Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist at Suyana Foundation: (Deadline 02-08-2026)
Position Details
- Duty station: Kigali, Rwanda.
- Contract type: Full-time employment contract.
- Reports to: International Project Manager Africa, with day-to-day coordination with the Rwanda Country Coordinator, the MEL Officer and other technical experts.
- Travel: Regular travel to project locations in Rwanda and occasional travel within East Africa, especially Uganda.
- Candidate eligibility: Applicants should have the right to work in Rwanda, unless otherwise agreed by Suyana.
About Suyana Foundation
The Suyana Foundation is a Swiss non-profit organization founded in 2003. We design and implement long-term, integrated development programmes in Bolivia and Peru and collaborate with trusted local partners in Africa. Suyana began its engagement in Africa in 2021 and currently supports several partner-led initiatives, primarily in Rwanda and Uganda.
In Rwanda, Suyana currently supports projects implemented by local partners, promoting community empowerment through a holistic approach across health, livelihoods and education. Livelihoods and agriculture-related work includes household-level agriculture, small livestock, cooperatives and VSLAs, youth agri-training, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, post-harvest handling, market linkages and rural enterprise development. As part of our ambition to strengthen Suyana’s work, we are progressively expanding our technical support, partner accompaniment and programme development capacity in both countries.
This approach allows Suyana to deepen its long-term impact by combining strong local partnerships with high-quality technical accompaniment and, where appropriate in the future, the implementation of Suyana-led initiatives that respond to local priorities and needs.
Position Summary
The Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist strengthens the quality, relevance and development of Suyana’s livelihoods, agriculture and economic strengthening work in Rwanda, while contributing to regional learning and collaboration where relevant. Working closely with the International Project Manager Africa, the Rwanda Country Coordinator, the MEL Officer, other technical experts and implementing partners, the role supports partners to design, implement and continuously improve sustainable livelihoods and agriculture programmes aligned with Rwanda’s national priorities, market realities and Suyana’s integrated development approach.
The role combines programme design, field support, capacity strengthening, monitoring and learning, proposal development, market systems work and stakeholder engagement. It requires a practical professional who is comfortable working with partners, farmers, producer groups, cooperatives, VSLAs, local authorities, agricultural extension services, financial actors and private sector actors. Frequent field presence in rural communities is expected so that recommendations are grounded in local realities and contribute to income, food security, nutrition, sustainability and household resilience.
Key Responsibilities
Partner Support and Capacity Strengthening
- Work closely with implementing partners throughout the project cycle and provide practical advice that strengthens delivery and results in the Rwandan livelihoods and agriculture context.
- Assess partners’ technical capacity and provide coaching, training and practical support to strengthen livelihoods systems, agriculture practices, enterprise development and programme quality.
- Facilitate trainings, mentoring and learning sessions for partner staff, farmers, producer groups, cooperatives, VSLAs, youth groups and community stakeholders.
Programme Quality and Design
- Lead the design and improvement of livelihoods and agriculture initiatives, including needs assessments, market analysis, contextual analysis, stakeholder consultations, theories of change, logical frameworks, indicators, implementation strategies and budgets, with particular attention to rural livelihoods, land scarcity, climate risk and market realities in Rwanda.
- Provide guidance on smallholder agriculture, land-light livelihood options, crop and livestock production, soil and water management, climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture, post-harvest handling, value addition and rural enterprise development.
- Ensure programmes are practical, sustainable, responsive to community needs and aligned with Rwanda’s national priorities, market realities and Suyana’s integrated development approach.
- Work closely with Suyana’s Health, Education and other technical specialists to ensure livelihoods and agriculture activities contribute to household resilience, food security, nutrition, education and health.
- Maintain regular exchange with Suyana’s Livelihoods & Agriculture Specialist in Uganda to promote practical collaboration, shared learning and coherence across the Uganda and Rwanda livelihoods and agriculture portfolios.
- Contribute to concept notes, proposals, donor reports, fundraising initiatives and learning products, drawing on Rwanda agricultural sector analysis and field learning where relevant.
Enterprise Development and Market Systems
- Support business development, entrepreneurship and practical financial planning for community-based livelihood initiatives.
- Strengthen producer groups, cooperatives, VSLAs and rural enterprises so that they can function effectively and sustainably.
- Support partners to improve market access, value chains, aggregation, post-harvest handling and linkages between farmers, suppliers, service providers, buyers and financial actors.
- Promote realistic livelihood opportunities that help land-poor households, youth and women move beyond subsistence production towards greater food security and economic resilience.
Monitoring, Learning and Evidence Use
- Work with the MEL Officer to ensure livelihoods and agriculture programmes have relevant indicators, monitoring tools and learning processes.
- Use programme data, market information, assessments and feedback to improve programme quality, income outcomes, inclusion and decision-making.
- Review monitoring reports and evaluations, identifying lessons, risks and options for adaptation.
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
- Build and maintain constructive relationships with agricultural authorities, district and sector extension services, cooperative structures, producer groups, financial service providers, private sector partners, development partners and relevant networks.
- Represent Suyana in technical meetings, coordination forums and learning events, and support partners to strengthen their own stakeholder engagement.
- Monitor Rwanda agriculture, livelihoods and rural development priorities and identify opportunities for collaboration, partnership and future programme development.
Safeguarding
- Promote a strong safeguarding culture across all livelihoods and agriculture activities.
- Support partners to apply safeguarding standards and ensure activities prioritize the safety, dignity and wellbeing of children, young people and other participants.
Profile and Qualifications
We are looking for an experienced livelihoods and agriculture professional who combines strong technical expertise with a collaborative and practical working style.
Personal attributes
- Takes initiative and looks for practical solutions.
- Hands-on attitude and willingness to work closely with partners, farmers, producer groups and communities.
- Works well in a team and builds positive, trusting relationships.
- Demonstrates empathy, respect and cultural sensitivity.
- Communicates clearly and listens actively.
- Shows integrity, accountability and professionalism.
- Collaborative while able to work independently.
- Thinks critically, solves problems effectively and adapts to changing priorities.
- Organised and committed to learning, innovation, continuous improvement, inclusion and safeguarding.
Technical qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Rural Development or a related field.
- Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in livelihoods, agriculture or economic development programming.
- Strong knowledge of Rwanda’s agriculture and livelihoods context, including smallholder agriculture, land-light livelihood options, livestock production, climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture, soil and water management, post-harvest handling, enterprise development, value chains and market systems.
- Familiarity with Rwanda’s agriculture and livelihoods policy context, including district extension structures, cooperatives, rural markets, value chains, youth agri-service models and relevant rural development policies.
- Experience in programme design, implementation, technical advisory support and quality assurance.
- Experience supporting producer groups, cooperatives, VSLAs, rural enterprises or market-oriented livelihood initiatives.
- Experience with project cycle management, monitoring and evaluation, and using evidence to improve programme quality and impact.
- Excellent facilitation, mentoring and communication skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Kinyarwanda.
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office and relevant livelihoods or agriculture data and reporting tools.
Desirable
- Master’s degree in Agriculture, Rural Development, Agribusiness or a related field.
- Experience supporting local partner organisations and strengthening their technical systems.
- Experience with integrated, multi-sectoral development programmes, preferably in holistic community development contexts.
What Suyana Offers
- Opportunity to join a growing organisation investing in East Africa and strengthening its livelihoods and agriculture portfolio.
- Meaningful role where your expertise contributes to improved household resilience, economic opportunities and sustainable livelihoods.
- Supportive working culture that values initiative, learning, collaboration and long-term engagement.
- Opportunities to contribute to partner-led initiatives and to the development of future Suyana-led programmes.
- Fair and competitive compensation package reflecting experience, responsibility and local conditions.
Application process
This recruitment process is being managed by KaizenMind, an HR firm based in Rwanda, on behalf of Suyana.
If you are interested in joining Suyana, please submit your application through the following form: https://forms.gle/NT9axHTjdFWpAsV18.
Note: As part of the application, you will be asked to provide written responses (maximum two pages in total) to the following questions directly in the application form:
- What makes a livelihoods or agriculture intervention sustainable beyond donor funding in rural Rwanda, and why?
- Describe a livelihoods, agriculture or enterprise development initiative you helped strengthen. What challenges did you identify, and what changes did you introduce?
- How would you support a partner organisation whose beneficiaries produce more but see little improvement in income, food security or resilience?
- What attracts you to a role where livelihoods and agriculture are integrated with health, education, WASH and household wellbeing? What opportunities and challenges do you see in this integrated approach in Rwanda?
