Extension/Field Officer

Overview

Our client operating in the Cocoa sector is seeking self-motivated Extension/Field Officers who are fluent in English and relevant local languages for several districts in the Cocoa Regions. The Extension/Field Officers will be directly responsible for implementing sustainability program activities in assigned communities.

Responsibilities

Farmer’s Coaching  

• Collaborate with the Sustainability Sector Manager to develop the annual district work plan.
• Deliver training and coaching sessions on improved agricultural techniques, soil management, pest control, and post-harvest handling.
• Implement all farmer-focused programs (e.g., VSLA, alternative livelihoods) in the communities.
• Train farmers on Climate Smart Agriculture and follow up with trained farmers to ensure adoption of new farming practices.
• Create awareness on Agroforestry and promote our agroforestry model.
• Conduct training sessions for farmers on tree planting, maintenance and integrated land management.
• Monitor and collect data on tree survival rates and make recommendations for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES).
• Supervise and monitor the work of labor groups in the district.

Certification & Compliance

• Adherence to SOPs in the implementation of all activities.
• Lead in the organization of farmers and logistics for annual certification audits.
• Supervising farms of registered producers to ensure compliance with certification standards.
• Follow-up on non-compliances detected in audits and assist in their correction.
• Ensure that the company can successfully pass certification standards carried out in assigned operational areas.
• Engage farmers to communicate requirements and support capacity-building efforts, especially on EUDR.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Support our partners in the implementation of projects on the field.
• Prepare your area of operation to host client visits and be able to explain sustainability interventions

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting

• Document best practices, lesson learned and success stories about sustainability our interventions.
• Report progress of field activities regularly to the Sector Manager.
• Identify and report any cases of payment fraud, duplication, or discrepancies.
• Work with the District Sourcing and Traceability Team to ensure farmer and traceability records are consistently updated.
• Collaborate with technical officers from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and relevant research institutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Agriculture or a related field or an A-level degree plus 10 years of experience in cocoa farming.
• At least 5 years' experience in agriculture or farm management, an experience in cocoa production preferred.
• Familiarity with climate-smart agriculture, integrated pest management (IPM), and good agricultural practices (GAP).
• Good interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to speak a local language and represent our client at the district level.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite – Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong understanding of certification schemes, sustainability standards and stakeholder engagement.
• Agronomic knowledge, especially on cocoa culture, or similar tree crops.
• Community development facilitation skills and partnership synergies.
• Willing and able to work and travel 70% of the time in the rural communities of Ghana.
• Have a valid permit and ability to ride a motorbike.
• Experience engaging with farmers and communities.