usamala Institute of Agriculture & Ecology Manager Director, Lilongwe, Malawi

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 thestrategic 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 30^th 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.

If you would like further information about the role, please email info@naturesgift.org

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.