K26373 Field Research Coordinator - Eastern Africa (Locally Recruited)

CIMMYT is a cutting-edge, non-profit, international organization dedicated to solving tomorrow’s problems today. It is entrusted with fostering improved quantity, quality, and dependability of production systems and basic cereals such as maize, wheat, triticale, sorghum, millets, and associated crops through applied agricultural science, particularly in the Global South, through building strong partnerships. This combination enhances the livelihood trajectories and resilience of millions of resource-poor farmers, while working towards a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agrifood system within planetary boundaries. CIMMYT is a core CGIAR Research Center, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources. 

For more information, visit https://www.cimmyt.org/careers/jobs/

CIMMYT is seeking a Field Research Coordinator – Eastern Africa, to provide technical and operational coordination for the implementation of climate-smart agriculture research services supporting home-grown school feeding programmes across Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The role will ensure the establishment and effective utilization of learning sites, reliable data collection, farmer learning, partner engagement and consistent project implementation across the three countries. The position will also involve undertaking project-related driving and field transport duties, where required, in accordance with organizational safety and vehicle-use policies.

Key Responsibilities;

Multi-Country Project Coordination and Partner Engagement

• Coordinate approved workplans, activities, partner commitments and schedules across Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
• Support the development, harmonization and tracking of project implementation plans, as instructed by the Principal Investigator (PI), maintaining comparability across countries while allowing adaptation to local conditions and priorities.
• Serve as an operational link among CIMMYT, National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and local implementation partners.
• Convene coordination reviews, track milestones and actions, and escalate risks, delays and implementation issues.
• Align field activities with agricultural seasons, school calendars, procurement and data collection schedules.

Learning Site Establishment and Technical Quality

• Under the direction of the Project PI, participate fully booth technically and through local engagement in the identification, selection, validation, establishment, management and documentation of learning sites, in collaboration with CIMMYT, NARS teams and local community partners.
• Support land access arrangements, land preparation, planting, demonstrations, indigenous crop trials and field operations.
• Ensure learning sites follow agreed scientific, social and operational criteria and protocols, applied consistently across sires with appropriate local adaptation.
• Monitor site performance, management, risks and learning outputs, and ensure sites support evidence generation, farmer exchange and partner learning.
• Work with project scientists (CIMMYT and NARS) to adapt and apply protocols for climate-smart agriculture, indigenous crops, natural resource management, postharvest practices and school-feeding linkages.
• Identify partner capacity gaps and facilitate the technical support needed for effective implementation.

Farmer Learning, Country Teams and Community Engagement

• Provide day-to-day coordination and technical support to country coordinators and last-mile partners, clarifying roles, timelines, reporting, learning-site management and data collection requirements, while helping resolve implementation challenges.
• Coordinate farmer field days, exchanges, training, reflection sessions and school-community engagement.
• Promote gender-responsive and youth-inclusive participation, alongside transparent communication with communities.
• Ensure that communities, farmers, schools and local leaders understand the purpose of learning sites, expected benefits, respective responsibilities and the limits of project support.
• Support mechanisms for receiving, documenting and addressing community feedback and concerns, referring unresolved issues to project leadership.

Data Collection, Monitoring, Reporting and Learning

• Coordinate field surveys, site monitoring, farmer feedback and partner reporting across all three countries.
• Support the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team in applying approved data protocols, quality assurance, ethics and safeguarding standards.
• Support the training of country teams and partners on digital tools, data integrity and field documentation.
• Prepare monthly progress reports covering workplans, milestones and partner commitments, compliance and implementation matters, deviations and their causes, corrective actions, emerging evidence and lessons, as well as priorities for the following month.
• Include updated action plans, activities, timelines and guidance required.
• Document lessons from learning sites and incorporate them into project planning and reporting.
• Prepare field and mission reports and learning notes and contribute to technical briefs and case studies.

Field Logistics, Driving, Safety and Compliance

• Be able to safely operate and drive a field (terrain) vehicle under authorization from CIMMYT in the support of project vehicles to learning sites, partner meetings and field activities as required.
• Maintain a valid, AA-certified Kenyan driving license and comply with road safety, vehicle-use and journey management requirements.
• Carry out routine vehicle checks, maintain accurate trip and mileage records, and promptly report defects or incidents.
• Coordinate field logistics and comply with safeguarding, health, safety, environmental and inclusion requirements.

Other Responsibilities

•  Identify and mitigate potential risks within the area of responsibility.

• Take reasonable care of own occupational health and safety, as well as that of others, in accordance with applicable CIMMYT Occupational Health and Safety policies and relevant country legislation.
• Participate in other team projects and activities as required.