Senior Programme Officer – Production Specialist

Norwegian Church Aid works with communities worldwide to end poverty and injustice, delivering emergency relief and long-term development support. In Malawi, NCA has operated since 2002 and, since merging with DanChurchAid in 2021, runs the Malawi Joint Country Programme (JCP) to improve efficiency and impact for marginalised communities. NCA-DCA is recruiting a Senior Programme Officer – Production Specialist for its country office in Lilongwe, reporting to the Programme Coordinator – Tisangalale ndi Chuma.

About the role

The Senior Programme Officer – Production Specialist will provide technical leadership to the Consortium on agricultural production, climate-smart agriculture, quality assurance, mechanisation, post-harvest management and farmer organisation commercialisation. The role ensures that participating Farmer Organisations produce sufficient volumes and quality of soybean, groundnut and bean commodities to meet the requirements of structured markets and commercial buyers, and works closely with the Malawi Agriculture Cluster Initiative to connect last-mile farmers to available markets.

Duties and responsibilities

• Work with implementing partners to carry out all production-related activities under the Tisangalale project.
• Facilitate adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies and good agricultural practices.
• Promote access to quality seed, fertilisers, inoculants, mechanisation, irrigation technologies and other productivity-enhancing inputs.
• Coordinate training on soybean, groundnut and bean production, agronomy and quality management.
• Strengthen post-harvest handling, storage, grading, sorting and quality assurance systems.
• Lead interventions on aflatoxin management, moisture control, traceability and commodity quality compliance.
• Collaborate with Government Extension Services, MACI, AGCOM, NASFAM and private sector actors to strengthen value chains.
• Provide technical oversight of production-related digital extension initiatives.
• Contribute to project work planning, budgeting, reporting and performance monitoring.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, innovations and best practices.
• Integrate gender, youth inclusion, safeguarding, environmental sustainability and disability inclusion across all activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Crop Science, Agricultural Extension, Rural Development or a related field.
• A master's degree in Agribusiness, Project Management, Rural Development or a related discipline is an added advantage.

Knowledge and experience

• At least 5 years' experience implementing agricultural development projects.
• Demonstrated experience in strengthening farmer organisations and agricultural commercialisation.
• Strong understanding of climate-smart agriculture, value chain development and Market Systems Development approaches.
• Experience working with government agricultural structures, NGOs and private sector actors.
• Experience in project planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting.
• Working experience in Malawi's agricultural sector is essential.

Essential skills

• Strong technical expertise in crop production and agricultural commercialisation.
• Excellent facilitation and adult learning skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with farmer organisations and private sector actors.
• Strong report writing and documentation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and partnership-building skills.
• Competence in Microsoft Office applications and digital data collection platforms.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Good organisational and time-management skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively within project districts.

Language skills

• Excellent English communication skills, both oral and written.

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Ability to work in a multicultural, inclusive and equitable environment.

How to apply

• Applications should include a CV, a statement of suitability for the role, and the names and contact details of two traceable references.
• Apply using the Apply button on this page.
• Applications must be submitted by 12 noon on Friday, 13 November 2026.
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
• NCA is an equal opportunity employer; men, women and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Application deadline: 13 November 2026