careers
KOMAZA is a not-for-profit social enterprise working to permanently and sustainably end rural poverty by developing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in Africa’s infertile and drought-prone regions.
Founded in 2006 and based in Kenya, the organization’s innovative grassroots model dramatically boosts household income for rural families by equipping them with resources, knowledge and market linkages to produce high-value climate-appropriate crops on their previously degraded land.
We are constantly seeking talented individuals who are interested in working with KOMAZA.
To apply select a postion from the list below:
- Industry: Social Business / International Development / Start-Up / Non-Profit
- Employer: KOMAZA
- Position: Monitoring & Evaluation and Data Analyst
- Department:Technology
- Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
- Reports to: Technical Manager
- Supervises: Data Entry Clerks
- Comp/Benefits: Competitive, provides for a comfortable standard of living in Kilifi, Kenya
- Application Deadline: Open until successful candidate is hired
- Start Date: As soon as available
KOMAZA is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise working to end rural poverty by developing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in Africa’s infertile and drought-prone regions. Founded in 2006 and based in Kenya, our innovative grassroots model dramatically boosts household income for rural families by equipping them with resources, knowledge and market linkages to produce high-value climate-appropriate crops on their previously degraded land.
Monitoring & Evaluation and Data AnalystJob Objective
As a M&E and Data Analyst, you will be responsible for providing support to the data / information architecture and technology strategy for KOMAZA. This is a dynamic position that requires a creative mind. M&E and Data Analyst responsibilities will include:
- Design and distribution of timely periodic and on demand dynamic reports of data stored in the KOMAZA database.
- Maintaining and improving KOMAZA’s farmer database.
- Handling day-to-day IT needs at head office and helping to design and roll-out KOMAZA’s network infrastructure for rural offices
- Being an enthusiastic, hands-on technology enthusiast and evangelist with an interest in social enterprise and development
Qualifications & Experience
The candidate should possess the following qualifications and experience:- Education: Top performing Diploma in Business Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering or related fields.
- Relevant work experience: Minimum 3+ years of relevant experience in technology with some project management.
- Computer skills (Mandatory): Hands on knowledge of at least three programming languages in current use, working knowledge of web technologies and languages (e.g. PHP, HTML/CSS, JavaScript), experience with databases and/or a major Relational Data Management System (e.g. MySQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, DB2) Knowledge of web based dynamic reporting tools. Previous experience with Visual Studio, IIS 7.0, Fusion Charts, and Excel Charts & Pivot tables a distinct advantage.
- Analytical skills: exceptional problem solving and analytical skills with impeccable business acumen.
- Strong and proactive communicator: personable yet persistent; developing detailed and high-quality work output materials
- Problem-solver – at a high- and granular- level: excellent problem-solving and analytical skills and impeccable business judgment; ability to think “big picture” and dig into details
Please send CV and cover letter to recruiting@komaza.org with a copy to support@komaza.org
- Industry: Non-Profit / International Development / Start-Up
- Employer: KOMAZA
- Position: Agro-Forestry Harvesting Intern
- Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
- Comp/Benefits: N/A
- Application Deadline: April 30, 2013
- Start Date: Flexible, June or July preferred
KOMAZA is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise working to end rural poverty by developing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in Africa’s infertile and drought-prone regions. Founded in 2006 and based in Kenya, our innovative grassroots model dramatically boosts household income for rural families by equipping them with resources, knowledge and market linkages to produce high-value climate-appropriate crops on their previously degraded land.
The RoleKOMAZA seeks an Agro-forestry Harvesting Summer Intern who will help execute a salvage harvest with farmers in Kilifi County. The intern will have a chance to do everything involved in a tree harvesting operations such as tree selection, cutting, hauling, transport, marketing, and record-keeping. The ideal candidate is a student in forestry or a recent graduate with a strong interest in sustainable development, forestry and operations. The ability to deal flexibly with farmers and be dependable, detail-oriented, enthusiastic and professional will enable you to have success in this role. Although this internship is unpaid, we can provide on-site housing at a minimal rate and will cover all operational costs. This position reports to a Field Manager. KOMAZA can offer recommendations upon successful completion of the internship
Qualifications
- Must be able to read GPS coordinates and use a GIS transponder
- Swahili language skills are a must and Giriama is desirable
- License and ability to drive a manual truck with attached trailer
- Must have a mobile phone
- Experience with forest management
Please send your resume and cover letter to: info@kenyaxperience.org. Please indicate KOMAZA Agro-forestry Harvesting Internship in subject line for expedited processing.
- Industry: Non-Profit / International Development / Start-Up
- Employer: KOMAZA
- Position: Agro-Forestry Harvesting Intern
- Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
- Comp/Benefits: N/A
- Application Deadline: April 30, 2013
- Start Date: Flexible, June or July preferred
KOMAZA is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise working to end rural poverty by developing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in Africa’s infertile and drought-prone regions. Founded in 2006 and based in Kenya, our innovative grassroots model dramatically boosts household income for rural families by equipping them with resources, knowledge and market linkages to produce high-value climate-appropriate crops on their previously degraded land.
The RoleKOMAZA seeks a GPS Mapping Summer Intern who will help execute a mapping exercise with farmers in Ganze district. The intern will have a chance to meet farmers, visit field offices, work with the Kenyan Rural Roads Authority, and upload mapping data to Google maps. The ideal candidate is a student in information technology with a strong interest in community development. The ability to deal flexibly with harsh field conditions and be dependable, detail-oriented, enthusiastic and professional will enable you to have success in this role. Although this internship is unpaid, we can provide on-site housing at a minimal rate and will cover all operational costs. This position reports to the Director of Operations. KOMAZA can offer recommendations upon successful completion of the internship
Qualifications
- Previous experience with Garmin GPS and Google Earth definate advantage
- Must be able to read GPS coordinates and use a GIS transponder
- Swahili language skills are a must and Giriama is desirable
- License and ability to drive a motor cycle
- Must have a mobile phone
Please send your resume and cover letter to: info@kenyaxperience.org. Please indicate KOMAZA GPS Mapping Internship in subject line for expedited processing.
- Industry: Non-Profit / International Development / Start-Up
- Employer: KOMAZA
- Position: Video Production Summer Intern
- Commitment: 3-4 month internship
- Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
- Comp/Benefits: N/A
- Application Deadline: April 30, 2013
- Start Date: Flexible, June or July preferred
KOMAZA is an award-winning non-profit social enterprise working to end rural poverty by developing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in Africa’s infertile and drought-prone regions. Founded in 2006 and based in Kenya, our innovative grassroots model dramatically boosts household income for rural families by equipping them with resources, knowledge and market linkages to produce high-value climate-appropriate crops on their previously degraded land.
The RoleKOMAZA seeks a Video Production Summer Intern who will plan, direct, coordinate and shoot technical training videos for the field operations of the company. The intern will have a chance to do everything involved in video production such as filming, capturing video off the internet, importing footage, logging, editing, building dvds, uploading videos and adding subtitles to video. We would also appreciate help in coming up with ideas for fun, creative ways to communicate the messages we need to send to the field staff. The ideal candidate is a student or a recent graduate with a strong interest in sustainable development, agriculture and capacity-building. The ability to deal flexibly with farmers and be dependable, enthusiastic and professional will enable you to have success in this role. Although this internship is unpaid, we can provide on-site housing at a minimal rate & will cover all operational costs. This position reports to the Technology Manager. KOMAZA can offer recommendations upon successful completion of the internship.
Qualifications
- Proficient in video camera operation
- Must have own laptop (MAC, Linux or Windows) with video editing software e.g. Final Cut, Avid Adobe CS5 etc
- Familiar with web video editing and publishing tools
- Strong communication, design and artistic skill
- Must be organized and detail oriented
- Proven ability to work independently and be self-motivated
- Belief in our organization’s mission and interest in social change
Please send your resume and cover letter to: info@kenyaxperience.org. Please indicate KOMAZA Video Production Summer Internship in subject line for expedited processing.
Wanted: Mid-late career professional to lead research and development department for a fast-growing, international forestry company
- Industry: Social Business / International Development / Start-Up
- Employer: KOMAZA
- Department: Research and Development {creation of a new department}
- Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
- Reports to: Country Director for Kenya
- Supervises: Technical Analyst(s), Project Manager(s)
- Comp/Benefits: Competitive, commensurate with experience
- Application Deadline: Open until filled
- Start Date: As soon as available
Founded in 2006, KOMAZA is a social enterprise creating sustainable economic opportunities for farmers living in Africa’s semi-arid regions. Working through a network of field staff, we partner with rural families and help them plant and maintain small-scale, income-generating tree farms. Using this model, KOMAZA will grow to serve thousands of farmers across East Africa and beyond in the coming years.
Research & Development DirectorJob Objective
KOMAZA seeks a Research and Development Director who will build and manage a team to generate technical knowledge for a large-scale forestry operation. The director will be responsible for advising on tree species diversification, silvicultural disease mitigation and treatment, and best silvicultural practices. The director will also be responsible for developing a Forestry Management plan, as well as incorporating the plan into operations to prepare the organization for FSC certification. The director may also conduct research in the area of agriculture, especially specifically related to alleleopathic effects of intercropping crops with trees. The ability to creatively establish and manage research projects from scratch to fill technical knowledge gaps will be key to success in this position. We are on the verge of dramatic expansion in Coast Province and beyond; this is a great opportunity for someone excited to take on ambitious goals and be a critical component of KOMAZA’s growth.
Silviculture Advising & Research
- Advise on forestry disease mitigation and treatment upon outbreaks
- Develop a Disease Mitigation and Outbreak Emergency Plan
- Advise on tree species diversification for varying environmental and farm conditions
- Develop and implement a Forestry Management plan that will align with FSC certification requirements
- Implement operational measures to align KOMAZA with FSC principles
Agricultural Research
- Identify crops that are suitable in KOMAZA’s areas of operations to compliment the farmer tree planting program
- Design and implement experiments with short term crops in harsh environmental conditions and varying farm conditions
- Identify and advise on best agricultural practices, including crop storage and processing
Employee Development
- Build and manage a new department, including a team of Technical Analyst(s) and Project Manager(s) to improve and expand KOMAZA’s forestry operations
- Set objectives and targets for direct report(s); anticipate human resource hiring and training needs and coordinate with Human Resources to meet those needs
- Offer and deliver the coaching, counselling, advice, support, motivation or information direct report(s) need to help them meet their objectives
- Monitor progress toward objectives to ensure employees are self-aware of performance
Qualifications
- Degree in Forestry, Agriculture, or another relevant hard science background
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in R&D, specifically in forestry and/or agriculture would be preferred
- An expert level of knowledge in silvicultural practices with specific experience in forestry pathology and identifying appropriate tree species for specific environmental conditions
- Creative problem-solver; this position will require significant independence and someone who can accomplish tasks creatively with minimal oversight
- Experience with managing and developing employees to achieve high performance
- Must be able to manage competing demands, accept constructive feedback, and meet targets while being efficient, flexible, and of good judgment
- Ability to independently develop departmental budgets, and observe spending practices that effectively and efficiently manage resources
- Excellent written and oral communication skills are required in both English and Kiswahili
- Computer competency that allows for regular email communication, report writing, and record keeping
Please send CV and cover letter to recruiting@komaza.org
Wanted: Early-career agricultural or business professional to develop the short term crops program, while providing ongoing support for the field operations team of a young, international social business working in the agroforestry field
- Industry: Social Business / International Development / Start-Up
- Employer: KOMAZA
- Department: Operations
- Location: Kilifi County, Kenya
- Reports to: Director of Operations
- Comp/Benefits: Competitive, commensurate with experience
- Application Deadline: Open until filled
- Start Date: As soon as available
Collaborating closely with KOMAZA managers and field staff, the Operations Associate will be responsible for researching, designing, and implementing agro-forestry programs and systems that enable KOMAZA to grow and scale effectively. The Operations Associate is given significant responsibility and must be able to deliver high quality projects in a demanding and sometimes challenging environment.
Develop Short Term Crops program
- Improve and expand the short term crops program to complement tree planting operations and provide economic returns to farmers
- Research most suitable and economically viable short term crops to compliment the tree planting initiative in the KOMAZA farmer package
- Identify local, regional and domestic markets to absorb tens to hundreds of tonnes of agricultural products
- Develop and implement quality control measures for agricultural products, along the entire supply chain
- Implement efficient transportation and logistics systems to connect small-scale rural farmers to profitable markets
- Leverage resource availability to maximize returns on agricultural products, for instance developing storage facilities and capitalizing on low-season market price peaks
- Understand and improve the agricultural value chain to maximize efficiencies and provide highest possible economic returns to farmers
- Develop create solutions to challenges emerging from serving rural, resource-poor farmers including innovative payment schemes for agricultural products
Support of Operations Team and Field Extension Network
- Provide on-going back-office support for operations field team, including development of technical materials, farmer recruitment and social marketing materials, and other relevant documents
- Be responsible for knowledge management of KOMAZA’s operations department, keeping the Wiki knowledge management system up to date and most current materials readily available on the organization’s network share drive
- Ability to work effectively in challenging field conditions
- Any other work assigned by supervisor
Qualifications
- 2-4+ years’ experience in agriculture or small-business development
- Degree in forestry, agriculture, or business management; or equivalent background and experience
- Self-managing; taking ownership over independent projects; developing and meeting work plan objectives and deadlines
- Excellent problem-solving skills and business judgment; ability to think “big picture” as well as dig into details
- Ability to execute projects/tasks and implement recommendations with strong attention to detail; ability to create backup plans and be flexible in sometimes logistically challenging environments
- Excellent spoken and written English with the ability to develop detailed and high-quality written materials; proficiency in Kiswahili preferred
Please send CV and cover letter to recruiting@komaza.org