Senior Technical & Nutritional Expert

The Senior Dairy Technical & Nutrition Expert is responsible for advancing dairy nutrition, farm productivity and management, as well as applied research across Tanzania and – in a long term - the East African region.

Key Responsibilities:

Dairy Nutrition & Feeding Systems Expertise;

• Lead technical work in ruminant nutrition, ration formulation dairy cow productivity optimization and calf rearing and transition management.
• Develop feeding strategies tailored to different production systems (smallholder, semi-intensive, commercial).

Applied Research & Field Validation;

• Design and implement field-based trials to validate feeding programs and product performance.
• Analyse farm-level data (no. and breed of cows, milk yield, fertility, feed efficiency) to generate insights and to develop efficient support programs.
• Conduct research on forage systems & seasonal variability feed resource utilization and farm infrastructure management practices.

Technical Training & Knowledge Dissemination;

• Develop and deliver high-level technical training programs for farmers, Cooperatives and Dairy industry stakeholders.
• Produce structured learning materials: Training manuals, Technical guides and Standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Technical Content Development;

• Develop and publish:
  • Technical articles for newsletters, magazines, and industry platforms o Case studies and best practice documentation.
  • Educational materials on dairy management topics (nutrition, calf rearing, forage conservation, herd health).

Reference Farms & Demonstration Systems;

• Identify, establish, and monitor reference farms to demonstrate best practices.
• Document measurable improvements in milk production, feed conversion efficiency and herd health indicators.
• Use findings to refine technical recommendations.

Feed Analysis & Rationing Tools;

• Support deployment and utilization of feed analysis systems and ration formulation tools.
• Train stakeholders on interpretation and application of results.
• Collaborate with laboratories for forage and feed quality assessment.

Industry Engagement & Partnerships;

• Build relationships with universities and research institutions, Dairy boards and cooperatives & Development organizations.

 

Qualifications & Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine or Agronomy (with ruminant focus).
• Postgraduate qualification in ruminant nutrition or dairy science is highly preferred.  
• Minimum 5–8 years’ experience in ruminant nutrition, dairy farm management or technical advisory/ research roles.
• Proven experience working with smallholder and/or commercial dairy systems.
• Experience in feed companies, research institutions, or dairy advisory organizations is an advantage.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• High-level technical writing and documentation skills.
• Excellent training and presentation capability.
• Ability to simplify complex scientific concepts.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills.