Program Manager

FIPS Africa supports smallholder farmers across Africa to improve food security and economic potential, addressing challenges like climate shocks and rising food import bills. They work to empower underserved farmers to achieve their full potential.

This role involves leading FIPS Africa's part of the AgEMERGE program, a consortium initiative with TechnoServe and Wageningen University & Research, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Program Manager is responsible for managing FIPS's grassroots Village-Based Advisor (VBA) delivery model, ensuring its alignment with the corridor teams' work, and being accountable for FIPS's results, budget, personnel, and partnership within the consortium. The role requires strategic planning, implementation oversight, and reporting on program activities, particularly strengthening and expanding the VBA and agrodealer networks in six FIPS counties, including approaches like "test before you invest" and Farmer Learning/Research Networks.

1. Lead the implementation of FIPS's AgEMERGE activities, focusing on strengthening and expanding the Village-Based Advisor (VBA) and agrodealer networks in six counties, incorporating "test before you invest" and Farmer Learning/Research Networks.
2. Translate program deliverables into annual and seasonal work plans, managing the Senior Program Coordinator and team to meet program, donor, and FIPS objectives.
3. Ensure FIPS's grassroots delivery aligns with TechnoServe's corridor teams to connect VBAs and agrodealers with commercial demand and anchor buyers.
4. Provide regular progress updates and timely, accurate data flow against the Theory of Change and logframe.
5. Meet consortium, EKN, and FIPS reporting timelines with quality narrative and data analysis, expressing impact, progress, challenges, and learnings.
6. Integrate program results into M&E, continuous learning, and fundraising systems.
7. Lead FIPS's contribution to the inception phase, including team recruitment, MEL plan development, baseline methodology, and kick-off workshop.
8. Represent FIPS on the AgEMERGE Program Management Unit and prepare input for steering committees.
9. Build strong working relationships with TechnoServe and WUR program leads.
10. Adhere to agreed partner roles, decision rights, and financial management protocols.
11. Convert implementation lessons and opportunities into program design, concept notes, and new partnerships.
12. Collaborate on blending sustainability models into the program and budget, and agree on the learning agenda with WUR and partners.
13. Support the shift from direct project support to commercial and local actors managing and financing networks.
14. Provide strategic input into budget design, revision, and forecasting.
15. Ensure budgets are understood by team members and spending is on track, with timely responses to reallocation needs.
16. Work with the Finance Manager to ensure accurate and timely milestones, invoices, financial reports, and liquidation of advances.
17. Comply with donor and consortium financial requirements.
18. Ensure delivery meets inclusion targets for women and youth, building on existing women VBAs through intentional recruitment and retention.
19. Guide the Youth & Social Inclusion Officer in building entrepreneurship pathways for youth and women's groups.
20. Use MEL data and field monitoring for adaptive management and hold regular team review meetings.
21. Align FIPS data collection with the consortium MEL plan and EKN indicators.
22. Document and share evidence, learning, and case studies across FIPS and the consortium.
23. Manage supervisors and help them manage their teams, supporting growth, succession, and development planning.
24. Interact regularly with HR for support in people development, performance management, and compliance.
25. Provide quality, timely feedback, including formal appraisals.
26. Implement effective delegation and follow-up processes.
27. Proactively contribute to positive donor and funder relationships and feed AgEMERGE learnings into fundraising.
28. Represent FIPS externally professionally and effectively.
29. Contribute to Board of Directors meetings with substantive program learnings.
30. Identify, flag, and suggest interventions for issues that could threaten FIPS's success or reputation, including safeguarding concerns.
31. Act as a role model for transparent, accountable, and firm leadership.

1. Bachelor's degree in agriculture, agribusiness, development, economics, or a related field.
2. At least 7 years of experience in agricultural development program management.
3. Strong understanding of market systems development, inclusive business, and last-mile/VBA-type extension models.
4. Experience managing donor-funded programs using logframes and Theory of Change (plan-do-review-report).
5. Proficiency in budgeting and financial management of sub-contracts, including forecasting and reallocation.
6. Ability to use MEL data for adaptive management and translate data into clear narrative reporting.
7. Experience in stakeholder and partner management, including county governments and private-sector actors.
8. Experience working in a consortium or with European donors (e.g., EKN) and their reporting requirements.
9. Knowledge of Gender Equality, Youth, and Social Inclusion (GESI) programming.
10. Familiarity with climate-smart or regenerative agriculture and nutrition-sensitive approaches.
11. Experience using digital tools for farmer data and service delivery.
12. Knowledge of Meru, Makueni, Kitui, Machakos, or Kilifi counties.