Project Manager at Friends of Lake Tanganyika (FOLT)

Friends of Lake Tanganyika (FOLT) is a non-governmental organization established in 2012 and registered under the Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organization Act No.24, 2022, with registration No: 00NGO/008484. FOLT is headquartered in Katumbi Village in Uvinza District, Kigoma Region. FOLT’s mission is to end extreme poverty, hunger and environmental degradation across the Lake Tanganyika Basin by providing local communities access to equitable use of natural resources and how to sustainably manage those resources. FOLT envisions a sound Lake Tanganyika basin where people and nature thrive together.

The Mahale Mountains Agroforestry Project

FOLT, in partnership with the Belgian NGO WeForest, is planning to implement the 6-year Mahale Mountains Agroforestry Project. The project’s main goal is to reduce pressure on natural forests and improve the living conditions of smallholder farmers in Uvinza District in the Greater Mahale Ecosystem (GME) through the establishment of agroforestry systems on 2,500 smallholders hectares from 2024 to 2029.

The objectives are as follows:

Objective 1: Agroforestry Systems: To establish agroforestry systems and other tree crops with smallholder farmers to decrease pressure on natural forests by increasing farm productivity and tree cover in the landscape.

Objective 2: Livelihoods: To increase and sustain production of food, fodder and fuelwood for household consumption and potentially support the development of top agricultural value chains.

Objective 3: Environmental Education: To sensitize project communities on climate change and forest and landscape restoration to conserve natural resources such as fishing and chimpanzee habitat; as well as build interest and commitment in participating in the agroforestry project activities.

Responsibilities

Core duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Directly supervise the Financial Officer, M&E Officer, Agroforestry Extensionists and Nursery Managers
• Develop and sustain all local, national or international government and non-governmental partnerships
• Develop and supervise compliance with organizational policies and procedures
• Develop and manage all intervention strategies and methodologies
• Coordinate all agroforestry activities within project villages, including nursery staff and operations
• Coordinate the procurement of all items for the agroforestry program and tree nursery
• Produce quality deliverables on time to ensure they meet milestones per their scope, timeline, and budget
• Coordinate and oversee the environmental education program
• Coordinate the selection and organization of farmer groups
• Coordinate internal and external training workshops for farmer groups
• Lead on value chain development for selected cash crops
• Provide regular detailed technical, financial and programmatic reporting
• Prepare all annual budgets and workplans
• Assist in developing possible new phases of the project
• Represent and advocate for the project in various events or activities as needed

Required Attributes

• Focused, disciplined and determined
• Self-motivated
• Strong leadership skills with teams
• Structured and analytic mindset
• Innovative and collaborative
• Patient and flexible, particularly in cross-cultural environments
• Willingness to live and work in difficult conditions
• Work well under tight deadlines
• Good interpersonal skills
• Commitment to the mission and vision of both FOLT and WeForest

Required Qualifications

• A master’s degree in the natural sciences, agroforestry, forestry, natural resource management, rural development, project management or related field
• A minimum of 5 years’ project management experience leading a team working with smallholder farmers in Tanzania (international NGO preferrable)
• Experience working closely with local government offices and village leadership in rural development programs/ projects
• Experience in building complex program strategies
• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple priorities in a time sensitive manner
• Experience in developing and implementing monitoring & evaluation for a project
• Demonstrated ability to raise substantial additional funds over the project life cycle
• Skilled in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.

Other:

• Fluent in English and Swahili (both speaking and writing)
• In possession of a driving license, experience with driving motorbikes and other vehicles is considered a plus
• Flexible in terms of traveling, living condition and work hours
• Must be a citizen of Tanzania

Terms & Conditions

Start date: 1st March 2024

Location: Katumbi Village, Uvinza District

Contract type: One-year renewable contract with a 6-month probation period

Position: Full-time

Hours: On average 8 hours per day Monday – Friday (daily hours will vary)

Supervisor: FOLT Executive Secretary

Technical Advisor: WeForest Agroforestry Advisor

Package: Remuneration based on experience

Application Procedure
Deadline: applications will be accepted up until the position is filled.

Submit to: FOLT Executive Secretary: [email protected]

Documents:

• Cover letter detailing your interest and experience
• Curriculum Vitae (including phone/ email contact information)
• Four relevant referees (3 from former employers)

Applicants failing to deliver the above documents will not be considered.

Due to the anticipated number of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

We thank you in advance for your interest.