The Senior Program Manager will provide strategic leadership in implementing and scaling Equity Group Foundation's (EGF) Food and Agriculture projects across Kenya. Reporting to the Pillar Leaders – GM and Associate Director, the role is responsible for mobilizing and supporting thousands of smallholder farmers, youth, women, and Ag-MSMEs through transformative interventions, driving financial inclusion, productivity, and market access. The Senior Program Manager will serve as a key pipeline builder for Equity Bank, ensuring robust beneficiary acquisition and integration into sustainable agri-food ecosystems.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Lead the strategic design, implementation, and monitoring of large-scale agribusiness and food systems programs, ensuring alignment with EGF’s national and regional objectives.
- Mobilization & Recruitment: Mobilize, recruit, and conduct sensitization forums for target participants, partners, and value chain actors, including smallholder farmers and Ag-MSMEs, with a focus on youth and women.
- Financial Integration: Oversee the enrolment of targeted beneficiaries into Equity Bank and related financial products, ensuring achievement of project-set targets and timelines.
- Training & Capacity Building: Deliver advanced training on financial education, agribusiness management, good agricultural practices, climate-smart agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and adoption of digital technologies and mechanization.
- Technical & Entrepreneurial Support: Support farmers and other value chain actors to improve technical, financial, and entrepreneurial skills, increasing productivity and profitability.
- Financial Access: Facilitate access to Equity Bank’s financial services, handholding beneficiaries to utilize bank products and services according to their financial needs.
- Mentoring & Coordination: Organize and coordinate regular farmer group meetings, mentoring, and coaching to enhance capacity, track project interventions, and promote ecosystem participation.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Represent EGF in agriculture, engaging with Equity staff, local partners, and stakeholders at branch, county, and regional levels.
- Monitoring & Evaluation: Collaborate with the M&E team to collect high-quality data, track program impact, and ensure timely reporting on commercial and program targets.
- Reporting: Prepare comprehensive weekly, monthly, and quarterly status reports for senior management, including analytical data for program monitoring.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Education: Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Economics, or a related field. Business/finance courses with agriculture program exposure are an added advantage.
- Professional Experience: Minimum 10 years of experience in agribusiness program management.
- Leadership: At least 5 years in senior leadership roles (e.g., leading large-scale projects, managing multi-million USD budgets, or overseeing national/regional portfolios).
- Technical Expertise: Extensive practical experience in agricultural production and management, including implementation of sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices.
- Agronomic Knowledge: Deep understanding of agronomic principles, seed selection, fertilizer application, irrigation management, and on-farm demonstrations.
- MSME Development: Strong experience in MSME development, including facilitating access to microfinance, credit guarantee schemes, and government grants.
- Project Management: Experience in planning, implementation, and monitoring of agricultural development projects.
- Training Skills: Proven track record in conducting farmer and MSME training, developing business plans, and facilitating market access.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the Equity Bank recruitment portal via Taleo. Visit https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1188648 to submit your application.
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