Director of Nursery Operations - Eldoret

About the company

Earthtree is a Kenyan company that develops agroforestry projects  – rapidly scaling up climate action with real and measurable social and environmental benefits. In Kenya, Earthtree grows new forests in a highly data driven manner, supporting regenerative horticulture and agriculture projects that can restore ecosystems that bring back biodiversity and support farmers with new sources of revenue. We support communities to help their land regeneration goals and engage with farmers, and landholders to help them achieve their land productivity goals.

 

Who and what are we looking for?

You will work with the Earthtree Kenya Leadership Team to develop and implement appropriate plans for setting up nurseries as well as oversee nursery operations throughout the different stages of the project implementation (project life cycle). This will include developing monitoring & reporting plans, which you will help supervise and ensure they are compliant with the project objectives/outcomes desired.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Lead the team to build capacity to establish new nurseries, and scale up existing nurseries, for the production of seedlings for planting.
• Manage a variety of distributed nurseries across the project region, visiting each nursery to ensure quality assurance, guide and give clear direction to nursery operators - and ensure they follow standard practices set up by the project.
• Help improve planting design and arrangement, taking into account the terrain and genealogy. Observe and learn about the planting sites preferably 3-4 months before planting, carefully assess each planting site considering factors: soil type (drainage, fertility, and texture), flooding, amount of available sunlight, existing plant competition, exposure/aspect/orientation of the terrain, elevation, slope etc.) and incorporate into site-specific planting design and arrangement, and accompany plantation with soil and water conservation structure.
• Develop a strategy & plan for the seedlings that require acclimatisation to higher altitudes before planting.
• Throughout the project life cycle, you will work with the Leadership team to recruit and oversee the involvement of experts with practical knowledge and experience in the following areas (but not limited to):

Seed collection and storage

Plant propagation

Nursery management

Plant Pathologist

Bio-fertiliser production

Agroforestry

Biodiversity

• You will contribute to learning and dissemination of information while bringing valuable data and information to project monitoring as well as building local capacity. This could include collaboration with local and foreign universities and research organisations.
• You will contribute to the ongoing needs of the Project throughout its life cycle, and work collaboratively with the leadership team to identify potential issues and risks and how to address or mitigate and manage them.
• Oversee all nursery operations from seed and tree cutting collection, growing, planting, and maintenance to deliver a high survival rate, close to 90% of all trees.
• Review and update the Seed and Nursery Operations Manual and ensure compliance with project goals and standards.
• Establish your travel routes to all nurseries and also to all planting stores to plan the distribution of saplings for planting.
• Attend Project meetings with a larger team as and when required/needed.
• Report on the work on the ground regularly, document and maintain dated records of all essential activities associated with the work.
• Aid in monitoring, reporting and verification activities. 
• Ensure the collection of photos and GPS coordinates of all trees that will supply seeds and tree cuttings for our nurseries, and ensure all farmers take photos of each tree they plant using our MRV App.
• Onboard yourself into Earthtree Workplace, JIRA, Confluence and Earthbanc MRV App - and check the posts each day and reply conscientiously with Earthtree colleagues to ensure you keep moving priorities and project deliverables forward.

 

Requirements:

 

• A Bachelor or Masters Degree in Nursery Management, Agroforestry, agriculture, forestry/ forest science or related discipline and more than five years of related work experience in Western Kenya (Preferred) or similar work across the country.
• You will have managed a nursery yourself for a minimum of 5 years, and ideally have 10 years experience in nursery management, and minimum of 5 years of reforestation or agroforestry experience.
• Excellent communication skills. Fluent in English. Knowledge of the local language will be a plus.
• Ability to work independently, with experience in nurseries and/or forest planting in tropical and mountainous regions and regions of high precipitation.
• Adaptability to a new work environment and staying and working with local communities.
• A valid driver’s licence as well as an acceptable driving record.
• Willingness to lead fieldwork, interact with communities and record data in steep, rugged terrain and inclement weather.
• Experience using Excel or Google spreadsheet for forestry/Nursery data is required along with use of other softwares for data collection and collation.
• Working knowledge of QGIS or ArcGIS with some prior work experience in forestry and related data management will be advantageous.
• Supervisory experience. Excellent Internal (within organisation and team) and external (with government and community stakeholders) communication skills.
• Good understanding of MRV systems in forestry and plantation works.

 

Desirable

• Experience working with Indigenous stakeholders, landowners, nursery owners and suppliers
• Able to travel to project sites and stay sometimes at local accommodation closer to the project site.
• Developed Seed and Nursery Management Plans, Planting and Maintenance Management Plans, Nursery Operational Procedures, Nursery Activity Calendars.
• Developed plans for project budgeting and financial reporting.
• Strong quantitative skills, with the ability to use data and metrics to draw conclusions and inform decisions
• Entrepreneurial mindset

 

Working at Earthtree

●       This role is full-time with flexible hours.

●       Join a fast growing business with a great opportunity to quickly grow your career.

●       Join the office in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya and help us positively impact climate, biodiversity and communities in Kenya and globally.

●       We support some remote work but are moving to approximately 50% office based work to encourage in-person collaboration and teamwork.

●       We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran, disability, or on any other grounds. We ensure every applicant gets an equal chance of success.

Other benefits

●       Learning and development: We are on a constant learning journey and you will receive an annual learning and development budget to help you with this.

●       Paid time off

●       Hybrid work policy.

●       Relocation package available from anywhere globally