that as the organisation grows
and gains more success, salaries and benefits will directly increase. The salary and benefits currently
provided are as follows:
·
Monthly stipend;
·
Employment permit (if
international);
·
Free low cost basic housing at
the centre, if desired. MD housing consists of a thatched cottage, with
separate kitchen and toilet/bathroom. Borehole water and electricity provided;
·
Free access to organic
vegetable garden;
·
Free lunch on weekdays, usually
consisting of fresh farm produce;
Please note that
international applicants would be expected to fund their own travel costs to
Malawi.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for
this role, please send an email with “MD – KIAE Application” as the subject,
attaching a cover letter outlining your
suitability (1 page maximum), a copy of your resume/CV (3 pages maximum, no
photos) and the names and contact details of 3 referees to: info@naturesgift.org
Email is preferred, but as
an alternative, please send applications to:
Kusamala Institute of Agriculture & Ecology, Managing
Director, P.O. Box 30420, Lilongwe.
Closing date for
applications is Friday, February 24th
2012 and short listed candidates will be contacted within a month of the
closing date. Due to limited resources, we are unable to reply to all
applications, if you have not heard back by the end of March 2012, please note
that your application has been unsuccessful.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES:
Please note that
the centre also offers 6-month long internships and short-term voluntary
opportunities for candidates with experience in sustainable agriculture or
business, with a particular interest in candidates with experience in
marketing, proposal writing and project management. Further information can be
found at http://www.naturesgift.org/opportunities/
Thank you for
your interest in our organisation.
